FINDING NEMO
A Walt Disney Pictures & Pixar Release

review by Joseph B. Mauceri

SYNOPSIS: FINDING NEMO is the story of Marlin and his son Nemo, two clown fish who live in the Great Barrier Reef near Australia. On Nemo's first day of school he becomes separated from his class and is unexpectedly taken by a scuba diver. Nemo is thrust into a fish tank in a dentist's office overlooking, Sydney Harbor. His cautious father embarks on a dangerous trek and finds himself the unlikely hero of an epic journey across the vast ocean to rescue his son. Marlin is aided on his search by Dory, a friendly-but-forgetful fish. With the help of the other creatures who live in the tank, Nemo hatches his own plan to escape from the tank and get home.

REVIEW: The only discouraging thing I can say about FINDING NEMO is that it took a company outside of the Disney studios, Pixar, to create a film that is the embodiment of Walt Disney's philosophy and belief in cutting-edge technology. This is the film Walt Disney would have made if he were alive today.

Starting with the story, the writers combine many of the scenes and themes from classic Disney animated films (Bambie, Pinocchio, Peter and the Wolf, Alice in Wonderland, Lady and the Tramp, One Hundred and One Dalmatians) with the unique sense of wonder and awe that Disney had for nature. There is a tone to the film that is reminiscent of the nature pieces Disney often showcased on his television series, "The Wonderful World of Disney."  Therefore, Nemo's world may be beautiful to look at, but it is still the ocean. There is danger, and there is death. So it is a story that can be scary, but not terrifying. In the first three minutes of the film, they "hook" us (no pun intended). We meet Marlin and Coral, but their happiness is quickly shattered. FINDING NEMO is the story of a fractured family and the relationship between a father and his son. Marlin makes a promise to his son that he will let nothing bad happen to him. We meet a charming little guy with one flipper smaller than the other who tries hard to fit in. It's five-minutes into the film, and I already had to crack open a box of tissues. The story is sentimental, without being sappy. It is funny, without being silly. It is a story that appeals to children, yet is able to touch the child that resides in all of us.

Unlike a cast working on a live action feature film, the cast in an animated film records their dialogue separately. So when you watch FINDING NEMO and are impressed by the acting, you have to be a bit amazed because the actors were never in the same room together. Again, this goes back to a great story. Plus, these are prominent actors who understand what Pixar is doing. The actors bring something of themselves to the part, but work the magic of their craft and breathe life into these characters.

Then there is the technology, and Pixar has outdone themselves again! The folks who gave us the "Toy Story" films and "Monsters, Inc.," have brought the ocean alive on the screen like never before. It's funny, there have been some underwater films that were shot in tanks. If you've ever been in the ocean, you immediately know that there is something missing in those films. Not only is there an absence of sea life, but there is something about the way light streams through ocean water that is different from fresh water. The folks at Pixar understand that and developed computer programs just to deal with that aspect of the film. The characters in the film are the sea life, but filmmakers capture the life of the sea, right down to the plankton floating in it. All the creatures have a texture and movement that mirrors their real life counterparts. The filmmakers at Pixar are so meticulous that, at times, I actually felt that the screen was the window of an enormous tank like you might stand in front of when you visit Sea World.

When I was younger, I used to believe in the "magic" of the movies, and eagerly awaited the special films you would only find opening in the summer or around Thanksgiving. While the Wachowski brothers might be temporarily in the spotlight for the technical achievements of "The Matrix Reloaded," FINDING NEMO is state-of-the-art, cutting edge technology used more effectively. The filmmakers at Pixar have not only put the magic back into the movies, they have created the perfect film to allow a family to experience it together. FINDING NEMO is, without question, the first great animated feature of the 21st Century.

OFFICIAL WEB SITE:
www.findingnemo.com 

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