When I was four years old, my mother took me to see “Finding Nemo”. It was my first animated film on the big screen. And…I cried and laughed and cheered. Even at a very young age, “Nemo” made an impression on me, as did the very talented people at Pixar. And I’ve admired the studio and its films ever since.
My favorite Pixar film is “Cars”. I’ve seen it over a dozen times and will likely see it a dozen more. And I enjoy it each time as much as the first time. Some people have the same feelings for “The Incredibles” or the original “Toy Story”. “Finding Nemo” is a very good film. But, the fact that it’s such a straight-forward story and contains scenes that are so memorable, it’s tough to watch it over and over, because you know exactly what each scene looks like and what’s going to happen before it happens.
However, thanks to 3D, “Finding Nemo” is fun all over again. This 3D conversion of the 2003 Oscar-winner is outstanding, on par with the 3D version of “Beauty and the Beast” that Disney released in January. For this occasion, the Pixar team had the task of converting a movie that’s set mostly underwater and the challenge of making it look bright and shiny. And they do a very nice job.
The use of 3D often makes scenes much darker than they were intended to be, and we get that a few times here. But overall the 3D is quite effective – making this 10-year-old film look brand new. Maybe most impressive are the air bubbles that are present in all of the underwater scenes and are showcased to add depth and realism. And even when the story gets out of the water for a little while it looks great – the scenes in Sydney, both on land and in the dentist’s office, are simply spectacular. If you or some young ones you may know have never seen “Finding Nemo” this is the version to sea (and see)!
Before “Nemo 3D” Pixar presents their latest short (from their Canada division) called “Partysaurus Rex”. It’s the third of the “Toy Story Toons”, and it stars Rex, who becomes a party-animal with all of Bonnie’s bath toys. It features a lot of quick, funny dialogue and amusing situations. And the animation is simply gorgeous. We meet loads of new toys and they cover the color spectrum. It also includes some great music. It’s a must-see, so don’t be late.
It’s hard to believe that “Nemo” director Andrew Stanton is currently working on a “Finding Nemo 2”. The sequel is set for a 2016 release, 13 years after the original came out. I was asked in an interview recently if Pixar is running out of new ideas, and that’s why we’re getting all of these sequels and prequels (“Monsters University” opens in June). I don’t think that’s the case. They’ve got plenty of original projects in the works. But messing with some of their classics is risky. So far they’ve succeeded. Could they be going too far with “Nemo 2”? Absolutely.
For now, we’ve still got the original back in theaters in the 3rd dimension. Next to come: “Monsters, Inc. 3D” this holiday season and “The Little Mermaid 3D” in 2013. “Nemo” is rated G. This was the ideal animated film to get the 3D conversion treatment and the result is very impressive.
On The Official LCJ Report Card, “Finding Nemo 3D” gets a B+.