Finding Nemo
Directed by Andrew Stanton
By Noel Dix

Picking up the slack for Disney, as the mega-corporation continues to release bland films as of late, Pixar continues to push the boundaries of animation excellence. Finding Nemo is easily the studio’s greatest achievement so far in digital brilliance, as the story is set in the ocean and allows for some of the most vibrant colours ever. Creating a film that takes place underwater is a huge challenge for the animators, but we are rewarded with constant beauty, in the form of light shimmering amongst ocean life.

Heartbreak strikes early in Finding Nemo, though, as Marlin, voiced by Albert Brooks, loses everything that matters in his life: dozens of unhatched eggs and the mother of his would-be children. While coping with the aftermath of the predator’s attack, Marlin discovers that one egg was spared and begins to raise his only son (Nemo) on his own, vowing to never let anything happen to him. During little Nemo’s first day of school, he’s captured by a team of divers and left to live in an aquarium set at a dentist’s office in Sydney, Australia. Marlin immediately sets out on a quest to find his only child where he encounters Dory, a fish with an extremely short-term memory but a strong determination to help Marlin find Nemo.

Even though this is Pixar’s finest moment on the animation front, it’s not quite their greatest writing effort. Though all the wonderful elements that make Pixar films so enchanting are here — colourful, intriguing characters, attention to fine and subtle details and brilliant humour — the plot starts off sluggish and never peaks at the level you’re hoping for. Regardless, Finding Nemo is the finest animated feature you will see this year and is still above and beyond what other studios are churning out. (Pixar/Disney/Buena Vista)
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