Finding Nemo gets a sequel!

Big news coming out of Disney Pixar today! It's official... Finding Nemo is getting a sequel titled Finding Dory.  Initially I thought this was an April Fools' prank but seeing that's now April 3rd in my part of the world, the news is starting to sink in. 

(Photo: Dory on Facebook)

Director Andrew Stanton, who definitely needs a win after the dismal failure of John Carter, is back to what he does best: computer animation.  He said of the new film and its lead character: “One thing we couldn’t stop thinking about was why she was all alone in the ocean on the day she met Marlin. In Finding Dory, she will be reunited with her loved ones, learning a few things about the meaning of family along the way.”

This is a good move as Dory is practically everyone's favorite character and is voiced by everyone's favorite comedienne, Ellen DeGeneres who will of course be back as Dory.  "I have waited for this day for a long, long, long, long, long, long time,” DeGeneres said in a release. "I’m not mad it took this long. I know the people at Pixar were busy creating Toy Story 16. But the time they took was worth it. The script is fantastic. And it has everything I loved about the first one: It’s got a lot of heart, it’s really funny, and the best part is -- it's got a lot more Dory."

Suddenly I am warming up to an idea of a sequel to my favorite Pixar film because if anyone can manage to get herself lost, it's the lovable yet forgetful Blue Tang fish.  The film will release November 2015. 

What I'm Thankful For This Year: Movies Edition

This post has become like tradition since I have been writing about what I've been thankful for on Thanksgiving the past two years so here's my humble list for this past year.

Joss Whedon: We Buffy, Firefly and even Dollhouse (sigh) fans knew the immense talent of writer-director Joss Whedon long before The Avengers became the film that practically everyone on the planet saw.  But now he's graduated to the big screen with writing, producing and directing screen credits in such varied films as The Avengers, The Cabin in the Woods and Much Ado About Nothing. We do miss him on the small screen. Hell, yeah! But then he's also producing the TV series based on the S.H.I.E.L.D agents from Avengers. Is there anything this man can't do well?

Damsels in Distress: Films with great dialogue that stay with you long after you've seen the film are so rare these days.  It's only after The Social Network that I have enjoyed the dialogues and the characters of a film so much.  I'm still waiting for to incorporate 'playboy operator move' in a British accent into everyday conversation.  I hope to do so someday.  And even though the film released last year, I'm thankful that after 13 years, we got a gem of a film like this from director Walt Stillman.

Finding Nemo re-release: This film gets me like no other Pixar film.  I love Up, Wall-E, Toy Story an all but it's Finding Nemo with which I have a deep emotional connection.  I missed out on seeing it in theaters during it's initial release and I have regretted it ever since.  But the 3D re-release gave me another opportunity and it was wonderful to experience it with a whole new generation to get to see the film for the first time ever.

Christopher Nolan's Batman Trilogy: Just as we said goodbye to Harry Potter last year, this year we had to say to goodbye to one of the finest trilogies in film history.  It will continue to influence superhero and franchise who all wanted to emulate the tone and success of the Batman trilogy that put a very troubled and human face to a superhero, brought about villains we're still talking about and has performances that will forever be remembered.  From one of the most brilliant directors of his generation to the cast and crew who created a universe which is held up for one of best interpretation of a comic book to film ever.

The cast of The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel: While everyone was talking about the crew that made up The Avengers this summer, another cast was slowly being talked about as well. The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel was the big surprise success of the summer season and now there's even talk of a sequel to bring back the talented cast of British actors.  The film about seniors in the twilight of their lives was touching, funny and enjoyable to watch.  With such amazing seasoned actors like Judi Dench, Maggie Smith, Bill Nighy and Tom Wilkinson, how can you say no? More please!

What are you thankful for the movies you've seen this past year?

Movie Review: Finding Nemo 3D

I don’t know what it is about Finding Nemo but it just hits the spot every time I see it.  Maybe it’s the cool soothing blues of the ocean that transport you to another world where an ordinary yet brave father is on a quest to find his lost son.  Maybe it’s the way that these fishes remind us of our own personal relationships, insecurities and fears.  Maybe it's the way I identify with Nemo and being raised by a single parent too. People never expected an animation film to have such depth.  This film was a gamechanger for Pixar in many ways.

I missed out on seeing it the first time around in 2003 and caught the film on DVD and since then it’s been one of my all-time favorites.  I simply could not miss the 3D re-release back in theaters.  Watching this movie is like revisiting old friends.  We all know the characters Marlin the clownfish, Dory the Pacific Regal Blue Tang, Bruce the shark, Crush the sea turtle and of course, little Nemo, the rebellious young son of Marlin.  Even though I’ve seen the film many many many times, I was still enthralled by the story and the adventure under the sea. 

The jokes are just as funny the second time around and it was pleasure listening to people laugh in the theater at all the right places.  Ellen DeGeneres is just as hilariously sweet as Dory and I still love her take on “speaking whale”.  The quirky gang at the dentist’s fish tank, the vegetarian sharks, Nigel the pelican, they are all part of movie culture now. “Fish are friends, not food.” “P. Sherman, 42 Wallaby Way, Sydney.” “Sharkbait! Hoo ha ha!” “Oh, dude. You’re ridin’ it, dude! Check it out!”  These are all lines we know by heart now. 

 

As for the 3D and the real reason for the re-release in theaters, it was exciting in a couple of scenes but added nothing new to the film.  In fact, it made the film's main attraction, that beautiful blue underwater world looked darker than it actually was.  Kids will enjoy it but not realize on what they're missing out on.  Watch it again on DVD to see the real color pallette of the film.

Despite the color problems, this was an enjoyable trip to the theaters to revisit an old favorite and I'm glad that whole new generation is getting to experience it if they haven't already caught it on DVD.

Directed by Andrew Stanton and Lee Unkrich (co-director); Written by Andrew Stanton, Bob Peterson and David Reynolds, Music by Thomas Newman

Voice Talents of: Albert Brooks, Ellen DeGeneres, Alexander Gould, Willen Dafoe, Brad Garrett, Allison Janney, Barry Humphries, and Andrew Stanton.

 

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