It’s been a long time since anything from Disney actually managed to impress me, let alone entertain me. Honestly, it’s the same story with most other animated films coming out of the States over the last few years, with a few exceptions, I guess. When I think back to disasters like Atlantis or Treasure Planet, I can’t help but wonder where those golden days went—back when a new Disney animated flick would actually get me excited enough to run to the theater.
However, it looks like someone at Disney might have finally bumped their head against their desk lamp, because maybe they’ve finally straightened out their priorities to focus on the people the movies are actually made for... kids.
And that’s exactly what Finding Nemo is: totally kid-oriented in every single sense. From the plot to the animation right down to the dialogue.
So, let me break this down.
To start, a quick word on the animation and design. While I still think Disney is one of the heavy hitters when it comes to animation quality and blending 2D with 3D, everyone seems pretty fed up with their usual style/design, which hasn't really changed much since The Lion King. This is where Pixar steps in. 👍 If you’ve seen Toy Story, Monsters, Inc., or Birds, then you know exactly what I’m talking about, but if you haven't, 🙂 🙂 you should probably go watch them quickly to catch up! Basically, the folks at Pixar do everything in full CGI, so their animated films don't look like they were drawn with pencils at all. 😁
IMHO, this was a really smart move by Disney that killed two birds with one stone. They gained something fresh in terms of animation and design, while still keeping that vibe that appeals to kids and anyone who just appreciates great animation.
Since the setting is mostly the ocean, the Pixar crew threw in a huge palette of colors and "exotic" color combinations. Some people might find it a bit overwhelming at first, or even throughout the whole movie, but personally, I didn't feel that way. The team at Pixar really knew how to strike a balance.
The "camera" work is, typical for Pixar, a little "shaky" at times, and characters make some pretty sudden movements (sometimes it feels like someone just hit the fast-forward button on a VCR 😁), and the "first-person" scenes are just okay... actually, they're below average. But despite those flaws, the animation in Nemo still ranks among the absolute best animated achievements out there. (BTW, for anyone who thinks this is the peak of CGI animation, go watch Macross Zero and cry. 🙂)
I have to give special praise to the level of detail in the environment and backgrounds. There aren't any of those boring, static, or repetitive backgrounds anymore. Every millimeter is either in motion or fits perfectly with the rest of the surroundings. Even the characters have great facial expressions.
Anyway, I don't think there's much point in rambling too much about the animation, since I think everyone more or less agrees that it's excellent and serves as Nemo's main selling point.
Now, let's move on to the non-technical side of things.
As I mentioned before, everything in this movie is aimed squarely at the youngest viewers, and I actually really like that. True, nothing in the film blew me away because of that, but at least I wasn't watching some pathetic attempt to make the movie interesting for older audiences while still trying to stay kid-friendly. Disney/the Americans just don't have that ability in them, so it's better if they just stick to kids—since that's what they're supposed to do anyway—and call it a day. If people like it, they like it.
The characters are cute, though Marlin, the father, annoyed me a little bit. He's paranoid, pessimistic, and just repeats himself constantly. I mean, I get that he's the "worried dad," but I think they went a little overboard. But hey, since the movie is for kids, it didn't bother me too much. Plus, you've got Dory there constantly countering him, which makes Marlin come off as more endearing than annoying, even if it is "the oldest trick in the book"... but whatever. It worked, and it turned out okay, which is the most important thing.
Maybe Nemo works for kids. *shrugs*
As far as the others go, I actually liked Gill... he’s kind of like Nemo's second father, a role model figure and all that.
Since I’ve brought up how much of a kid's movie this is so many times, it’s probably about time I actually specify what I mean by that.
First off, there are numerous situations between Nemo and his dad, Marlin. All their conversations—ranging from standard "pep talks" to teasing—are handled on a pretty simple, obvious level that even a small child could grasp.
Then you have how the movie is packed with "educational" facts (I have to admit, even I picked up a few things and some new terminology 😁) all delivered in a pretty entertaining way. You can tell the creators put in some actual effort so it wasn't just a pile of random, nonsensical terms.
And then there's that unavoidable message of "nothing is impossible if you truly want it and put in the work," which runs through the whole film from the moment Marlin starts searching for Nemo until the moment he finds him, among other things. I don't feel like listing everything right now.
Regarding the humor, I wouldn't say Nemo ranks among the funniest movies; if anything, it feels a lot more serious than some other supposed "comedies." There were a couple of scenes where I laughed and a few where I just smirked, and that was about it. Personally, the dentist office and the seagulls were the funniest parts. (I guess Pixar likes to add their own little touch to these films... whatever.)
Oh yeah... the voice acting. First of all, Ellen. 👍 I have to admit, before seeing the film, I didn't really know who was voicing the characters, and I was genuinely surprised to hear Ellen. What can I say? I grew up watching her show (like most people), so I might be a bit biased. Regardless, her voice fits Dory perfectly... that sort of lost vibe, constantly talking to herself... and talking, and talking, and talking...😁
Albert Brooks as Marlin really got on my nerves, like I mentioned before. He's over the top, but he isn't a bad guy; that's just how the character is written. The rest felt pretty average to me. *shrugs*
Hmm... yeah, the only thing that surprises me is how there wasn't more of a scandal about Ellen voicing one of the Disney characters... Americans really obsess over stuff like that... freaks. 🙄
What can I say at the end of the day... Nemo might—actually, no "might"—it definitely isn't one of the absolute peaks of Disney filmmaking, but it is certainly an improvement and a breath of fresh air after the last few flops. (Except for those ones at the local theater concession stand 🙄). I wasn't expecting much from this movie and I got exactly that... I'd say it "broke even." In any case, it's a much better way to kill an hour and forty minutes. There will definitely be a few scenes people talk about, but I predict the movie will quickly fade into obscurity.
Now I suppose my only remaining option is to watch the dubbed version to see if our local actors can actually hold their own against a decent voice cast... I suspect they can.
