Recently I saw the newest Disney-Pixar creation, Finding Dory. I want to share my thoughts on the movie and compare it to it's highly praised prequel, Finding Nemo. Beware of spoilers!

The original 2003 hit had many relatable life lessons that made it appealing to audience members of all ages. The movie is filled to the brim with action, humor, tear-jerkers, and personality. In order to refresh your memory (as if you don't remember), I will give you a brief synopsis for the sake of comparison.

Marlin, the dynamic main character, is a Clownfish who loses his wife and all but one of his unhatched offspring in a tragic accident. Marlin is established as a cautious and obsessive single father who is striving to do right by his son: keeping his head out of the clouds and back into the anemone. His only living son Nemo, is an excitable, eager young lad who is now of age to leave the safety of his home and pursue the adventure of education. Nemo was born with an obvious birth defect, his smaller "lucky" fin, that makes swimming slightly more difficult. But Nemo doesn't ever feel any less capable because of his fin. In fact, he openly detests any degrading mention of it, and he always tries to go above and beyond other's expectations of him. On his first day of school, Nemo is awed by his scientific-minded teacher, Mr. Ray, and his trio of outspoken, rebellious new classmates. When Nemo is pressured by his peers, and discouraged by his father, to swim out into the open sea, he is captured by Australian reef divers. This begins Marlin's daring mission to rescue his son, which leads him to meet his quirky partner Dory, a Blue Tang far from home and mentally stranded due to her short-term memory loss. We not only witness Marlin's personal journey of conquering his fear of the unknown, but we also root for Dory's unwavering support and steadily improving the condition. We see Marlin confront the dangers of the ocean (sharks, trench monsters, and jellyfish, to name a few) with Dory by his side, while Nemo witnesses the struggles of being stuck in "the real world" (glass tanks, root canals, and crazy little kids).The trio's rigorous missions to once again be reunited illuminates the importance of teamwork, acceptance, trust, sacrifice, and of course, adventure. At the conclusion of the film, Marlin, Nemo and Dory are inseparable. Marlin has learned to be more trusting and open to new ideas. Nemo is as spunky as ever, and he has a new appreciation for his father's protective efforts. And Dory finally has a long-term memory to hold on to friendship.

***Disclaimer: If you have not seen Finding Dory yet and you do not want spoilers, this is your last chance to turn back! Proceed with caution.***

Now, bear with me as I give a plot overview of Finding Dory before I express my opinions about it.

The opening scene is a flashback into the past. Dory is an irresistibly adorable baby playing with her parents. But due to her short-term memory loss, she is forgetful of most things, much to the concern of her parents. Her parents make an effort day in and day out to help Dory improve her condition. One day when Dory wanders just a little too far, she is whisked up by a strong current just as her parents realize that she has wandered off. Young Dory finds herself alone in open water, crying out for help wherever she can find it. For days, she wanders from reef to reef looking for her parents. As days become years, she gradually forgets what she was looking for in the first place. Now an adult, she meets Marlin, as if for the first time, and then the setting shifts into the present day. This present-day action takes place a year after the conclusion of the first movie. Marlin is now essentially the caretaker of Nemo and Dory, Nemo is a thriving little school fish, and Dory loves doing pretty much anything (especially joining Nemo's class on their field trips). On one of these field trips, Dory listens to Mr. Ray explain that all animals have an instinctual desire to migrate home when the time is right. Repressed visual and audible memory cues cause the first of many flashbacks. Dory remembers bits and pieces about the past and feels an instinctual urge of her own to search for her forgotten parents in California. Despite Marlin's initial unwillingness to return to the open ocean, Dory, Marlin and Nemo set out together on their mission. The trio arrives at a marine life Institute where Dory is picked up by marine life researchers and taken to a quarantine wing of the Institute. Dory's selfish and reluctant new accomplice, a septopus named Hank, helps her escape to find the exhibit in the Institute where she grew up. Dory and Hank also enlist the help of Dory's long, lost friend Destiny, a Whale Shark, and a Beluga named Bailey. Marlin and Nemo have to get crafty (channeling their inner "Dory instincts") to find a way inside to rescue Dory, with the aid of some friendly seals and a dopey bird. Dory, Marlin, and Nemo are reunited but come to discover that Dory's parents aren't at the Institute anymore. The tables turn as Marlin and Nemo get trapped on a shipment truck as Dory is washed out to sea. She is lost, alone and discouraged because of her familiar feelings of confusion. Searching for a way back to the Institute, Dory follows a trail right into the arms of her parents (Jenny and Charlie), who stayed in the same place for years hoping that Dory would eventually remember her way home. Now with her parents by her side, Dory gets help from her ragtag bunch of friends to devise a plan to rescue Marlin and Nemo from the humans. After being reunited once more, they are all one big, happy family. Marlon, Nemo, Dory, Dory's parents, Hank, Destiny, and Bailey all return to Marlin's reef and live happily ever after.

