MovieFreak.com - "Finding Nemo" 2-Disc Collector's Edition DVD Review by Dennis Landmann

DVD REVIEW

Finding Nemo (2003)

Voices: Albert Brooks, Ellen DeGeneres, Alexander Gould

Director: Andrew Stanton, Lee Unkrich

Rating: G

Distributor: Buena Vista Home Entertainment

Release Date: November 4, 2003
Review posted: November 16, 2003

Spoilers: None

Reviewed by Dennis Landmann

Synopsis

When Nemo, a young clownfish, is unexpectedly carried far from home, his overprotective father, Marlin (Albert Brooks), and Dory (Ellen DeGeneres), a friendly but forgetful regal blue tang fish, embark on an epic journey to find Nemo that leads to encounters with vegetarian sharks, surfer dude turtles, hypnotic jellyfish and hungry seagulls.

Critique

Finding Nemo is one of my favorite films so far this year. It's simply enjoyable. Watching a film like this lightens your spirit and mood. It makes you forget about your worries for 100 minutes and entertains all the way through. The story is very involving and storytelling is expertly done. Also worth mentioning is the terrific humor. Little subtleties and references are most likely there for the adults to enjoy, but the general humor works for both kids and adults. Much of the humor derives from Dory, the fish with short term memory loss, the surfer turtles, "totally dude", and a lot more.

Dory is a fantastic character, but it is really DeGeneres who brings life to the little blue fish. Her condition sets up a lot of great laughs. Albert Brooks plays the overprotective father very nicely and the voice behind Nemo (Alexander Gould) is both natural and sweet. It's just incredible to see Pixar churning out these great stories. The script here is full of great stuff. It includes great dialogue, characters, adventure scenes and more. The writing by Andrew Stanton, Bob Peterson and David Reynolds is very consistent. The Pixar people seem to have great talent and their sense of humor pays off in every film. For a taste of their humor check out the Pixar tour in the special features area. But what makes their films so successful and interesting is the setting of their stories.

For example, Toy Story is about toys. A Bug's Life is about bugs. Monster's Inc. is about monsters. Finding Nemo is about fish and takes place in under the sea, an environment no other film, animated or not, has ever explored as meticulously and interestingly as Finding Nemo. And Pixar's new film for 2005 is about cars. How about that, huh? Obviously, the setting plays an important role in Finding Nemo and the story of a father in search of his young boy works great. Looking for one fish among 3.7 trillion is sure to be one heck of a journey. That's the film's tagline and it sells the film right there. It doesn't get any more perfect than that.

Pixar's previous film, Monster's Inc., was both a success financially and with moviegoers. In fact, I've seen it ten times by now. Finding Nemo is also one of those films with great replay value. The jokes don't get tired and the voice performances are every bit as magnificent and effective upon first viewing. Albert Brooks and Ellen DeGeneres share great chemistry. Finding Nemo also features incredible animation. The sheer amount of detail and the many colors make up for a fantastic backdrop. The true colors of the ocean are usually dark and scary, at least that's how I feel, but the film gives the sea a great image. It's an incredible looking film. Highly recommended.

The Video

Buena Vista presents Finding Nemo in 1.78:1 anamorphic widescreen. The image comes straight Pixar's digital source of the film and the result is a sharp, clean and fresh presentation. Or in one word, flawless. Colors are beautiful and vibrant as can be. Color detail is fantastic. Dark hues and black tones are consistent and deep. The depth of definition and clarity in this transfer is outstanding. I think you get the idea.

You can also watch the film in 1.33:1 fullscreen format on disc 2. The image has been specially reframed for standard TVs.

The Audio

Buena Vista presents Finding Nemo in English 5.1 Dolby Digital Surround Sound EX. The presentation is THX-certified and features a THX optimizer. This soundtrack is not a blast, but it takes great advantage of the system. Rear speakers reproduce many of the film's sound effects, such as the sound of the sea, waves, whales, birds, etc. Dialog is very nicely located between the two front channels and it is always clear and easy to understand. Surround usage is effective and adds greatly to the viewing experience. Overall, this presentation offers very nice sound design and quality.

French and Spanish Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround EX tracks are also available.

The Extras

It's simple, Pixar knows just how to produce DVDs. Aside from great video and audio quality, the special features are aplenty and don't disappoint. Some of them are geared more towards the kids, but there is stuff for adults, too. The features are spread over two discs.

Disc One: Filmmakers' World
Visual commentary with deleted scenes & recording sessions
"Making Nemo" documentary (25 mins.)
"The Art of Nemo" narrated by the artists
Virtual aquariums
Disc Two: Family Fun
Reframed full screen presentation of film with introduction (1.33:1, includes French & Spanish tracks)
"Exploring the Reef" a new short with Jean-Michel Cousteau and your Nemo friends
Pixar short Knick Knack with commentary
A peek at the next Pixar film, The Incredibles
Fisharades game
Read-along storytime
Learning fun with Mr. Ray's encyclopedia
Behind the scenes: A tour of the Pixar Studios, character interviews, publicity
More virtual aquariums

You can select to view the film with optional English, French and Spanish subtitles. The 100-minute feature is organized into thirty-two chapters.

Overall

Finding Nemo is great fun and looks incredible. Video/audio quality is excellent. The extras are fun and overall pretty darn good. Don't hesitate to purchase this fun 2-disc collector's edition DVD when shopping.

RATINGS SUMMARY