With the recent release of the new Disney-Pixar film Finding Dory, I thought it would be fitting to discuss the precursor to this movie: Finding Nemo, released in 2003. While older Disney princess movies like Cinderella and Sleeping Beauty are classic and timeless and more modern films like Frozen and Brave send valuable messages to children, Finding Nemo truly has the best of both worlds. This just might explain why Finding Nemo is the #1 best selling DVD of all time; after all, it must have been pretty good, otherwise 41 million families across the world would not have bought a copy. Though it may go under the radar sometimes, Finding Nemo is a wonderfully done children's movie with several aspects that contribute to its overall greatness.
1. It has a unique concept.
Rather than being about a love story between a human couple, as is the case with many Disney-Pixar movies, Finding Nemo's plot focuses on the adventure of a fish desperately searching for his son throughout the ocean with a new friend he just met. This is one of the very few Disney-Pixar films that takes place underwater, thus creating a very different environment than one the viewers would be accustomed to. The storyline is a unique one, and therefore doesn't seem overdone like some other Disney movie plots.
2. It contains a wide variety of tones and moods throughout the film.
From the first scene to the last, watching Finding Nemo will make you feel happy, sad, nostalgic, angry, amused, scared, surprised, and just about any other emotion you could possibly have. You'll laugh, you'll cry, and you'll be on the edge of your seat (possibly all at once) because of the adventures of a few animated fish swimming around the ocean. This movie definitely puts you on a roller coaster of emotions, but it's a fun ride that you'll be glad you went on when it's over.
3. The music score.
While this movie soundtrack is no Lord of the Rings or Star Wars, it fits perfectly with the film and encompasses many different styles. You may not realize this when watching the film because of the added dialogue and sound effects, but listening to the soundtrack on its own will help you hear the music and fully appreciate it.
4. It's incredibly quotable.
In nearly any situation, a Finding Nemo quote can be used. These iconic quotes are relatively well-known, thus helping to limit how often people don't understand your references. Some of the film's most memorable quotes are, "Just keep swimming!", "Fish are friends, not food.", and of course, "P. Sherman, 42 Wallaby Way, Sydney".
5. It's interesting for both children and adults.
While this film was originally meant for young children, there are several references throughout the movie catered towards the adults watching. For example, the shark support group closely resembles an AA meeting, including testimonies of how long the sharks had been "clean" from eating fish. Nemo's initiation ceremony into the group of fish in the dentist's tank is similar to pledging a fraternity in college, including lines such as, "Welcome, brother Shark Bait". A reference to the film The Shining is also made when a shark says, "Here's Brucey!" These allusions and references go over the heads of young children while allowing the adults watching to be amused as well.
6. It tackles real-world issues from a unique perspective.
Some of the real-world problems that this film tackles are environmental issues, single parenthood, death of a loved one, and mental illness. Regarding environmental issues, portraying a few fish as the protagonists helped to show the audience a different perspective they may not have thought of before. In a way, humans are the true villains in this movie, whether you're thinking about Darla specifically or mankind in general. Even though the main characters are fish, their struggles with parenthood, mental illness, and dealing with death can still be relatable to the human audience.
7. The animation quality.
Disney-Pixar is known for its impressive animation, but Finding Nemo was incredibly well done, especially given that it was released back in 2003. As one example, Pixar was first creating the design for the surface of the ocean when they had to make some changes. Because the fish were so obviously animated, the ultra-realistic water around them seemed out of place. They then had to change the appearance of the water to make it look "less real", which is an interesting problem for animators to have.
8. The Pixar animation team did extensive research to make the film as accurate as possible.
Creating any film, especially an animated one, requires quite a bit of research and dedication. In fact, some of the underwater scenes were so complex that a single frame (1/24 of a second) took six hours to render, with some frames even taking four days. The creative team also went scuba diving and watched several oceanic documentaries to study how water moves and flows in certain situations. This level of dedication and commitment just shows how much work was put into the animation itself, which not only helps the viewers to appreciate the film more but also helps to make the final product better for the animators.
9. It doesn't revolve around romance.
Don't get me wrong, I usually love a good romance story, but in too many Disney-Pixar films, particularly the older princess movies, this romance is the only focus of the story. This emphasis elsewhere in Finding Nemo shows children that finding a boyfriend/girlfriend is not the most important part of life. It does, however, place a very strong focus on the love between a parent and their child. This type of love is often placed on the back burner in Disney-Pixar films, especially in some of the older princess movies.
10. It teaches a wide variety of life lessons for people of all ages.
The vast majority of Disney-Pixar films teach their young viewers lessons about life, but Finding Nemo teaches some lessons that aren't very well expressed in other movies. From Dory's classic "just keep swimming" advice to the importance of taking risks and going outside of one's comfort zone, Marlin, Nemo, and Dory all teach life lessons that you're never too old or too young to learn from.
You may disagree with me in saying that Finding Nemo is the best Disney-Pixar movie out there. After all, Disney-Pixar has produced some pretty incredible children's movies over the years, and it can be nearly impossible to pick a favorite. However, there's no denying that the aforementioned 9 aspects of the film make Finding Nemo a pretty stellar movie. I would highly recommend that you go see Finding Dory in theaters if you haven't already! (Also, stay until after the credits, especially if you were a fan of Finding Nemo. That's all I'll say.)
