Finding Nemo (2003)

Finding Nemo (2003)

10/10

Starring the voices of

Albert Brooks (Marlin)

Ellen DeGeneres (Dory)

Alexander Gould (Nemo)

Directed by Andrew Stanton

Since the day I saw this movie it has always stood as my all-time best animation and my all-time Disney favorite. It is funny, entertaining and captivating as we watch a father clown fish Marlin (Albert Brooks) is thrown into a state of desperation to save his son, and he goes through all form of adventures in his dying need to make sure he keeps his promise of letting nothing happen to him, his son Nemo (Alexander Gould). Nemo was captured by underwater divers, and taken to Sydney. So Marlin (Nemo’s Father) went on an unwilling adventure to save his son, with him was Dory (Ellen DeGeneres) a fish who suffer from short term memory loss.

There is not much to add, but this is a classic that all should see, not because of the high ratings and the accolades and records that it holds, but for the gentle breeze of a cool soothing story that can only bring smiles to the face of any viewer.

Written and directed by Andrew Stanton (WALL-E 2008, the Toy Story trilogy…), this computer animated masterpiece was at its time the highest grossing animated film, and the 3^rd highest of all time behind Toy Story 3 and Lion King both of which are also Disney movies, it also holds the record as the highest selling DVD of all time, selling over 40 Million copies by 2006. It also won the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature during its time, and the American Film Institute named it the tenth-greatest animated film ever made during their Top 10 Animated Films of all time.

The movie idea is based on a series of experiences by the director Andrew Stanton. As a child, he loved going to the dentist to see the fish tank, believing that the fishes were got from the ocean and wanted to go back. Also, when he took his son for a walk in the park, his overprotective nature made him feel he lost a father-son experience. He also stated (to the National Geographic Magazine) that the idea of using clownfish as his leads, came from when he saw a picture of two clownfish peeking out of an anemone.

Funny thing is that Stanton cast Ellen to play Dory the forgetful fish when he said he saw Ellen DeGeneres in her show Ellen “change the subject five times before finishing one sentence” (quoting Stanton from Finding Nemo Commentary)

Finding Nemo is one movie that you just sit and enjoy as the graphics are good, the story is engaging and there seems to be something happening at every point in time; from the strike of the barracuda, till the reunion and eventual happy ending of a father and son tale, Finding Nemo is more than just a cartoon is a needed experience, a necessity for all movie watchers of all kind.

Disney plans a sequel to be released in 2016, with Stanton coming back as writer and probably director.