I adore this movie. It’s hilarious and meticulously researched. We refer to it often at the Two Oceans Aquarium – it’s a great point of reference for the children when we tell them that the sea anemone they are looking at is like Nemo’s home on the reef.
We meet a phenomenal array of creatures, from Nemo and his dad Marlin the clownfish, Bruce the vegetarian shark, to Crush the turtle, who shouts “Righteous, dude!” as he rides the East Australian Current (EAC). Little facts are included at every turn… Nemo has to brush in the morning before he goes to school: not his teeth, but his body against the tentacles of his anemone residence. This, as his father points out, prevents him from being stung. Crush the turtle is 150 years old.
We see reef, harbour and shipwreck environments as well as blue sea as Marlin and Dory ride the EAC. The artwork is gorgeous and the fish and birds are rendered with accuracy and charm.
There’s a strong message of respect for the ocean alongside the usual Disney message (it’s ok to be different… we all have something special to do… be a true friend and help others). We see that Gil, another fish in the fish tank that Nemo finds himself in, misses the ocean and has the symptoms of depression. Even a child could understand that the diver’s action in taking Nemo off the reef at the beginning of the movie was wrong – he was not “clinging to life”, as the dentist puts it, but thriving.
My favourite character is Dory (voiced by Ellen DeGeneres), who reminds me strongly of my friend Tami (she protests). Her efforts to “speak whale” are hilarious.
The DVD can be obtained here if you’re in South Africa, otherwise from here.
