Friday, June 5, 2015

Finding Nemo


RATING: A+

It's pretty darn rare for me to watch a film and then, on further viewings, get more and more impressed by it. In fact, this might be the only film that has *ever* done that to me. My opinion of a film usually remains the same. 

When people have tried to pick out Pixar's "magnum opus," it's been a difficult argument with the number of brilliant films in their library, but Finding Nemo comes into the conversation fairly often. On the surface (no pun intended), that may seem somewhat surprising. 

This is actually probably one of the more simple basic plots Pixar has pulled out--son gets lost, father goes and finds him. Almost every other plot Pixar has used has been more complex or has had some big secrets hanging around in the middle of it. Not this one. 

So how does Finding Nemo succeed so well? Well, the journey that the overprotective father Marlin takes to find his son Nemo with forgetful fish Dory along for the ride is just flat out a breathtaking one. This is due in part to the animation, which is fantastic. The water and coral reefs look about as real as they can without being live-action. 

But the film is also just flat out exciting and enthralling; from the action sequences including sharks, an anglerfish, jellyfish, and the more thoughtful moments as Marlin has to come to terms over time with his overprotectiveness of Nemo. The other characters are a treat as well; the new friends Nemo makes when he ends up in a fish tank, plus some minor yet hilarious appearances from pelicans and seagulls. 

And yet the most truly unforgettable sequence of the film (and one of the best scenes in animated-film history) is the extended whale scene, with its again incredible animation, and emotional intensity (helped out by the music). Even though you essentially know what's going to end up happening, they still manage to keep you on the edge of your seat. 

Finding Nemo might not be quite Pixar's best film, but it's definitely in the top 5. Pixar manages to take a more simple plot/idea and turn it into one of the better films of its decade, and does so through a clear amount of effort. Pixar certainly put a lot of work into this film, and it paid off for one of their more popular and well-recognized films--and rightfully so. Finding Nemo is an unmissable film. 

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