Finding Dory: “Somewhere Beyond the Sea”

The 13 year wait with our beloved sea friends has finally arrived! Finding Dory takes advantage of its beautiful animation and charming characters, giving us more heart than ever before. 

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​A visual splendor, Finding Dory is a sequel that works from beginning until end. Its thought-provoking themes adds yet another exciting chapter to our sea community. Backed by talented voices (Ellen DeGeneres, Albert Brooks, Hayden Rolence, Ed O'Neill, Kaitlin Olson, Ty Burrell, Diane Keaton, Eugene Levy, Idris Elba, Dominic West and Sigourney Weaver), Dory and her pals swim to perfection.

​The film takes place one year after the events of 2003’s Finding Nemo, Dory (voiced by a fantastic DeGeneres) finally remembers her long-lost family is out in the ocean somewhere waiting for her. Cue Dory’s request to embark on another journey through the deep blue. Dory, of course, is hindered due to her short-term memory loss and needs Marlin (voiced by a sensational Brooks) and Nemo to help find her parents. Along the way, Dory and her pals ride the underwater current to California, fight off giant squids and endlessly listen to Sigourney Weaver’s voice at the Marine Life Institute. From start until finish, the Weaver joke never gets old.

On the journey, Dory reunites with her childhood friend Destiny (voiced by a vibrant Olson), a near-sighted whale shark. She also befriends a cranky East Pacific red octopus, named Hank (voiced by an excellent O’Neil) and a Bailey (voiced by a hilarious Burrell), a beluga whale who temporarily lost echolocation due to a concussion. While Finding Dory will never fully capture that pure moment of bliss like Finding Nemo did 13 years ago, nevertheless, it’s still a grand Pixar sequel for the books. With highest respects, Finding Dory hits all of the emotional highs we, as an audience, have come to love in a Pixar film.

While the impressive and beautiful animation captures the mystery and wonder of the ocean; this film alone stands as a tentpole for future animated films to follow. I was over joyed to experience the warm welcome of Dory and Marlin again. Who knows, maybe in ten years we’ll be back to the big screen again finding Marlin. As for now, we are dazzled with this exciting second chapter and take in ever ounce of delight this film has to offer. As Dory continually tells the audience throughout both films to “just keep swimming,” I will also tell you, as a world, to do the same. 

Finding Dory is rated PG (Parental Guidance). For mild thematic elements.