"We were like 'woaahh', and I was like 'woah!' and you were like 'woooaahhh'." (Review)

Last night I was in the mood for something relaxing, fun, entertaining and good looking. But Shauna was out so I had to settle for a movie instead. Fortunately, Finding Nemo fits that description to a tee. It’s easy to watch, a lot of fun, very entertaining, and man does this movie ever look good. This is one of the reasons we got a big screen, high definition television. The picture is just beautiful. Combined with a delightful story, this is definitely one of Pixar's best.

For those poor, unfortunate souls who have not yet seen Finding Nemo, allow me to fill you in. This is the fifth feature film to come out of Pixar Animation Studios. Tragic events leave Marlin, a clown fish, as the single father of his only son, Nemo. Marlin’s past has made him overly protective of Nemo and when his son is suddenly captured by scuba divers during a school trip Marlin must embark upon a journey across the ocean to save him. Along the way he meets Dory, a helpful fish who suffers from short term memory loss and the two continue Marlin’s quest together. Meanwhile, Nemo finds himself the latest addition to a dentist’s aquarium where his new friends enlist his help to try and escape.

Being a Disney/Pixar film, Finding Nemo appeals to both children and adults alike. There’s enough color and flash and movement to keep the most ADD child occupied (well, at least for a couple of minutes) and there’s plenty of humour for us grown ups too. If you’ve seen any of the other Pixar films (Toy Story, A Bug’s Life, Monsters Inc.) you understand what I mean. Despite a couple of potentially scary moments, Finding Nemo remains enduring throughout. This one will put a smile on your face and keep it there all the way through the credits. Ooh, good chance for a segue here…

Movie credits. You should sit through them from time to time. For any movie. A lot of work goes into making a film and I personally think it’s bit of a “thank you” to the creators. Plus, there is usually some great music to accompany those scrolling names, and in the case of Finding Nemo, a few little ‘treats’ thrown in. Nothing like the outtakes that were presented during the credits of Toy Story or Toy Story 2, however, the credits in Nemo did provide a small laugh or two. Check them out. No seriously, check them out. (Strongbad reference for all you Home Star Runner fans out there).

Did I mention this movie looks good? Finding Nemo is presented in 1.78:1 Anamorphic video and includes an optional Full Frame format. By now you all know that Full Frame movies are a big no-no, right? Good. Moving on. It’s worth saying one more time – this movie looks fantastic. The colors are incredibly vibrant, as one would expect from a movie set in a coral reef. The image is sharp, clean and filled with detail. You can really tell how much work the animators went to in order to create a realistic depiction of the big blue sea. At one point I paused the picture and noticed that the image frozen on my screen could easily pass for an actual photo of Sydney harbour. This is definitely a reference quality DVD. Sadly, there is no DTS option but the Dolby Digital 5.1 track does a satisfying job of filling the room with all the sounds of the sea.

The Collector’s Edition comes with an entire extra disk of special features, true to Pixar form. I watched most of these some time ago and from I recall they are only slightly above average. I’m sure there’s a lot of great stuff in there if you’re a big Pixar/Disney fan. That’s the thing about Special Features – they really only cater to those who are really, really interested in that particular film or genre or setting. At any rate, it’s nice to see Pixar including an extra disc for that kind of thing. It leaves more room on the first disc for a high bit video transfer, which results in an awesome looking film (wait, did I already mention this movie looks good?).

I have yet to see Pixar make a bad movie. On the contrary, it seems like all their movies are excellent. In 2006 we will be treated to the 7th feature film, Cars. You can check out the current trailer here. In the meantime, I highly recommend watching Finding Nemo again. Especially if that means you’ll come over to my house to watch it. I love watching movies with friends. You probably didn’t know that about me.

Finding Nemo gets 9 bubbles (out of 10).

Unfathomable trivia for Finding Nemo.