Since Finding Nemo was released in 2003, the character of Dory was somewhat one of the most beloved. Here in 2016, she is given her own story. The basic synopsis follows Dory on a journey to find her parents, who she remembers, thanks to strands of memory. It's a year later since Merlin found Nemo, and now Dory finds herself taken to the Marine Life Institute, which is where she was born.
There is certainly bucket fulls of comedy, mainly from Dory, as her ramblings never seize to entertain! She meets a grumpy red octopus, called Hank who helps her in exchange for an orange tag that will take him to Cleveland, where he can live out his days in peace.
New characters; a whale shark and a beluga provide some fresh interactions between Dory as she uses them to navigate her way through the pipes of the establishment. For younger viewers, the twists and structure of the plot won't really mean much to them, but for the older viewer, there are definitely enough layers of story to keep you engaged. For example, the main basis of the plot is Dory wanting to find her family, but then she thinks they're dead, which we are led to believe.
However, there was a heartwarming twist as she found them when she least expected it. Once she does find them, the story takes another turn as Dory has to now try and stop Merlin and Nemo from being taken to Cleveland, where they would never be released into the wild.
More so, the concluding chapter is incredibly funny as Hank the octopus finds himself driving the truck that is transporting all of the marine life. Animators of the film have to be applauded with their amazing skill at portraying an octopus' movements so authentically, in a rather unrealistic situation.
With most Pixar films, there is mostly a positive ending to their stories. Finding Dory's is rather more poignant as it brings the focus right back to Dory and how her short term memory lose affects her. She simply looks out into the vast ocean, and describes it as "Unforgettable".
Finding Dory is a moving, funny, full of adventure and twists. It certainly lives up to the quality of Finding Nemo!