'Finding Dory' - Movie Review

I saw "Finding Dory" on the plane to Beijing. Movies are occasionally edited for content (or even for length) on planes, so who knows if I saw the whole thing. It's a children's movie, so probably. It's also a LOT smaller than it would have been in a theatre or even at home: seat-back screens are what, 10 inches? Maybe even less.

Dory starts having flashbacks to her childhood - which is a big deal for her since she can't even remember breakfast. Determined to find her parents, she sets out on a quest - with Marlin and Nemo involuntarily in tow behind her, as they try to keep up. Dory tries to find her family, Marlin and Nemo try to find Dory.

Degeneres was good as Dory. Marlin and Nemo aren't exactly minor characters, but they've been reduced to something less: they understand what Dory is trying to achieve, and they have no great emotional story arc to follow ... all they need to follow is Dory. It seems rather inevitable after the last movie that there will be tanks and captured fish involved, but I thought they went too far - particularly the grand finale with the truck. Seriously, this seemed like a good idea to you?

Hank the Septipus (he's renamed by Dory who notes he only has seven arms instead of an Octopus's regular eight) is the stand-out new character ... and they know it. As good as he is, he doesn't carry the entire film. It's sweet and funny, it's not bad, but it's neither as good looking nor quite as emotionally rewarding as "Finding Nemo."