Finding Dory (2016)
★★½ — Finding Dory (2016)
Finding Dory arrived thirteen years after Finding Nemo (2003), making it one of the longer gaps between a Pixar original and its sequel. Andrew Stanton, who directed the first film and won an Academy Award for it, returned to the franchise after a bruising detour into live-action with John Carter (2012), which famously lost Disney somewhere in the region of $200 million. The sequel centres on Dory, the short-term memory-loss fish voiced by Ellen DeGeneres, whose popularity in the original had made her something of a breakout character even by Pixar standards. Released during a period when Pixar was leaning heavily into sequels (Toy Story 3 had been a massive success in 2010, and Cars 3 was already in development), the film went on to gross over a billion dollars worldwide, becoming the highest-grossing animated film ever released in the United States at that point.
Sequels to beloved films often struggle to recapture the magic, and Finding Dory doesn’t so much fail as quietly fade from memory. It’s not a bad film, the animation is gorgeous, the voice cast is charming, and there are moments of genuine warmth and humour, especially with the introduction of new characters like Destiny the near-sighted whale shark and Bailey the anxious beluga. Ellen DeGeneres slips back into Dory’s forgetful, relentlessly optimistic persona with ease, and the emotional core (her search for her long-lost parents) lands with quiet sincerity. But for all its technical polish and good intentions, the film never feels necessary. The original Finding Nemo was a story with a clear journey and emotional payoff; this one follows a similar blueprint (a cross-ocean quest, perilous encounters, undersea bureaucracy) but without the same sense of discovery. The plot hinges on Dory’s memory loss, which is ironic, because the movie itself is almost impossible to remember five minutes after it ends. The stakes feel lower, the obstacles less threatening, the resolution more predictable. It’s competently made, yes, and younger audiences will likely enjoy the bright colours and silly fish antics. But as a standalone story, it lacks urgency and originality. It rehashes the first film’s structure without adding much new, and the emotional points, while touching, don’t hit as hard. There’s no equivalent to “Just keep swimming” that lingers. Ultimately, Finding Dory is harmless and occasionally sweet, but also entirely forgettable. A perfectly fine sequel that does just enough to get by, without ever justifying its own existence. Ironic, given the subject.
Rating: ★★½ | Year: 2016 | Watched: 2025-08-08
Where to watch (UK)
Stream: Disney Plus
Rent: Apple TV Store · Rakuten TV · Amazon Video · Google Play Movies
Buy: Apple TV Store · Rakuten TV · Amazon Video · Google Play Movies
Physical: Amazon UK
Affiliate disclosure: Movies With Macca may earn a small commission on purchases or subscriptions started via these links. It costs you nothing extra.
Related on Movies With Macca
More from Andrew Stanton: Finding Nemo (2003) · WALL·E (2008)
More with Albert Brooks: Finding Nemo (2003)
More from the 2010s: Wonder (2017) · Beautiful Boy (2018) · The Witch (2015) · What We Do in the Shadows (2014)
More adventure: Alice in Wonderland (1951) · The Eagle (1925) · Louisiana Story (1948) · The General (1926)
More animation: Fantastic Planet (1973) · Alice in Wonderland (1951) · Mononoke the Movie: The Phantom in the Rain (2024) · Mononoke the Movie: Chapter II - The Ashes of Rage (2025)