So, I know you're all dying to hear what I thought about the movie now, huh?

.....anyway, here I go!

Baby Dory steals the show! I don't think I'm the only one who would be totally okay with an entire film solely dedicated to the little, big-eyed, baby-faced, giggling ball of cuteness. But baby Dory plus otters?! My heart was a puddle!

The themes throughout Finding Dory (although much too obvious for my taste, but I guess that's to be expected) were different enough from the first movie to stand their ground, yet not too different from the overarching tone of the franchise. In addition to a few borrowed phrases from the first movie like "just keep swimming" and "just trust me," there was a strong emphasis on "staying true to yourself" and "going back to your roots" in the sequel.

I love how Dory's parents are portrayed in the early parts of Dory's life (helping her with memory techniques and not making her feel ashamed). Although Dory is unaware of so much, I think she knows that her parents are an awesome support system. This makes me think back to Marlin's behavior in the prequel. He has always been Nemo's only supporter. In moments of change and stress, he overreacts, I admit, but he tries his best to prepare Nemo for the world that doesn't care if he can keep up or not. Both Dory's and Nemo's parents have always worried that their child will struggle in the real world, but regardless, have always been supportive in their own ways. Dory and Nemo, although looked down upon by some, are heroes of their own stories despite their shortcomings. This is perhaps one of the most important lessons in each movie: accepting/believing in yourself and others.

Crash's and Squirt's cameo is short-lived but is without a doubt just as lovable as their appearance in the original film.

I think the new ragtag bunch of characters in Finding Dory highlights the importance of diversity. But at first glance, there are so many supporting characters it's almost too hard to keep up. The plot seemed a bit too back-and-forth for my taste, and the humor seemed a bit more cliche and forced than in the original film. It was still enjoyable, no doubt, especially to a younger audience.

And am I the only one who hated Bailey's echolocation? Like, echolocation doesn't give you super x-ray vision?! (I am open to being proven wrong, just let me know in the comments). I know it's not meant to be taken that seriously, but it was too unrealistic for me.

There are some undeniable parallels in the plots and themes of the two films: 1. The main character (with the help of friends) ventures out into the open ocean with the hope of being reunited with family; 2. Humans take matters into their own hands by "rescuing" a fish in despair, and end up looking like fools when the fish escape; 3. There is a strong emphasis on teamwork, trust, loyalty, acceptance and risk taking; 4. Packed with humor and relatable characters facing real issues.

So... now I bet you're all wondering if I am going to say which movie is better, right?!

I am going to follow my instincts and say that the original is the way to go. Although the sequel does offer insightful and adorable glimpses into the past, I feel like it can't quite match its predecessor in tempo and theme. But without a doubt, I would love to watch the second film again someday.

What do you think? Finding Nemo or Finding Dory: which takes the prize in your book? Do you think I missed something important?

P.S. Marine life is special and should not be taken for granted. Human activity in the ocean can potentially be helpful or disastrous. Appreciate wildlife for what it is, and do your part to make the ocean a safer place for our fishy friends!