Finding Dory Review: 7 Ups And 3 Downs

Finding Dory shouldn't have worked at all. It's 12 years since the first film, the story robs the original of one it's most subtly complex moments, and there was a distinct whiff of Minionitis about it. But damnit if Pixar haven't done it again.

The film is a richly coloured, complex and emotional joy, which might not break the mould in story terms but manages to trade exceptionally well on all of the things that made the original so popular. It's not quite up to the standards of Toy Story 3, but there's not another Pixar sequel that can outstrip it or its commitment to advancing the story, building on established chemisty and successfully introducing new characters.

There are a couple of slight distractions, inevitably, but nothing is enough to draw away from a definite, solid 4 star rating, and it is undoubtedly a film that deserves to be seen as widely as the original. Here's exactly why you should go and see Pixar's latest, with a couple of footnotes of concern bolted on for good measure.

First, to the positives...

7. Hank

Ed O'Neill's crotchety octopus (well, septipus as Dory so elegantly points out) is easily the most substantial and the most successful of the sequels new characters. He has a defined arc thanks to his initial desire to be left alone and not have to face life in the open ocean again and the subsequent revelation. And he's exceptionally entertaining, with great chemistry with Dory herself.

O'Neill's performance isn't exactly a challenge for him: his two most defining characters in his career (on Modern Family and Married With Children) are both spiritual siblings to Hank and the experience shows. He might be grumpy and occasionally quick to anger, but he's also emotionally vulnerable and wounded by something not quite explicated until the great Touching Pool sequence.