One of my kids most favorite Disney Pixar films of all time is Finding Nemo. My husband and I love the movie as well. In fact, we often quote lines from the film.
Personally I must have seen Finding Nemo at least two dozen times – if not more. We not only own the movie, but we also watch every time we see that it’s on television.
When we heard they were making a sequel to the film we were elated. Unfortunately we had to wait over a year for the movie to come to theaters. That film is called Finding Dory.
When Finding Dory was released we raced to the movie theater to see it. There was no way we were missing out seeing it on the big screen.
Finding Dory is now available on Blu-ray, DVD and Digital Download for your home viewing pleasure.
Finding Dory picks up not long after the original film. Dory is enjoying life on the reef with her friends Marlin and his son Nemo. But Dory can’t help but think something is missing from her life. Seeing has how she suffers from memory loss and can only remember things for a short period of time, she cannot figure out what it is that she’s missing.
One day Dory’s memories are triggered and she finally figures out what she’s missing – her parents.
Dory’s memories are from when she was a little girl. She has no recollection of her parents when she was older. She also doesn’t know what happened to them.
Dory wants to go look for her parents, but Marlin thinks its not a good idea. He doesn’t think she’ll be able to find them after all these years.
Undeterred, Dory takes off on her own to try and find her parents. Her travels bring her close to what she believes was her home at one point (based on clues that trigger memories). Before she could find them she is captured and taken to a aquatic rehabilitation center.
Once inside Dory bumps into a whale that she was friends with as a youngster. The whale tells her that her parents are still at the aquarium – but in a different building. It’s up to absent minded Dory to find her way to the building where her parents are before it’s too late.
In the mean time, Marlin and Nemo were also on a quest to find something – Dory!
Will Marlin and Nemo be able to find their friend Dory? Will Dory be able to find her parents? To find out you’ll need to pick up a copy of Finding Dory, now available where ever movies are sold.
This movie did not disappoint. It had some pretty big “shoes to follow.” Finding Nemo was such a world wide success. Finding Dory needed to follow suit – and it did.
I love that they brought back the original voice actors and characters. I don’t think the film would have worked out if they used different voice actors. It wouldn’t have had the same feel as the original heart-warming film.
The new characters introduced in this film are wonderful. I especially loved the otters (they are so cute!). I also liked Hank, the octopus. I like how he was able to blend into the background.
Here are some fun facts about Hank.
When designers were working on Hank, the cantankerous octopus in Finding Dory, they created tapered tentacles for the cephalopod. The tentacles were modeled separately from the body, but when they tried to attach them, only seven would fit. Filmmakers later decided that it made sense that Hank would have an affliction, so they worked it into the script.
350 – suckers are found on Hank: 50 suckers on each of his seven arms.
11,041 – rigging prims were created just for Hank’s simulation (the average character requires around 20).
118 – weeks were required of the team of technical directors who were responsible for building and articulating Hank.
22 – weeks were spent shading Hank to give him extra texture and color, as well as making it possible for him to camouflage himself. (An average character takes less than eight weeks.)
Finding Dory also has a lot of “Easter Eggs.” Easter Eggs are little “gems” that promote or showcase else. It’s like a little “nod” towards something (for lack of a better description). Here are some examples from the film.
NOSTALGIC WHEELS – The truck that is featured late in the movie features a logo from the 1986 short “Luxo, Jr.” produced by Pixar and directed by John Lasseter. The short’s success helped launch the studio, and the image of the desk lamp appears in Pixar’s iconic logo today.
- The license plate on the truck sports A113, which is reminiscent of the CalArts classroom for first-year graphic design and character animation where many of the artists and animators at Pixar began to build their craft.
- Sets Art Director Don Shank’s name can be seen in the truck’s grill.
TAG IT – The tags donned by the lazy sea lions snoozing outside the Marine Life Institute together bear the iconic A113. While Rudder’s tag reads A1, Fluke’s says 13.
FIELD TRIP – Riley from 2015’s “Inside Out” appears in a group of kids touring the Marine Life Institute. She is clearly featured in a frame with Dory.
MAP IT – The registration number for the zodiac boat that picks up Dory in the bay outside the Marine Life Institute is PA1200, which represents Pixar’s address: 1200 Park Avenue.
There is another “Easter Egg,” but I don’t have much information about it. It’s the Captain America logo on the truck’s steering wheel.
There is a plethora of bonus features with the Blu-ray/DVD combo. If you have the time I highly recommend you check out the bonus features.
My favorite bonus feature is a mini-film called Piper. If you saw the film in the theater it’s the short film that appeared at the beginning of the film. It’s a darling little film about a super adorable sandpiper bird trying to find something to eat. The details in this animation is amazing. It looks so realistic!
There is another mini-film in the bonus features, Marine Life Interviews. That is another adorable featurette.
There are the usual bonus features like commentary and deleted scenes, which are always interesting to watch (except commentary – I’m not a fan). There are plenty of “behind the scenes” type bonus features that I would highly recommend checking out. Not only does it give you a better appreciation for the film, it’s also very interesting to learn how they bring ideas to life on the big screen. The film makers really put a lot into the making of this film – right down to the littlest details.
My favorite bonus is the Living Aquariums one. That you must check out!
Finding Dory is a great addition to any family’s movie collection. It would also make a great gift this holiday season.
Kimberly
*I received a free screener copy to review. There was no compensation. The opinions expressed are my own and not influenced in any way.