“Finding Nemo” (Disney-Pixar)
“Finding Nemo” is another computer-animated adventure from the folks who brought you “Toy Story” and “Monsters Inc.” This film has the same look, and a degree of the same charm but it isn’t on a level with either of those movies. The hunt to “find Nemo” takes much too long and could either wear out the kids or even the adults in getting there.
The story starts with a jolt. Two fish, Marlin (Albert Brooks) and Coral (Elizabeth Perkins), have found the perfect home in the ocean to raise their family. They are very excited that they have 400 babies waiting to be born. But out of nowhere a big shark comes and gobbles up Coral and all the babies except one. This one is “Nemo.”
Marlin becomes an overprotective father due to this unfortunate incident in nature and hovers over Nemo ((Alexander Gould) up to and including the time when he starts school. Then tragedy strikes again, Nemo is abducted by some scuba divers. The rest of the film concerns Marlin’s efforts to find where Nemo has been taken and to bring him home.
On his way Marlin is joined by a fish named Dory (Ellen DeGeneres) who has short-term memory loss. They also meet a shark named Bruce (Barry Humphries) who has sworn off eating fish, but still has a yen for fish meat.
Meanwhile Nemo is in a fish tank in a dentist’s office in Sydney, Australia. He has been befriended by all the other fish in the tank, especially Gill (Willem DaFoe) who is planning his getaway. The film switches back and forth between Marlin’s adventure and that of Nemo.
The animation is beautiful with the underwater effect being captured perfectly. There are no songs in this animated adventure and they are sorely missed. It seems they would have been a natural to the telling of this story.
Although the characters are cute and the story is sweet, the action begins to be repetitive and tiresome. You are itching for Marlin to find Nemo so the whole thing will be over.
The film is rated G, even though it does have some mildly frightening moments with the bad sharks.
“Finding Nemo” is an okay family film but it isn’t of the caliber of “Monsters Inc,” "Toy Story” or “Shrek.” It is more on “A Bug’s Life” entertainment level.
I scored “Finding Nemo” a lost 5 out of 10.
