FINDING NEMO
dir: Andrew Stanton
"Bubbles.. bubbles.. my bubbles." - Bubbles
Brief Synopsis
A small clown fish from the ocean named Nemo gets captured and put into an aquarium while his father and a problematic friend search the ocean for him.
Why It's Here
Under the wing of animation behemoth Disney, Pixar has solidified themselves as the high-class staple for 3D animation in Hollywood. Their films have maintained a level of quality unequalled by any competition and are able to cater to the interests of both children and adults. Their audience is so broad and yet their films are so consistently great that you must wonder how they do it. "Finding Nemo" marked the highest acclaim the studio received since their "Toy Story" series, and with great reason.
"Finding Nemo" continued Pixar's trend (up until that point) of non-human centric characters who embodied a human without mimicking the actor which portrayed them (as Dreamworks Animation films often do). The characters were their own and were not overshadowed by the voice talents behind them. As with their previous creative choices for settings and characters, Pixar opting for the unusual setting of an under-the-sea adventure not seen in since "The Little Mermaid" in 1989. Acting very much like a sprawling epic, the film maintains two parallel plots of young Nemo within an unusual environment of a fish tank and his fathers quest across the ocean for him which lead to several distinct and vast locations, rendered in a beautiful colour palette that truly brings life to Pixar's world.
The secret to all of Pixar's work, and in particular, this film, is their awe-inspiring use of colours. Pixar's ocean is rarely bleak or dark, only human ruins are painted in pale greens and grays, as if to suggest that human invasion on the underwater world is destructive and unpleasant. Contrasting this, the vibrant living world of the fish literally glows with coral, seaweed and other exotic rocks and plants, as well as fish, squid, and seahorses of all colours of the rainbow as seen in the below clip. In the scene below, you don't have to look further than the manta-ray school bus scene to understand exactly what I am talking about. The colours compliment each other and the subtle glow of the underwater plantation is the key to the visual appeal to the entire film, even the rippling glow from the light above the surface animates even the still background of every scene, making everything constantly more dynamic. "Finding Nemo" represents Pixar's most gorgeous animation up to that date and another reminder of their continual growth as an animation studio and their commitment to quality. When you pay attention to the careful use of vibrant colour it becomes quite clear why adults and children especially are continuously memorized by Pixar's work.
Even in the aquarium scenes, the artificial plants and coloured rocks portray a lively world for these aquatic creatures, while the human world of the dentist office is detailed in a largely turquoise and white setting, much more plain and ordinary compared to the exciting world beneath the sea.
Plot-wise, "Finding Nemo" satisfies numerous Disney trademark elements such as the death or absence of one parent as well as a slightly morbid history for the protagonist. Pixar's film is rich with dramatic and borderline depressing elements including it's menacing introduction where Nemo's mother is killed and the rest of her eggs taken by a predator, leaving Nemo the sole survivor with a wound forever handicapping one of his fins. The concept of the main story, that a father loses his son is quite frightening, especially for a children's movie. Yet, the story is a great tale of family bonds and despite their tragedies, these two clown fish are determined to find each other. Marlin as a strong father figure, whose over-protective yet sends a straight-forward message to kids that there is a good reason for a parents worrying. Yet, the team at Pixar know enough to not dwell on the depressing and instead use these elements to boost the determination and dramatic flair of the film all while having a lot of fun with it, making this film complex enough for an adult while still fun and adventurous enough for a child.
"Finding Nemo" continued Pixar's trend (up until that point) of non-human centric characters who embodied a human without mimicking the actor which portrayed them (as Dreamworks Animation films often do). The characters were their own and were not overshadowed by the voice talents behind them. As with their previous creative choices for settings and characters, Pixar opting for the unusual setting of an under-the-sea adventure not seen in since "The Little Mermaid" in 1989. Acting very much like a sprawling epic, the film maintains two parallel plots of young Nemo within an unusual environment of a fish tank and his fathers quest across the ocean for him which lead to several distinct and vast locations, rendered in a beautiful colour palette that truly brings life to Pixar's world.
The secret to all of Pixar's work, and in particular, this film, is their awe-inspiring use of colours. Pixar's ocean is rarely bleak or dark, only human ruins are painted in pale greens and grays, as if to suggest that human invasion on the underwater world is destructive and unpleasant. Contrasting this, the vibrant living world of the fish literally glows with coral, seaweed and other exotic rocks and plants, as well as fish, squid, and seahorses of all colours of the rainbow as seen in the below clip. In the scene below, you don't have to look further than the manta-ray school bus scene to understand exactly what I am talking about. The colours compliment each other and the subtle glow of the underwater plantation is the key to the visual appeal to the entire film, even the rippling glow from the light above the surface animates even the still background of every scene, making everything constantly more dynamic. "Finding Nemo" represents Pixar's most gorgeous animation up to that date and another reminder of their continual growth as an animation studio and their commitment to quality. When you pay attention to the careful use of vibrant colour it becomes quite clear why adults and children especially are continuously memorized by Pixar's work.
Even in the aquarium scenes, the artificial plants and coloured rocks portray a lively world for these aquatic creatures, while the human world of the dentist office is detailed in a largely turquoise and white setting, much more plain and ordinary compared to the exciting world beneath the sea.
Plot-wise, "Finding Nemo" satisfies numerous Disney trademark elements such as the death or absence of one parent as well as a slightly morbid history for the protagonist. Pixar's film is rich with dramatic and borderline depressing elements including it's menacing introduction where Nemo's mother is killed and the rest of her eggs taken by a predator, leaving Nemo the sole survivor with a wound forever handicapping one of his fins. The concept of the main story, that a father loses his son is quite frightening, especially for a children's movie. Yet, the story is a great tale of family bonds and despite their tragedies, these two clown fish are determined to find each other. Marlin as a strong father figure, whose over-protective yet sends a straight-forward message to kids that there is a good reason for a parents worrying. Yet, the team at Pixar know enough to not dwell on the depressing and instead use these elements to boost the determination and dramatic flair of the film all while having a lot of fun with it, making this film complex enough for an adult while still fun and adventurous enough for a child.