The technical magicians at Pixar are back with the new animated film “Finding Nemo” that tells the story of a loving but overprotective Clownfish named Marlin (Albert Brooks), as he ventures out into the deep ocean to save his son Nemo (Alexander Gould), who has been taken from his home by divers.
The loss of Nemo is devastating to Marlin as he lost his wife and all of their eggs save for Nemo and has become very timid in the time since and he fears venturing beyond the safe confines of his home area.
Driven by the love for his son, Marlin sets out to follow the boat that has taken his son, even though it takes him deep into the dangerous Ocean and forces him to confront his own fears to save his son. Along the way Marlin encounters Dory (Ellen DeGeneris), a sweet but very absent-minded fish who tags along with Marlin to provide comedy relief for the story.
There is also a very good side story involving Nemo and a group of fish in a tank as they bond and try to formulate the grand escape to freedom and return Nemo to his father.
What follows is a very funny and charming story as the two fish encounter everything from sharks in a 12 Step program trying to change their image to a migration of surfer dude turtles. Of course there are dangers along the way and parents should be cautioned that some scenes did cause tears from some of the very young viewers in the screener that I attended.
While the plot is not the most complex story in the world, it is more than appropriate for the target audience of the film and there are more than enough laughs and smiles in the film to keep even the most jaded adult tuned in. The computer artistry is amazing as it is awash in motion, textures, and colors without being to frantic and providing an array of amazing visuals. I was very impressed at how each creature had detailed facial expressions that carried their emotions without having to rely heavily on the dialogue to convey feelings. In summary, “Finding Nemo” is an absolutely charming film and a true family classic that should not be missed. The film is easily the best work ever from Pixar, and that is saying something with their very impressive resume.
4 stars out of 5
