9:16pm ET
A movie in the works for more than four years, Finding Dory heavily relies on strongpoints from the original animated feature Finding Nemo.
To sum the Pixar sequel up in a few thoughts: You learn the backstory of Dory as a baby Blue Tang, and through a series of flashbacks and new developments as a character, she overcomes her condition of short term memory loss. Executive Producer and Pixar legend, John Lasseter, made it a point to implement a whole new character roster when diving into the storyboarding of this film. With that being said, I feel there was a lack of character development aside from Hank the Septopus and Dory-- the rest of the characters were portrayed on a "what you see is what you get" basis. By that I mean once you are introduced to the character, like Destiny for example, they become predictable because they do not grow throughout the film. If viewers haven't seen the first installment of this underwater series, Marlin and Nemo would seem a bit bland-- not knowing or learning their tendencies and personalities really handicaps the ability to a certain creative element in this move.
Being a modern-age project, it's tough to keep the attention of children for the length of a whole movie. Finding Dory did a great job of applying quick, simple jokes throughout the story in order to get a few chucks and giggles from guests.. keeping their attention. The movie starts out slow and the amount of obstacles Dory needs to overcome & the amount if things she forgets becomes bothersome. Coming into this sequel, the main focus of the story was always highlighted and advertised-- writers nor producers founding other sidebars or key elements to keep the film moving without viewers being able to predict what would happen. On the bright side, the relationship between Dory and Hank is awe-inspiring and truly a pleasure to watch. As the uncommon duo dances around many obstacles trying to please each other while reaching their goals-- you learn the Hank goes from an ugly old man and truly involves as a character, essentially reinventing himself. On the production side of things, the animation and representation of animals is incredible. From the landscaping of the ocean floor, to the textures on copious amounts of underwater animals to event the detailing on the fur of characters making frequent appearances like the sea lions and adorable otters. Without spoiling the movie, all I will say is that it looks like the ending of 'Finding Dory' was written in a way that producers can come back to the film if need be; leaving the door open for possible spinoffs and other sequels. Final Notes: While the last 25 minutes of the movie were exciting, funny grabbed the attention of the viewers-- overall, the movie seemed a bit lackluster. 'Finding Dory' doesn't possess the "wow" factor or the conflict to carry the legacy of Disney's best movies. The amount of flashbacks Dory has and the amount of basic knowledge viewers need from the original film makes it difficult to just pickup and watch. There are laughs to be had throughout the film, and I can guarantee that the movie will rake in a ton of cash-- but I would not label it a "must see." I would feel much better about this movie if Disney didn't hype the sequel so much-- especially after recent success with Zootopia ($1B+) and The Jungle Book (900M+). I don't feel that this is a true standalone movie.. it would be a lot better if it were aired on TV or during marathons with the original playing right before it. Anyways, go see Pixar's newest film for yourself and form your own opinions!