I have great memories associated with the movie Finding Nemo. This was early on in my mom career so to speak, and it’s always been a sentimental favorite in my house.
It was the first movie for both my young sons and they absolutely loved it!
When the announcement about Finding Dory came a few years ago, I think I was the second happiest person in America. I’m sure Ellen edged me out for that top spot.
I took Luke, now 13, to see the movie at an advanced media screening on Tuesday night.
Y’all, he asked if he could go instead of my little one.
Yes, my big, tough teen wanted very badly to see Finding Dory. That should tell you how high our expectations were for this film.
Spoiler Alert: we weren’t disappointed. My teen loved this one, and laughed the whole movie through.
The movie starts a year after Finding Nemo with Dory, Nemo and Marlin living together. It’s a sweet moment recognizing that Dory seems to have found her adopted family unit in the little clown fish family.
Soon it becomes clear that Dory is having some memories come back to her about her own family. This starts a quest to find out what happened to Dory, where she came from, and hopefully to meet back up with her parents.
We get to see some of our old favorites from the first movie, but the real stars are the new friends we meet on Dory’s quest.
Destiny and Bailey, voiced by the fun Kaitlin Olson and Ty Burrell, become important friends to Dory.
Destiny comes from Dory’s past and helps her remember more about her life before she got lost. Oh, and hey, Dory really CAN speak whale!
Bailey’s special skill (you’ll learn all about it!) is key in helping Dory complete her quest.
My favorite character in the movie was easy to pick out but not always so easy to find him.
Hank, the octopus, is hilarious. This gruff guy doesn’t dole out the touchy-feelies, but like everyone who gets to know Dory, he learns to care for her.
He goes out of his way to help her search for her parents.
The endless amount of sight gags the animators were able to pull off with Hank kept me guessing the entire movie. It doesn’t hurt that he’s voiced by one of my favorite actors, Ed O’Neill. He’s come a long way since Ed Bundy, ha!
Honorable mention goes to these guys: ADORABLE.
Who doesn’t love an otter? How about a whole pool of them who do the cutest things like cuddle parties?
Awwwwww… CUDDLE PARTY!
Yep, they stole the show.
Does Dory find her parents? Well, I won’t spoil it, but I’ll tell you that a few mama tears were shed over here, for good reasons.
And be sure to stay through the credits. There’s some additional fun built in there. Oh- and I stole that idea for those that stick through the whole blog post. There are some bonus features, if you will, at the end!
P.S. SnapChat is also celebrating Finding Dory with this fun filter. You’ll want to check it out too! If you’re new to SnapChat, here’s how you can be a snappin’ in no time.
Parental Review
This one is simple: family friendly for everyone. No violence, sex, adult language or anything concerning. I’d take a child as young as 2-years old if I thought they were able to sit through the whole thing. (Hint- buy snacks; goes a long way with kids that age!)
Many people have asked if there is a “scary” moment like there is in Nemo. There is not. The scariest part for me was putting myself in Dory’s parents’ place and worrying that their child might someday forget about them. But your kids probably won’t get that aspect until they are much older!
Finding Dory is in movie theaters nationwide on June 17, 2016.
Here are a few fun family activities for you to enjoy.
Patty Holliday is a parent movie reviewer, writer, and podcaster living in the Washington, DC area. Her goal is to bridge the gap between casual fandom and picky critic with parent movie and television reviews. As a lifelong fangirl and pop culture connoisseur, she’s been creating online since 2009. You can find her work at No-Guilt Disney.com, No-Guilt Fangirl.com, No-Guilt Life, and as host of the top-rated No-Guilt Disney Podcast.