Finding Dory picks up a year after the events depicted in Finding Nemo. After recalling that she used to live in the “Jewel of Morro Bay,” Nemo (Hayden Rolence) and Marlin (Albert Brooks) agree to join Dory in her search for her parents despite some reluctance. However, the trio becomes separated after a run-in with a hungry squid. Dory finds herself in quarantine at the Monterey Marine Life Institute, the last known home of her parents. Dory’s been tagged for shipping to an aquarium in Cleveland and may never be reunited with her family. Fortunately, Dory befriends Hank (Ed O’Neill), an irritable octopus who agrees to take her around to the exhibits in search of her parents, in exchange for her Cleveland tag. Meanwhile, Marlin and Nemo are trapped outside, where they meet two English seals (Idris Elba and Dominic West), and a dimwitted loon named Becky (Torbin Xan Bullock) who helps them break inside to save their friend before she’s sent to Cleveland.
Will they get to her in time? Will Dory be reunited with her parents?
A visual treat and a wonderful story, Finding Dory offers much to make viewers laugh and cry. It’s that rare film that’s perfect for all ages. Even better, this film works not only in telling the rest Dory’s story, but also brings the Nemo and Marlin story full circle in case we don’t get a third film. Finding Dory belongs in the film collections of anyone who enjoys animation.
Framed in the 1.78:1 aspect ratio, Pixar’s 1080p transfer is as excellent as you might expect. This is reference quality material. The pastel colors and deeply saturated hues are perfectly blended. The water sequences look almost life-like. Sharpness is superb and contrast is perfectly dialed in.
The DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1, sound mix is as impressive as the transfer. The entire soundfield is put to work, with directionalized dialogue as characters’ swim in and out of focus. This has been perfectly combined with Thomas Newman’s satisfying score and the various atmospherics. Dialogue is placed in the center, while the rest is well placed in the fronts and rears making for a truly immersive experience.
English SDH, Spanish and French subtitles are included.
The following extras are available:
Disc One:
- Piper (HD, 6:05) A short film about a baby bird leaving the nest for the first time.
- Marine Life Interviews (HD, 2:04) Interview snippets with characters from the film talking about Dory.
- The Octopus That Nearly Broke Pixar (HD, 9:05) A detailed look at the challenges involved in creating “the most complicated character” Pixar has ever made.
- What Were We Talking About? (HD, 4:31) The challenges of building a story around a character who can’t remember much of anything.
- Casual Carpool (HD, 3:47) Ride around town with Director Andrew Stanton and several members of the voice cast.
- Animation & Acting (HD, 6:57) A look at the process of voice acting for an animated film.
- Deep in the Kelp (HD, 3:20) Jenna Ortega, from Disney’s Stuck in the Middle, hosts a quick look at how Pixar filmmakers researched real creatures for the film.
- Creature Features (HD, 3:02): Key voice cast briefly discuss their characters.
- Audio Commentary: Director Andrew Stanton, Co-Director Angus MacLane, and Producer Lindsey Collins discuss the process of making a sequel, changes from concept to final film, story construction, establishing new characters, structure, themes, voice work, and more.
Disc Two:
- Behind the Scenes (HD) A five-part feature:
- Skating & Sketching with Jason Deamer (4:14) The longtime Pixar employee and Character Art Director discusses his time at the company and the character design process.
- Dory’s Theme (4:57) Composing the music and how it complements the film with Director Andrew Stanton, Composer Tom Newman, and Music Editor Bill Bernstein.
- Rough Day on the Reef (1:11): A collection of computer glitches from the making of the movie.
- Finding Nemo As Told by Emoji (2:47) As the title suggests, emoji quickly tell the story of the first film.
- Fish Schticks (3:35) A collection humorous moments.
- Living Aquariums (HD) A collection of four themed digitally animated “fish tanks” designed for ambient enjoyment. Included are Sea Grass (3:03:52), Open Ocean (2:48:30), Stingrays (2:48:42), and Swim to the Surface (1:02:20).
- Deleted Scenes (HD, 50:15 total runtime): An Introduction with Director Andrew Stanton precedes the following scenes: Losing Nemo, Sleep Swimming, Little Tension in Clown Town, Meeting Hank, The Pig, Dory Dumped, and Starting Over. The scenes are not presented in a completed state.
- Trailers (1080p): Included are Sleep Swimming: United States Trailer (1:43), Theatrical Payoff: Japan Trailer (2:09), Can’t Remember: Spain Trailer (1:22), and Journey: Russia Trailer (2:31).
