Finding Dory
Director: Andrew Stanton
Starring: Ellen DeGeneres, Sigourney Weaver, Idris Elba, Albert Brooks, Diane Keaton, Eugene Levy
Three-and-a-half stars
There’s been a bit of a run of late of sequels to franchises that seemed to have been laid to rest years ago.
Last year, for example, we had Star Wars: Episode VII – The Force Awakens continuing the sci-fi saga after a 10-year break; the return of the genetically engineered dinosaurs in Jurassic World, 14 years after the previous film; and Creed, which revisited the world of Rocky nine years after Rocky Balbao (which itself was released 16 years after the previous instalment, Rocky V).
In a few weeks we will see an Independence Day sequel, Resurgence, 20 years after the aliens first tried and failed to invade the earth.
Before that, though, we have Finding Dory, which revisits the animated aquatic world of Finding Nemo, 13 years after the release of the classic Pixar original, although the story takes place only a year or so later.
Clownfish Nemo (with Hayden Rolence providing the voice this time, taking over from Alexander Gould), his dad Marlin (Albert Brooks) and the forgetful blue tang, Dory (Ellen DeGeneres) return for the sequel, although many of the peripheral characters from the first film are missing, in favour of a new cast of fishy friends.
They include Hank (Modern Family's Ed O'Neill), a colour-changing octopus – though he has lost a tentacle and so is often referred to as a "septopus" – who provides much of the movie's comic relief.
This time around, Dory takes centre stage, having played the comic sidekick to Marlin on his quest to find his missing son in the first movie. Even by fish standards, she has an appalling memory but then has a sudden flashback that she was separated from her parents, who might be imprisoned in an aquarium in California. So the three friends set out from the coral reefs of Australia on an underwater quest to reunite her family.
The movie is sure to be a box-office smash, given the goodwill for the much-loved original, the timeless appeal of the cute characters, its star pulling-power alone – and the inevitable pester power of younger viewers.
However, it is also a worthy film in its own right. The animation, particularly during the action sequences, is of the constantly evolving high standard we have come to expect from Pixar. There are also enough contrasting moments of comedy and emotional drama to keep youngsters and their parents entertained, while the impressive cast give a surprising level of gravitas to the task of voicing animated fish.
The film does not, however, quite reach the high standards of its predecessor. The narrative complexity of Finding Nemo isn't really in evidence here – Dory's frequent memory-lapse gags are likely to grate on all but the youngest viewers after the first dozen or so, and the film's message about the importance of family, and how even broken families can be fixed, isn't so much underlying as delivered with a sledge hammer over the head.
These are minor points, though, considering that the original – Pixar's second-highest grossing movie after Toy Story 3 – set the bar so high.
It’s probably also fair to say that the movie’s key, toddler demographic isn’t really looking for narrative complexity or subtle messages, when a good memory-loss joke will do.
The film’s success internationally is a safe bet – what will be interesting to see, locally, is how it fares at the box office in the UAE. There’s long been an accepted wisdom that families don’t want to visit cinemas at this time of year, and so blockbusters are held up for a release over Eid or in the weeks after.
Finding Dory is the first major film we can remember getting a release during Ramadan. Time will tell whether this gamble works – but this is exactly the kind of movie that families would want to make a point of going to see at a time of year where the focus on family is so strong.
cnewbould@thenational.ae
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Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
The%20Specs
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Company%20Profile
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The drill
Recharge as needed, says Mat Dryden: “We try to make it a rule that every two to three months, even if it’s for four days, we get away, get some time together, recharge, refresh.” The couple take an hour a day to check into their businesses and that’s it.
Stick to the schedule, says Mike Addo: “We have an entire wall known as ‘The Lab,’ covered with colour-coded Post-it notes dedicated to our joint weekly planner, content board, marketing strategy, trends, ideas and upcoming meetings.”
Be a team, suggests Addo: “When training together, you have to trust in each other’s abilities. Otherwise working out together very quickly becomes one person training the other.”
Pull your weight, says Thuymi Do: “To do what we do, there definitely can be no lazy member of the team.”
Company%20Profile
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More on Turkey's Syria offence
Sleep Well Beast
The National
4AD
The specs
Engine: 2.7-litre 4-cylinder Turbomax
Power: 310hp
Torque: 583Nm
Transmission: 8-speed automatic
Price: From Dh192,500
On sale: Now
SPECS
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The%20specs
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Dates for the diary
To mark Bodytree’s 10th anniversary, the coming season will be filled with celebratory activities:
- September 21 Anyone interested in becoming a certified yoga instructor can sign up for a 250-hour course in Yoga Teacher Training with Jacquelene Sadek. It begins on September 21 and will take place over the course of six weekends.
- October 18 to 21 International yoga instructor, Yogi Nora, will be visiting Bodytree and offering classes.
- October 26 to November 4 International pilates instructor Courtney Miller will be on hand at the studio, offering classes.
- November 9 Bodytree is hosting a party to celebrate turning 10, and everyone is invited. Expect a day full of free classes on the grounds of the studio.
- December 11 Yogeswari, an advanced certified Jivamukti teacher, will be visiting the studio.
- February 2, 2018 Bodytree will host its 4th annual yoga market.
The details
Colette
Director: Wash Westmoreland
Starring: Keira Knightley, Dominic West
Our take: 3/5
BORDERLANDS
Starring: Cate Blanchett, Kevin Hart, Jamie Lee Curtis
Director: Eli Roth
Rating: 0/5