Though perceived as a mere childrens movie, Finding Nemo goes much, much farther than that. The film is poignant at times, often funny, thanks to writer and director Andrew Stanton, who co-directed A Bugs Life and was a screenwriter on all four Disney/Pixar films. It captures your heart (sorry if that sounded so corny) and is touching and moving (I almost cried during the first scene when Nemos mother dies). The emotional roller coaster that Marlin is going through mixed with Dorys witty and funny one-liners and the films smart humor make for a unique and delightful treat that puts this movie above the rest.
The movie is also visually stunning, the best computer-animation Pixar has ever done. Those cinematic wizards at Pixar have yet to let me down. The colorful undersea wonderland that we see before us reflects wonderfully on the dozens of characters that we are introduced to. Every fish, dolphin, crustacean and strand of kelp is a dazzling work of art, up to the last bubble and grain of sand on the ocean floor. All the wild and wacky characters never miss a joke, and thats thanks to the excellent voice performances given by the cast. Crush is the 150-year-old sea turtle that sounds like hes 16, Bruce, the shark that fights his craving for smaller fish, and Nemos "aquarium-mates" Gill, Bloat, Peach, Deb and Jacques.
Unbelievably, I cannot find anything wrong with this movie. Not a single thing. You come out of the theater refreshed, captivated and mesmerized by the amazing spectacle youve just seen, a spectacle that is already one of the best animated films of all time. And if Finding Nemo doesnt win Best Animated Feature in next years Academy Awards, then the film that beat it should might as well win Best Picture.
Bottom Line: A beautifully dazzling, emotionally involving, visually stunning masterpiece that I will never, ever forget. Undoubtedly one of this years best films!
Grade: A