Finding Nemo: Movie & DVD Review (2003)

(Originally published 2003)

Directed by Andrew Stanton and Lee Unkrich; written by Stanton, Bob Peterson and David Reynolds, 104 minutes, rated G.

If you’re going to spend $80 million serving fish to audiences, the last thing you want to offer them is a turkey of the sea.

And so, in "Finding Nemo," an underwater adventure about a tiny clown fish torn from his overprotective father, Disney and Pixar Animation Studios prove once again that they know how to set a table and keep the crowds fed.

Indeed, in their fifth collaboration, the studios behind "Toy Story," "Toy Story 2," "A Bug’s Life" and "Monsters, Inc." have filled their latest virtual tank with their best-looking movie to date.

Set in Australia’s Great Barrier Reef, the film tells the story of Nemo (voice of Alexander Gould), a young, motherless clown fish who wants to prove to his father, Marlin (Albert Brooks), that in spite of being born with a miniature right fin, he’s fully capable of taking care of himself.

It’s just that streak of independence that’s tested early on, when Nemo is scooped up by a deep-sea diver and stolen away to Sydney. There, in a dentist’s aquarium, he joins a ragtag team of other fish being held captive while his father, joined by a dorky blue tang named Dory (Ellen DeGeneres), enlists the help of the sea in an effort to find Nemo and bring him home safe.

Blending elements of "Bambi" and "The Little Mermaid," "Finding Nemo" isn’t as thematically rich or as emotionally satisfying as the studios’ previous forays into the super-charged world of computer-generated movies; there are times when its focus wanders and moments carry a whiff of deja-vu. Still, for its intended audience of tots, it comes through with enough action and humor to keep them rooted to their seats.

Helping that cause is the film’s outstanding animation, which is easily the best of the computer-animated lot. Water has always been a challenge for animators to realistically duplicate, but in "Nemo" those barriers have been conquered. The underwater environments are beautifully rendered, painstakingly created, as bright and as colorful as Nemo’s healthy imagination.

Especially good is how directors Andrew Stanton and Lee Unkrich don’t sugarcoat the sea. It’s a dangerous world out there, filled with predators eager to prey on unsuspecting souls like Nemo. Without question, it’s that message that will resonate most with parents.

Grade: B

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