You may not know this, but deep under the ocean in the beautiful Great Barrier Reef lives Marlin, a Clownfish, and his only son, Nemo. Now, you’re probably thinking ‘A clownfish, he must be really funny’ but you’d be wrong. In fact, Marlin has a very sad story to tell… Just as Marlin and his wife were preparing to set up home in the idyllic Barrier Reef neighbourhood, a freak barracuda attack left Marlin without his beloved wife and all but one of his 400 children. Marlin named the one child who was saved in the attack Nemo and vowed that nothing would ever hurt him. Now Nemo has an underdeveloped fin, meaning he’s not always the strongest swimmer and, like many single parents, Marlin is a little over-protective of Nemo. Nemo’s first day at school proves too much for Marlin and he becomes ‘the parent that won’t leave’, following Nemo’s class everywhere they go. An understandably annoyed Nemo ends up swimming off on his own in an adolescent strop. Unfortunately at that moment poor little Nemo is snatched away by a diver and finds himself in a fish tank in a Sydney dentist’s surgery.
Understandably Marlin is devastated and resolves to find his son. But how can he know
where to start looking? And can he overcome his fear of the great expanse of ocean that lies beyond the reef? Luckily Marlin bumps into Dory, a pretty blue fish who is bubbling with enthusiasm and more than willing to help him. And the fact that she can read proves very handy when they find the diver’s mask diligently labelled with his name and address. However, Dory suffers from short-term memory loss which proves more than a little frustrating to Marlin as they embark on the search for his son.
On the way they meet a host of hilarious characters, including three sharks who have formed a support group whose motto is ‘Fish are Friends not food!’, a huge humpback whale, a pelican with an interest in dentistry and a group of surfer dude turtles into serious thrill seeking!
But will they reach Nemo before he is given away to the dentist’s niece Darla, a notorious fish killer? Or can Nemo escape the dentist’s clutches with the help of his new-found fish tank friends? Come on guys, it’s a Disney film- what do you think?
Anyone who’s seen Toy Story or Monsters Inc. will be familiar with the Pixar style of 3D cartoon animation and Finding Nemo is quite possibly the most beautifully animated Pixar film yet! Compared to the other Pixar films, Finding Nemo has adopted a fantastic blend of cartoon (for the fish and other characters) and realism (for the sea and its plant life) which is stunning to look at. The film as a whole is an incredible expanse of beauty and colour and every piece of coral and each speck of sunlight on the ocean surface is drawn in such detail that you can’t help but gasp. I predict big rises in the Australian tourist trade! The characters themselves also have great emotional facial expression which is incredibly human-like and endearing!
The other most distinctive feature of a Pixar film is the fact that it works on so many levels. There is just enough slapstick (mainly provided by Dory) and even a few obligatory fart jokes to amuse the kids, and more than enough wry humour to bring a smile to any adult’s face! I saw it in a cinema full of adults and there were so many moments when the entire audience was laughing out loud! It’s the little touches which make this film- the ongoing rivalry between the pelicans and the seagulls, the cries of ‘Mine!’ as the seagulls dive for food, the dentist jokes, the spoof of The Shining- I could go on forever!
The characters are all beautifully drawn and are so human-like that at times you forget that they’re actually fish! The relationship between Marlin and Nemo was set up beautifully, ensuring that you really root for them to get back together and Nemo is possibly the cutest thing I’ve ever seen- vulnerable and appealing in equal measure! But without a doubt the most memorable character is Dory and Ellen DeGeneres makes her a really loveable character, investing her with a sense of naïve optimism and humour. I defy you not to laugh as she claims she can speak whale! In fact, all the characters are superbly voiced and it becomes quite fun playing spot the celebrity voice- Geoffrey Rush, Barry ‘Dame Edna’ Humphries, Willem Dafoe- even the director gets the chance to add his voice to the film, playing Crush, the surfing turtle.
In terms of plot this isn’t the most elaborate film ever made- it’s pretty standard Disney fare really. But it’s the way it’s been carried off which lifts this film above the rest- the dialogue in particular is spot on with cringey ‘Dad’ jokes mixed in with sharp humour. As with all Disney films we have the ‘believe in yourself and you can accomplish anything’ message but it’s not done in too much of a schmaltzy way. Pixar may have made more innovative films before (Toy Story was pretty cutting edge at the time) but with Finding Nemo they seem to have really succeeded in making a fantastic family film.
Even if Disney films aren’t your usual taste I urge you to see this film! Although it has more than enough appeal for its U audience- and the ‘scary’ bits are handled with such a sense of humour I can’t imagine anyone being truly scared by them- it is possibly the most adult orientated Disney film I’ve seen. This has even eclipsed The Lion King and become my favourite Disney film ever! And my friends (who were more up for Kill Bill) were surprised to enjoy this just as much as I did!
Running time- 105 minutes Certificate- U
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED
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A delightful undersea world unfolds in Pixar's animated adventureFinding Nemo. When his ... more
son Nemo is captured by a scuba diver, a nervous clownfish named Marlin (voiced by Albert Brooks) sets off into the vast--and astonishingly detailed--ocean to find ...
Postage & Packaging: £1.21 Availability: Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days...
A delightful undersea world unfolds in Pixar's animated adventureFinding Nemo. When his ... more
son Nemo is captured by a scuba diver, a nervous clownfish named Marlin (voiced by Albert Brooks) sets off into the vast--and astonishingly detailed--ocean to find ...
Postage & Packaging: free Super Saver Delivery Availability: Usually dispatched within 24 hours...
Nemo an adventurous young clownfish is unexpectedly taken to a dentist's office ... more
aquarium. It's up to Marlin (Albert Brooks) his worrisome father and Dory (Ellen DeGeneres) a friendly but forgetful regal blue tang fish to make the epic journey to ...
Postage & Packaging: £0.00 Availability: 3-5 working days
Advantages: Funny, general cuteness of all fish in the film, kids will love it, adults will love it, the dog will love it - oh, it's just the best! Disadvantages: Nothing at all
Fruity_Tart 10.10.2003 (09.11.2003)
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Review of Finding Nemo (DVD)
![Finding Nemo (2 Disc Collector's Edition) [2003] [DVD]](http://picnica.ciao.com/uk/78525038.jpg "Finding Nemo (2 Disc Collector's Edition) [2003] [DVD]")
Nov 11th, 2003
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