Finding Dory (2016)

“Hi, I’m Sigourney Weaver!” 🐠🎤

Lets start by showing y’all the trailers shall we?

Trailer 🎥

—

Non-Spoiler Review 🌊

Thirteen years after Finding Nemo, Pixar took us back under the sea — this time following Dory, the forgetful blue tang who stole the show in the first film. Finding Dory is both heartfelt and frustrating: it has beautiful animation, a fresh setting, and some very touching moments, but also suffers from over-the-top silliness and a script that never matches the elegance of Nemo.

The story revolves around Dory remembering her family and setting out on a journey to reunite with them. The new setting — the Marine Life Institute — is a brilliant move. It allows Pixar to pack in creative set pieces, aquarium tanks, and new characters like Destiny the near-sighted whale shark and Bailey the beluga with “echolocation issues.” You especially mentioned how the setting reminded you of the Monterey Bay Aquarium, and it’s true: the film’s design was directly inspired by it. That location alone gives the movie a charm and personal connection.

But while the heart is there, the film leans too much on slapstick and increasingly implausible gags (the truck-driving octopus being the most infamous). It’s fun, yes, but it doesn’t have the same balance or emotional power of Nemo.

Your Rating: 7/10


—

Favorite Character 🐙

Hank the octopus. He’s grumpy, sneaky, and resourceful, and watching him blend into his surroundings for stealth missions is a real highlight.


—

Spoiler Warning 🚨🐟

Below are full spoilers for Finding Dory!

Final Thoughts 🎬

Finding Dory has its heart in the right place and features stunning visuals and great new characters. The Marine Life Institute setting is its strongest element — especially for you, since it echoes your memories of visiting Monterey Bay Aquarium. But when the story veers into cartoony absurdity, it loses the careful balance that made Nemo a masterpiece.

⭐ 7/10. Touching but flawed — just keep driving (literally, if you’re Hank).


—

Spoilers 🦈

The film begins with Dory as a baby (adorable overload), and we learn how she lost her parents after getting swept away by a current. These memories slowly come back, and with Marlin and Nemo’s help, she journeys to the Marine Life Institute in California.

Inside, we meet a whole new cast:

Hank, the camouflaging octopus who just wants a quiet life in an aquarium exhibit.

Destiny, a whale shark who knew Dory as a child.

Bailey, a beluga whose echolocation powers are both silly and surprisingly useful.


The adventure plays out like a series of aquarium escapes — hopping between tanks, pipes, and exhibits — until Dory is finally reunited with her parents. In one of the sweetest moments, she finds a trail of seashells leading back to them, showing that her parents never stopped hoping she’d return.

But then the film cranks up the ridiculous factor: the climax involves Hank and Dory hijacking a truck filled with fish, leading to a literal car chase that ends with them crashing into the ocean. It’s the most over-the-top moment in Pixar history, and for many fans (you included), it undercuts the emotion of everything before it.

The film does close on a touching note: Dory, reunited with her family, realizes her true home is with Marlin and Nemo too. And in a callback to Finding Nemo, Marlin finally trusts Dory’s instincts — proving how far their friendship has grown.