Finding Nemo review

With Toy Story, Pixar's first venture into fully computer generated feature films, it was impossible not to marvel at its technical wizardry. But after fifteen minutes, when one's jaw had returned from its encounter with the floor, it was the film's wonderful characters and enjoyable plot that sustained the magic. Now, eight years later, their impeccable resume of hits, including Monsters, Inc. and A Bug's Life, have generated a high level of expectation. So it's almost inevitable that their latest collaboration with Disney is unable to satisfy such lofty anticipation.

Visually, the aquatic adventure is every bit as stunning as its predecessors. The vibrant undersea world and its colourful array of wildlife is impossibly dazzling. More drab are the unmemorable characters and the lumbering plot. Finding Nemo is certainly not without its entertaining blend of childlike sweetness and adult wit, but in less measure than we've become used to.

For such a bright film its opening is decidedly dark. When the idyllic life of clownfish Marlin (Albert Brooks) is abruptly shattered, he's left to bring up his only son Nemo (Alexander Gould) on his own. Brooks can generally be relied upon to provide some angst-ridden humour, but without his hangdog face to emphasise it, he struggles to make Marlin anything more than a whiny, over protective father. When the young Nemo tries to assert his independence, he is snatched from his coral reef home and whisked off to the waiting room aquarium of a Sydney dentist. Its Marlin's subsequent quest to be reunited with his son that provides the film with its title and plot.

Geoffrey Rush clearly enjoyed his stint as the excitable pelican Nigel, and Andrew Stanton adopted the ultimate surfer dude droll for the sea turtle Crush.

Finding Nemo doesn't resist the temptation to add some fundamental moralizing about the value of family and friends, but stops just short of becoming too soppy. During the pursuit of Nemo, there are few surprises and few big laughs. What there are are some tender moments, some broad smiles and a realization that sadly even Pixar aren't invincible.