Finding Dory

Good thing "The Good Dinosaur" was a fluke in story quality and likable characters because "Finding Dory" is another Pixar hit, with both those items in spades, and the most delightful/blatant use of powerful emotions and some weaponized cuteness (So much so, that they threw some of that weaponized cuteness in their mini-movie before the show, "Piper.")
Further proof to never trust the trailers since it seemed like our favorite Regal Blue Tang was going to be a major hindrance and be oblivious to the plot as it develops around her. But no. She was able to carry this movie on her sieve-like noggin, with her chipper attitude, mixed with her heart-breaking worrisome states, and her motivation and active participation drives the plot forward.

Through flashbacks, we see part of her sad past, and how she entered the previous movie. And with the right trigger words, she remembers that she has loving parents that might still be waiting for her back in California. So while the previous film was a journey fraught with terrors, obstacles, and the most unique of characters, the journey was not the focus, but the destination, an aquarium/sealife rehab center. There, we find out how little Dory managed to become the lovable and delightfully random character she was in the previous movie, and the new cast of intriguing characters with their own motivations for helping Dory find her family. Hijinks and feels ensue as the assorted marine life help along our protagonists.

As most GOOD Pixar movies do, they manage to tap into some fundamental humanity that gives their characters a relatability that can make you forget that what you're relating to is a toy, a mechanical being, a horror from another dimension that uses children's highest decibels for power, or the very emotions that run your brain. This film in particular still taps into Marlin's Papa Wolf tendencies, but he is better than last time. And he learns that sometimes a disability is not a liability, as he finds out, and admits that he knew from last time, that the way others do things may seem wrong to us, but can actually be what you need to get through the obstacle. But the main item of relatability to take away, is that this is basically a shout-out to any parent who has to care for a mentally disabled child. We see Dory's parents needing to carefully supervise her constantly, and being led to tears at the prospect of whether this handicap will hinder her from fitting in with society, or even surviving on her own. Beyond even that, we see Dory herself struggle with the mental hurdles of her own blasted memory retention deficits. The agony and deep desire to regain what was lost are etched onto every freckle of that fish's face and the voice acting carries that feeling to the audience loud and clear.

Overall, I will not say that is is BETTER than "Finding Nemo" as it is still the most epic and gorgeous voyage across the ocean I've ever seen, but I thoroughly enjoyed the fantastic trip to a chaotic aquarium as we sympathized with our fish friends.

GAZE UPON DISNEY'S LATEST WEAPON OF ULTIMATE CUTE!

 
WEAPONIZED. CUTENESS!!