“Finding Dory” was shown at Eastern Michigan University’s Student Center on Nov. 4 as part of Campus Life’s “Friday Night Movie” program. The film was originally released on June 17, and grossed over $1 billion dollars on opening night, making it the biggest grossing night for an animated film premier.
One of the most annoying trends in film is the sequel (as well as prequels and remakes, for that matter). Many movie fans see these trends as evidence that Hollywood has run out of ideas and can only make more money by rehashing old ideas. Pixar has set the standard for remakes, because the recent sequels have gotten rave reviews from critics over the years.
“Finding Dory” is about a fish named Dory (Ellen DeGeneres) who goes on a search for her parents years after losing them. The film takes place a year after the events of 2003’s Finding Nemo and features both Nemo (Hayden Rolence) and his father, Marlin (Albert Brooks) from the previous film. The sequel also introduces new characters, like a red octopus named Hank (Ed O’Neill) that gets upset easily, Destiny (Kaitlin Olson), a shark that was also Dory’s childhood friend, and Bailey (Ty Burrell), a whale that Dory meets on her quest to find her parents Jenny and Charlie (Diane Keaton and Eugene Levy).
Some people were skeptical that Pixar might not be able to keep revisiting older stories. Finding Dory is one of those sequels that are just as good as the original.
The film is great because it gives audiences more of a backstory to Dory and expands on the world of “Finding Nemo.” This isn’t one of those sequels that no one asked for, and just exists for the sake of existing; it actually adds more substance to the overall storyline of Nemo’s universe.
I felt that this film had a strong story. The story gave more depth to the already existing Finding Nemo universe and had a great moral about never giving up. “Finding Dory” is proof that sequels don’t have to be boring rehashes of an older movie. Sometimes, they can give more depth to an already existing universe. “Finding Dory” is just as every bit as funny and heartwarming as the first movie.