Film Review: "Finding Nemo"

Starring Albert Brooks as Marlin; Ellen Degeneres as Dory; Alexander Gould as Nemo; Willem Dafoe as Gill; Geoffrey Rush as Nigel; and Andrew Stanton as Crush. A Disney/Pixar film. Written and Directed by Andrew Stanton.

Hilariously funny and morally appealing, "Finding Nemo" is a film for the entire family. Not only does Pixar make the audience relate to a fish, but they dazzle the viewers with an onscreen spectacle that can only be described as breathtaking. Marlin, a clownfish with an acute fear of the open sea, watches as his son is taken away by Australian divers. Distraught, Marlin recruits Dory, a blue tang with a scatterbrained disposition. Together they run into many creatures and obstacles including the Fish-Eaters Anonymous Group, old World War II mines, and a swarm of enchanting but deadly jellyfish. All the while, Nemo is trapped inside an aquarium at a dentist's office in Sydney plotting plans of escape with his fellow tank-mates. One of which, is Gill, an experienced fish with a desire to return to the sea. Pixar's state of the art animation blended with the inspiring story of a father's determination to find his son unforgettably illuminates the screen. And, with delightful humor woven in throughout, "Finding Nemo" makes for a memorable movie-going experience the whole family will enjoy for years to come.

Every time Pixar comes out with a new release, you can be assured that the images on the screen will, 'knock your socks off'. State of the art animation technology has become so advanced that the audience will forget they're watching cartoon fish. The viewers will be too caught up in the realism of the graphics and the personalities of the computer-generated characters. The visual splendor captured in "Finding Nemo" makes it, as Roger Ebert of the Chicago Sun-Times put it, "[...] one of those rare films where I wanted to sit in the front row and let the images wash out to the edges of my field of vision." Pixar has shone a completely different light on the film industry, blurring the line between cartoon and real-life, and improving on a media that continues to amaze. Academy Award nominations are no stranger to Pixar, and in all likelihood, they will pay the company another visit with this fantastic, fishy tale that captures the eyes as well as the hearts of its audience.

The inspiring story of Marlin finding his lost son is, quite honestly, moving. Although he suffers from a terrible fear of the open water away from the Great Barrier Reef, he holds onto every ounce of hope he can muster and travels the vast, blue ocean in search of Nemo. When speaking of Pixar films in general, Mark Caro of the Chicago Tribune stated, "the movies may be made up of pixels, but the filmmaking springs from the minds and hearts of gifted storytellers." Writer and director of "Finding Nemo", Andrew Stanton, combines the art of superb storytelling and inventive visuals; a combination that is hard to find in many animated features. Not only this, but the bond demonstrated between Marlin and Nemo is touching, and can be paralleled quite nicely onto dry land. Additionally, this movie for all ages packs a powerful message while introducing hilarious stunts and characters that you won't soon forget.

Whether it's three sharks in a twelve-step program to live a fish-free life or surfer-dude turtles, the orange and white striped Marlin along with the blue and oblivious Dory, encounter character after character that send the audience into a frenzy of laughs. A common trend among Pixar films is the obvious physical comedy, often aimed at children, and the not-so-obvious one-liners, that only the adults would understand. As Roger Ebert said, "There is a story though, one of those Pixar inventions that involves kids in the action level while the adults are amused because of the satire [...]." One of the funniest scenes in the film takes place when Marlin and Dory are invited back to a shark hideout. There, they meet with three sharks of various species that call themselves the Fish-Eaters Anonymous Group. They proclaim, "'Fish are friends, not food.'" When the head shark, Bruce, catches the scent of Dory's blood, he falls off the bandwagon and the two companion sharks yell, "'Intervention! Intervention!'" as they pin him against the side of a sunken ship. Although the action itself is amusing, the conversational subtleties and discreet jokes are what gear the film towards adults. Equally funny, is a scene involving a laid-back turtle named Crush. Marlin and Dory find out that Nemo is somewhere in Sydney, so they have to ride the EAC (Eastern Australian Current) to get there. Riding the EAC already, are several turtles, but Marlin favors Crush who has a tendency to speak only in surfer lingo. Only Pixar would think to have a turtle say "'Dude!'"

"Finding Nemo" is a must-see film that is truly a delight for the entire family. No matter your age or background, the story of Marlin the clownfish on a desperate mission to find his son is heartwarming and leaves you with an all-around good feeling. Whether it's Pixar's top of the line animation technology that draws you to the film, the inspiring tale, or the witty characters, "Finding Nemo" has something for everybody. Fun for the entire family is what this film entails and if you don't delight in motivational messages, then the vast array of distinct and hysterical characters make it worth your while. Pixar has brought humans to the land of monsters and toys, and now they have conquered the sea.