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| Finding Nemo |
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| Anticipation Level: |
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| How excited (or not) I am to see this movie... |
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I remember back in 1995, sitting in a crowded 4-plex, watching as instead of that familiar Walt Disney Pictures logo came up, the camera suddenly pulled through a 3-dimensional castle, and light and shadow played over it's textures and the lettering Walt Disney Pictures. I had yet to realize how cool (or how my animation career was going to go) the computer animation was going to become within the next 8 years.
While Dreamworks did a boffo job with 'Shrek,' my heart still belongs to those magnificent persons at PIXAR. To this day, there are still those who say 'cartoons are for kids,' but how many animated features can you say attract those from age 2-87? Not very many.
In their line-up, PIXAR brought us the wonderful 'Toy Story' and it's even more superior sequel 'Toy Story 2.' Their 'Seven Samurai' meets the insect world feature 'A Bug's Life' is just as good, and then came their comedic take on closet monsters with 2001's 'Monsters Inc.' Now, PIXAR has moved it's latest film to the spawning grounds of the summer blockbusters. Their efforts have not been in vain, as it seems a likely chance that 'Finding Nemo' will prove that it's 'lucky fin' can do wel in the face of Terminators, mutants, and the occasionally repetitive sequel.
From the first 5 minutes of the film, 'Nemo' proves that it will take you on a kind of journey that many would not expect. But by now, you already know the whereabouts of the plot. Nemo, a young clownfish(voiced by Alexander Gould), is taken from his home along Australia's Great Barrier Reef, and sets up a journey for his father Marlen(Albert Brooks) to find him. Along the way, Marlen will encounter the rather forgetful Dory(Ellen DeGeneres), and a slew of other 'fishy folk.'
I had never heard Brooks up until seeing 'Nemo,' but once he begins to fully become realized, I'm sure many of the audience members were sitting there saying, 'he's just like MY Dad!' PIXAR has nailed down the overprotective parental figure well with Brooks, who seems extremely uptight, especially when it is apparent that his son wants to experience life to it's fullest. But even so, this does not make Marlen a 'bad father,' he's just trying to look out for Nemo, but at the same time, he needs to step back just a tad.
When 'Monsters Inc' came out, Billy Crystal's turn as Mike Wazowski had many people doubling over in laughter. While I enjoyed Mike (I share his first name), he seemed a little too over the top. But then, along comes Dory, voiced by Ellen DeGeneres. Director Andrew Stanton has been quoted as saying that Ellen was his main choice for Dory, and when you see her in action, you can understant why: Ellen MAKES Dory who she is. Dory's memory loss, her upbeat personality and overall nuttiness make her one of the reasons to see this film. Some may say 'I hate Ellen DeGeneres,' but take my word for it: you'll think twice after hearing her snore out sentences, sing about swimming, and-well, i better stop while I'm ahead.(On another note: some religious people have decided to not see 'Nemo' based on Ellen's 'personal background.' All I can say is, those kids are missing out on a great film and a really funny character).
But what happens to Nemo? Well, he ends up in a dentist's fishtank, home to some rather peculiar characters, including a bubbles-obsessed fish, a clean freak named Gurgle, a cleaner crab named Jacques (I'm sure in homage to that great udnersea man, Jacques Cousteau), and more. Though the head of the fish tank gang is Gill(Willam Defoe), a stalwart who seems menacing, but soon you get under those squinty eyes and see what this fish is really made of. Gill is the one who truly takes Nemo under his fin and teaches and consoles him. The role should add nicely to Dafoe's current frenzy after being 'Spider-Man's' Green Goblin.
Along with the Fish Tank Gang, you can also encounter the fish-friendly pelican Nigel(Geoffrey Rush), the Jaws-inspired Bruce(Barry Humphries), and the sea turtle surfer-dude, Crush, voiced by 'Nemo's' writer/director Andrew Stanton. And of course, PIXAR's good-luch charm John Ratzenberger returns to voice another character, though brief, his voice still makes me chuckle(like right now).
There are so many layers to Nemo, that it is hard not to tell as much as I have. Most reviewers will probably say in the first 2 paragraphs that the ocean effects were spectacular! While I did enjoy them and they did make the film more enhanced, after 10 minutes, my 'animator's eye' stopped trying to focus on particles and shafts of light, and just began to get drawn into the story. PIXAR's animators rose to the task of creating fish characters that were missing the common limbs that are normally part of acting (such as arms and legs). what's more, fish can't shrug their shoulders (cause they don't have any!). So what are you to do? Well, what they do is so convincing, that Morpheus could sum it up for you: 'you have to see it for yourself.'
Nemo succeeds as a film because it takes familiar elements and makes us either remember them, or explores those elements in whole new terms. It is our familiarity with these terms that makes their films work for little Billy, or Aunt Jennie. So far this year, many are already predicting that 'Finding Nemo' will have a lock on next February's Oscar for 'Best Animated Feature.' But still, it's still early, and there's more to come for animation. But so far, PIXAR has impressed people of all ages with 'Finding Nemo.' In fact, I think I'll go back for a 5th time, and see it with my Dad. |
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