Finding Nemo’s loveable amnesiac Dory, launches into her own ocean-wide adventure — what discoveries and dangers await?
By Pamela Chow; Photos: Courtesy of Disney
Dory ventures on a life-changing adventure.
Thirteen years ago — yes, it has been that long — Finding Nemo ended with father-and-son clownfish pair Marlin and Nemo living happily on a coral reef with their new friend, the charmingly scatter-brained bluetang Dory (voiced by Ellen DeGeneres).
However, Dory may not be as joyful as we were led to believe. As her friends and neighbours resume daily life with their families, she begins to long for her own — even starting to sleep-swim from the stress. You might have caught the amusing trailer of Dory sleep-swimming as Marlin (Albert Brooks) and Nemo (Hayden Rolence) chase after her.
One morning, Dory is jolted by a sudden childhood memory. With only the cryptic clue, “the jewel of Morro Bay, California”, the trio takes off on a life-changing adventure to track down Dory’s long-lost family.
Dory meets Bailey the beluga whale and Destiny, a near-sighted whale shark.
New deep sea friends
Chasing their lead, Dory and friends arrive at California’s prestigious Marine Life Institute (MLI), a rehabilitation centre and aquarium, where they meet a group of quirky aquatic acquaintances.
Bailey (Ty Burrell) is a beluga whale convinced that there’s a problem with his sonar skills. Destiny (Kaitlin Olson) is a near-sighted whale shark. Lazy sea lions Fluke and Rudder (Idris Elba and Dominic West) and Becky the loon (Torbin Bullock) add to the fun. Finally, Hank (Ed O’Neill), a cranky and elusive octopus, joins the crew as an unlikely ally and guide to fulfil Dory’s mission.
Together, the ragtag team deftly and sneakily navigate the complex inner workings of MLI to reunite Dory with her estranged mom (Diane Keaton) and dad (Eugene Levy).
How will lazy sea lions Fluke (left, Idris Elba) and Rudder (Dominic West) help Dory, Marlin and Nemo?
Forget me not
Like Dory, audiences who grew up watching Finding Nemo are getting their own blast from the past. The excitement is especially apparent with DeGeneres, who has been adding plenty of hype to the movie on her own talk show with poster previews, teasers and live performances.
She said on “The Ellen DeGeneres Show”, “I have waited for this day for a long, long, long, long, long, long time. I’m not mad it took this long… The time they took was worth it. The script is fantastic. And it has everything I loved about the first one: It’s got a lot of heart, it’s really funny and the best part is, it’s got a lot more Dory.”
Among her promotions, DeGeneres recently invited singer Sia to perform a cover of Nat King Cole’s classic “Unforgettable”. This rendition will be featured as the closing track of Finding Dory, reported Billboard.
Hank is a cranky and elusive octopus who joins Dory and gang.
Dory endangered?
The release of Finding Dory may be highly anticipated for audiences but some marine biologists and conservationists have warned that the film’s popularity could increase pressure on wild populations of the exotic fish.
In 2003, Finding Nemo led to a surge in demand for clownfish in pet shops and a corresponding drop in their population numbers. In response, the Saving Nemo Conservation Fund has been breeding clownfish in nurseries to preserve wild populations.
However, unlike clownfish, blue tang cannot be bred in nurseries. Researchers are hoping to raise awareness through their social media campaign “#fishkiss4nemo”, which you can join by uploading a “fish kiss” selfie. More information is available at savingnemo.org.
Perhaps there will be a message in Finding Dory with MLI, a rehabilitation facility, that will be able to raise awareness of the importance of marine conservation too.
Finding Dory [PG]
Director: Andrew Stanton
Starring: Ellen DeGeneres, Albert Brooks, Ed O’Neill & Idris Elba
Genre: Adventure, Animation
Run length: 100 min
Release: 16 Jun
A version of this article appeared in the print edition of Weekender, Issue 154, June 10 – June 23, 2016, with the headline ‘From Finding Nemo to Dory’.
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