It’s been 13 years since Dory, a very forgetful little blue tang fish, joined forces with Marlon, an orange and white-striped clownfish, to find his lost son Nemo. And the good news is — your favorite fish trio is back again on the big screen, but in terms of their story only one year has gone by under the sea.
It’s been 13 years since Dory, a very forgetful little blue tang fish, joined forces with Marlon, an orange and white-striped clownfish, to find his lost son Nemo. And the good news is — your favorite fish trio is back again on the big screen, but in terms of their story only one year has gone by under the sea.
As their saga begins, Dory (voiced by Ellen DeGeneres) suddenly realizes she has a family besides Marlon and Nemo (vocals by Albert Brooks and Hayden Rolence, respectively) and she is determined to find her long lost mom and dad. Reluctantly Marlon agrees to leave the safety of their reef and swim across the ocean to California’s prestigious Marine Life Institute, a rehabilitation center and aquarium, in an effort to find Dory’s mom and dad (Diane Keaton and Eugene Levy).
Once they arrive in California, Dory also enlists the help of three of the most endearing residents in the rehab center — Hank (voice of Ed O’Neill from TV’s “Modern Family”), a cantankerous octopus who no longer wants to return to the ocean; Bailey, a beluga whale (voiced by Ty Burrell, also from “Modern Family” fame); and Destiny, (Kaitlin Olson) a near-sighted whale shark.
As Dory begins to remember more and more events from her past life, will she and her pals be able to locate her mom and dad? After all it has been a whole year since they last saw one another. One friend worries that they might no longer be alive. Faced with many obstacles, Dory is determined never to give up. She is going to keep on swimming, swimming, swimming until she finds them.
There are many charming, playful creatures in the film, including sea lions, sea birds and loads of adorable sea otters. Being an otter fan myself, the sea otters practically steal the show along with Hank, the octopus with only seven legs, but loads of heart (three hearts in fact). Bet you didn’t know that, but somehow Dory did. She may be forgetful, but she’s definitely not dumb.
“Finding Dory” is rated PG for mild thematic elements. There are some scenes of jeopardy throughout which might be a little scary for the very young, but older kids from eight years old and up will find the adventures exciting and fun
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You are in for a very special treat if you see “Finding Dory” at the El Capitan Theatre in Hollywood. Before the film begins there is a stage show presented by “The Bubble Guy,” who forms big and small bubbles on stage in a “bubble extravaganza.” He also uses little tykes from the audience during his show. The day we saw his performance he momentarily captured a little boy inside a giant soap bubble much to the kid’s delight.
After the film and the stage show take time to enjoy several exhibits courtesy of the Aquarium of the Pacific. Upstairs there is an aquarium filled with lovely colorful fish. Next to this aquarium there is a plaque to help you identify each fish and there is also a representative from the Aquarium of the Pacific to answer any questions you or the kids might have. Also upstairs in the lobby area there is a large blue replica of Dory so be sure to bring a camera or phone so you can take photographs.
Downstairs there’s an additional display from the Aquarium of the Pacific featuring many brightly colored fish including one jaunty little guy who even had blue fangs. Someone from the aquarium is also on hand to answer any of your questions about the fish on display or questions you or the kids might have about the marine life in the film like the beluga whale or the octopus.
For tickets call 1-800-DISNEY6 (800-347-6386) or visit www.elcapitantickets.com.
