Finding Dory review

Finding Nemo is one of the most beloved, and best, of Pixar’s animated movies, and 13 years after its release comes this sequel that beautifully retains the warmth and fun of the original.

This time, forgetful fish Dory (DeGeneres), who helped Marlin (Brooks) locate his son Nemo in the first movie, takes centre stage as she realises she wants to find her own family even though she can’t really remember them. Her adventure takes her away from the safety of the reef and on a journey that leads to the Marine Life Institute, where she meets a cantankerous chameleon octopus named Hank (O’Neill) and near-sighted shark Destiny. And all the while, Marlin and Nemo are searching for Dory, too, hoping to bring her home safely.

Peppered with flashbacks to when Dory was little, memories she remembers and forgets again en route, this has that magical mix of joy and bittersweetness that worked so well first time around. When you see Dory’s parents (voiced by Diane Keaton and Eugene Levy) telling their baby blue fish she should repeat “I suffer from short term memory loss” to everyone she meets if she gets lost, Dory is no longer just the comical forgetful character of Finding Nemo, but an helpless and innocent child with a disability who just desperately wants to go home.

Of course, it’s not all sad stuff, and there are some terrific laughs to be had throughout, from Hank’s antics and Dory’s scrapes to a bonkers escape and the genius inclusion of Sigourney Weaver – or her voice, to be more specific – as the dulcet tones of the Marine Life Institute’s exhibit narrator.

Keeping true to the original while adding a joyfulness that only DeGeneres’s voice could bring, the filmmakers successfully turn her Dory into a truly loveable, completely unforgettable movie star.