DVD Movie Review: Finding Nemo

Synopsis:
Finding Nemo, directed by Andrew Stanton and Lee Unkrich, follows Marlin (voiced by Albert Brooks), an overprotective clown fish father, as he desperately searches the sea for his missing son, Nemo (Alexander Gould). Marlin's journey leads him beyond the Great Barrier Reef into deeper and darker waters, where he meets Dory (Ellen DeGeneres), a forgetful yet optimistic blue tang, and a number of not-so-friendly--and often very hungry--aquatic creatures. Meanwhile, little Nemo finds himself in a dentist's fish tank in Syndey, Australia, along with other underwater captives, including Gill (Willem Dafoe), the group's scarred Moorish idol leader. As Nemo works with his new friends on a plan to escape their tank, Marlin and Dory swim closer, but they'll need more than just fins to get into the dentist's office.

This fifth computer-animated outing by Pixar continues the company's remarkable winning streak that began with TOY STORY. Like other Pixar films, FINDING NEMO features a story with heart--this time, a father-and-son tale--and thoroughly charming leads--in this case, Marlin, Nemo, and Dory. And, of course, there's an army of fascinating supporting characters, including Bruce (Barry Humphries), a great white shark on a no-fish diet; Crush (director/screenwriter Stanton), a surfer-dude sea turtle; Peach (Allison Janney), a stuck-to-the-aquarium starfish; and Nigel (Geoffrey Rush), a bold pelican. However, what truly distinguishes NEMO from even its CGI cousins is its stunning depiction of aquatic life, from the colorful creatures on a coral reef to a blue whale on the vast expanse of the open ocean. By combining the aesthetic of a National Geographic marine life documentary with clever jokes and Hitchcock references, NEMO succeeds in its bid to up the ante for animated films yet again. And be sure to watch the credits or you just might miss something!

Cast: Albert Brooks, Alexander Gould, Willem Dafoe, Brad Garrett, Ellen Degeneres
Director: Andrew Stanton

Finding Nemo Pictures and Wallpapers:
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Prices and where to buy it:
You can buy the DVD Finding Nemo at Amazon.com

Critic Quotes and Reviews:

• New York Times "...An upbeat, sentimental fable....The animation achieves an astonishing synergy of voice, computer-animated image and dialogue..." 05/30/2003 p.E1
• USA Today "The most gorgeous of all the Pixar films....NEMO treats family audiences to a sweet, resonant story and breathtaking visuals..." 05/30/2003 p.9D
• Los Angeles Times "...An engaging undersea story....[With] a level of smarter-than-the-room humor noticeably wacky and sophisticated for studio family fare..." 05/30/2003 p.C1
• Entertainment Weekly "You could trawl the seven seas and not net a funnier, more beautiful, and more original work of art and comedy than FINDING NEMO, the dazzling new computer-animated adventure..." 06/06/2003 p.54
• Rolling Stone "...A thing of beauty, hugely entertaining and way cool..." 06/26/2003 p.88
• Chicago Sun-Times "...FINDING NEMO has all the usual pleasures of the Pixar animation style....And it adds an unexpected beauty....There is something dreamlike about the visuals of FINDING NEMO..." 05/30/2003 p.35
• Variety "A buoyant adventure?.Notable first for its spectacularly colorful underwater setting, which gives the picture one of the most striking visual backdrops ever seen in an animated film?" 05/26/2003 p.25-39
• Box Office "...When the fish surface, the water is pastel, reflective, as lovely or lovelier as anything that actually exists in nature..." 07/01/2003 p.44
• Entertainment Weekly "...A sparkling treasure trove of snappy comedy, lush visuals and breakneck action..." 11/01/2003 p.90
• Sight and Sound "...NEMO creates an awe-inducing sense of the infinite in its watery visuals..." 11/01/2003 p.43-4
• Rolling Stone 8 of 10 The view from the fish tank to the dentist's chair and the window overlooking the harbor is just one of the visual wonders of a film that rewrites the book on animating water, which experts say is the hardest element to achieve. And I haven't mentioned the other sea predators, such as the pink jellyfish and a razor-toothed anglerfish. Co-writer and director Andrew Stanton, who also provides the surfer-dude voice of a helpful turtle named Crush, makes miracles look easy. The result is a thing of beauty, hugely entertaining and way cool. - Peter Travers
• Chicago Sun-Times 8 of 10 Finding Nemo has all of the usual pleasures of the Pixar animation style--the comedy and wackiness of Toy Story or Monsters Inc. or A Bug's Life. And it adds an unexpected beauty, a use of color and form that makes it one of those rare movies where I wanted to sit in the front row and let the images wash out to the edges of my field of vision. The movie takes place almost entirely under the sea, in the world of colorful tropical fish--the flora and fauna of a shallow warm-water shelf not far from Australia. The use of color, form and movement make the film a delight even apart from its story. - Roger Ebert

DVD Information:
Format: DVD, 1.85:1/4:3
Genre: Animation, Adventure, Comedy, Family, Fantasy
Runtime: 101 minutes
Screen Aspect: 1.85:1/4:3
Sound Quality: English (Dolby Digital 5.1 EX), Spanish (Dolby Digital 5.1 EX), French
Subtitles: Spanish, French
Media Quantity: 2 DVD Discs

Other Information and Links:
Studio: Buena Vista (Disney)
Theatrical Release Date: 2003
DVD Release Date: 11/4/2003

DVD Features (Collector's Edition 2 DVDs):

• Available Subtitles: Spanish, French
• Available Audio Tracks: English (Dolby Digital 5.1 EX), Spanish (Dolby Digital 5.1 EX), French
• Disc One: Filmmakers' World
• Widescreen presentation of film with introduction (1.78:1, includes French & Spanish subtitles)
• Visual commentary with deleted scenes & recording sessions
• "Making Nemo" documentary
• "The Art of Nemo" narrated by the artists
• Virtual aquariums
• Disc Two: Family Fun
• Reframed full screen presentation of film with introduction (1.33:1, includes French & Spanish tracks)
• "Exploring the Reef" a new short with Jean-Michel Cousteau and your Nemo friends
• Pixar short Knick Knack with commentary
• A peek at the next Pixar film, The Incredibles
• Fisharades game
• Read-along storytime
• Learning fun with Mr. Ray's encyclopedia
• Behind the scenes: A tour of the Pixar Studios, character interviews, publicity
• More virtual aquariums

Official Information:
From the creators of Toy Story and Monsters, Inc., it's Finding Nemo -- a hilarious adventure that transports you into the breathtaking underwater world of Australia's Great Barrier Reef. When Nemo, a young clownfish, is unexpectedly carried far from home, his overprotective father, Marlin (Albert Brooks) and Dory (Ellen DeGeneres), a friendly but forgetful regal blue tang, embark on an epic journey that leads to encounters with vegetarian sharks, surfer dude turtles, hypnotic jellyfish, and hungry seagulls! Finding Nemo's breakthrough computer animation is the ultimate viewing experience.