By Kay Whatley, Editor
While our kids are older than when they first watched Finding Nemo, they still found it cute and funny. My teenager and I went to see Finding Dory today, and despite both of us being “a little old” for a Disney movie, we both enjoyed Finding Dory — and even talked about going to see it again! I’d recommend this movie to people of all ages!
Piper
What is “Piper” and why am I writing about it? Well, Piper was the animated short film shown before Finding Dory.
This adorable short film shows a baby shore bird leaving the nest with its parent. We both found it cute, and the visuals of little Piper shaking sand off made me think of a day at the beach. The details may make you think about the feel of the surf and sand as you watch little Piper go!
Finding Dory
On to the feature! My daughter and I both thought it was a pretty good and interesting movie. We laughed. At many points, the entire audience seems to “Ooh” or “Aw” together or laugh loudly as a group.
My teen thought that Finding Dory was funnier than Finding Nemo. Several times during the film, she leaned over and whispered about the silliness or antics of the many creatures on screen.
Like all sequels, there were a couple of repeat-type things. You know what I mean… how a second film sometimes includes the same things that happened in the first film as a kind of “nod” to the original. While there were a couple such nods; however, the majority of Finding Dory seemed fresh and new.
Dory is the star. If you like the quirkiness of Dory’s character, you will like this movie. If you are a fan of Nemo and his Dad, know that both have significant screen time and are a big part of her story.
A few old friends make an appearance, including the reef’s teacher, Mr. Ray, and Crush the sea turtle.
New friends join the mix alongside Marlin, Nemo, and Dory. We found the new ones especially funny. I won’t say too much about the creatures joining the cast, so you can find out for yourself, but I’ll bet at least a few of the new characters — Becky, Hank, or the sea lions — will make you chuckle.
Fear not, no scary sharks and fewer dangers of the sea in this film! I think that the movie seemed less scary — from a small children’s perspective — though perhaps there is a little more anxiety and sadness within Finding Dory. Keep that in mind when deciding whether to take very small children. They may shed a few tears, but likely not find it as scary.
You will never want to take your kid to an aquarium kid zone again after seeing how the “hands” squish and poke and make the poor sea creatures distraught.
You’ll also find the origin of Dory’s belief that she can “speak whale.” Quite a lot about Dory comes out, and early on you’ll see just what a cute baby fish she was!
Check this movie out, no matter what age you are, and I think that you’ll enjoy some straight-up laughs and the kooky animal behavior showcased in the movie too.
And Sigourney Weaver fans may get an extra kick out of this movie. I don’t know what the deal is with Ms. Weaver and why Disney singled her out, but she comes up over and over!
My teenage daughter and I both recommend this movie. It’s cute, funny, and it isn’t just “more of the same” from the original movie, Finding Nemo. I think that you’ll find it different, positive, and fun — with twists and turns along the way.
Plus, I think now if we re-watch 2003’s Finding Nemo, knowing more about Dory will make that movie a little more enjoyable!
Ed. Note: Even though we recently moved back to Zebulon NC, we drove to the Wilson NC Carmike 10 — our favorite movie place.
