Finding Dory ★★★★☆

Finding Dory, directed by Pixar alumnus Andrew Stanton, faces more than "how do you follow up Finding Nemo?" It also has to answer, "how do you follow up Monsters University and Cars 2?", the studio's last two features to lean on preexisting stories, and which seemed to hit a snag Pixar had not faced before. Despite the successes of two excellent Toy Story sequels, Monsters University and Cars 2 never felt like they were breaking new ground. Considering Pixar's ultimate strengths - originality built into heartwarming stories - it was odd to find they may have a sequel problem. It would be a particularly troubling issue since three of their next four releases are sequels to their existing films.

Finding Dory hits similar snags as Monsters University and Cars 2 to a degree. The plot is the story of Dory, a blue tang fish played by the affable Ellen DeGeneres, one day remembering she has a mother and father and setting off on an adventure to find them, accompanied by her friends Marlin and Nemo, voiced by Albert Brooks and Hayden Rolence. It feels clunky at points and set pieces don't interweave quite so elegantly as Pixar's original films. However, much to it's credit, Finding Dory finds room to breathe in the moments we spend with Dory and her interactions with her friends and family, old and new. And it's here that the film finds it's feet and shines.

Dory is as hilarious and loveable as she was in Finding Nemo. However, her ailment of short-term memory loss now takes a somewhat darker tone and for the first time, we're made to connect with Dory on an emotional level. We glimpse her life as an infant fish and that makes it all the more heartbreaking when we cut back to her struggling to remember it. The great strength of the film is taking what made Dory so funny in the original film and making us realise that it's a lot more painful for her. When she repeatedly introduces herself to a class, we laugh, but there's an undertone of unease for her. But by taking away Dory's memory as her defining personality trait, we're made to see her other qualities - her happy-go-lucky spirit, her determination and her care for those she loves. It makes Dory funnier and more enjoyable to watch, which is saying a lot for an already universally adored character. It's really grown-up stuff, yet shown so successfully in a way family films rarely accomplish.

This exploration of Dory's character is extrapolated further in the way her relationships are presented. Her parents, more than just the object of desire, represent her journey of self discovery. The film is less concerned about Dory's interactions with her parents, and more about how it forms her character and her interactions with other fish. It has a knock-on effect to how she is with Marlin and Nemo, who have a complicated relationship with her. Indeed, the development of their friendship is one of the strongest points of the film, making the clownfish an integral and enjoyable part of the story, and the audience's way in to understanding Dory.

Finally is Dory's new friend, Hank the septopus (having lost a tentacle), gifted a rich, bassy voice by Ed O'Neill. Grumpy but warm, Hank is one of the funniest characters and it's a joy to watch him flail his limbs and camouflage himself - the end credits are a particular delight for this. His strained collaboration with Dory is a little by the book, but it hardly matters. Finding Dory is so uncynical and full of heart, any dodgy plot points are instantly forgiven - it is telling that, in a room full of young families, not a single child was disruptive barring raucous laughter and even then, the grown ups were louder.

Further to Pixar's sequel success is Andrew Stanton's direction in cinematography. How easy it would be for the animators to walk the beaten path and return to the stunning corals and deep blues that captivated us in Finding Nemo. Instead, they find new underwater locations to set the film apart and relish in supreme detail outside of the water, where much of the film takes place. It's impressively partnered with Stanton's wide frames, that emphasize the staggering size of the ocean and underscore Dory and co's gigantic journey, as well the blue tang's immense loneliness. Pixar have looked bigger than a paint-by-numbers sequel to one of their most loved features - they have approached every aspect with fresh enthusiasm to do something different and their newest film is better for it, for fans, families and critics alike.

With Finding Dory, Pixar seem to have worked out the formula to intertextual film success outside of the Toy Story franchise, which bodes well in today's Hollywood and children's movies climate (the latter of which is experiencing its most competitive era ever). It's a recurring theme amongst recent Disney properties, which have been dominating third week box office figures, suggesting they can churn out fan favourites at a rate of knots. Whilst Pixar's strengths will always lie in their groundbreaking originality, Finding Dory ensures their future's bright for their expanded stories.

Short Film, Short Review - Piper

Giving us a glimpse into the life of the sandpiper (small birds which scavenge the seaside sand in search of food), Piper is a delight to watch. With a bouncing musical score to give life to a dialogue-empty story and a stunning micro perspective into a baby sandpipers struggle, Piper will extract a smile from even the grumpiest of viewers.