DVDizzy Forum

milojthatch wrote:I've wondered if part of the problem is that Disney bought PIXAR, or if they were going to start running out of good ideas sooner or later anyway?

I certainly think its a little bit of both.

I definitely think the sequel frenzy is a direct result of Pixar being bought by Disney. I mean, it certainly makes sense from a business standpoint, and while I'd rather see more original films than sequels, I had kinda made my peace with it as long as they stick to that supposed plan of alternating between sequels and originals every other year. The problem, is, though, that they seemingly aren't sticking very well to that plan, and it seems like we've been getting more sequels recently.

That said, outside of Inside Out (which I absolutely loved), their original films have been middling as well. At this point, they've used up all of the ideas from that '94 lunch meeting that they're always talking about, so perhaps they have really run out of their most inspired ideas. They also seem to be having a hard time cultivating directing talent to succeed the original Pixar braintrust (kinda a similar problem that Ghibli has had with cultivating talent to succeed Miyazaki/Takahata). Hopefully they can rebound from here, but their current slate doesn't inspire much confidence.

“Finding Dory” is on pace to give Pixar the biggest opening in its history when it hits theaters on June 17. The sequel to 2003’s “Finding Nemo” is eyeing a debut of between $115 million and $120 million, a massive number that should help reinvigorate a sluggish summer box office.

“We’re pretty bullish on it,” said Shawn Robbins, senior box office analyst with BoxOffice.com. “It’s way ahead of pace in terms of where other Pixar releases have been. Given ‘Finding Nemo’s’ status as a modern classic, it’s going to be huge.”

http://variety.com/2016/film/box-office ... 201789640/

Disneyphile wrote:

“Finding Dory” is on pace to give Pixar the biggest opening in its history when it hits theaters on June 17. The sequel to 2003’s “Finding Nemo” is eyeing a debut of between $115 million and $120 million, a massive number that should help reinvigorate a sluggish summer box office.

“We’re pretty bullish on it,” said Shawn Robbins, senior box office analyst with BoxOffice.com. “It’s way ahead of pace in terms of where other Pixar releases have been. Given ‘Finding Nemo’s’ status as a modern classic, it’s going to be huge.”

http://variety.com/2016/film/box-office ... 201789640/

http://screenrant.com/wp-content/upload ... ection.jpg

Four new clips:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ed9NzCxrR60
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EO0U6IwCL7w
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OwhAnL12EZ8
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ltcPK5w6GPo

Production B-roll:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IV2xIx0wDSQ

Voice Cast B-roll:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5T3yamWBJuo

And a 360º video of a live event at Google with the voice cast and the creative team of the film:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1GVgR4qM0x8

The world premiere of Finding Dory took place last night in LA and the reviews will start to appear tomorrow. (Source)

The first reviews are in and they are mostly positive. As far as Pixar sequels are concerned, it seems that Finding Dory will be better reviewed than Monsters University, but not as universally praised as the Toy Story sequels.

Right now it has a 92% of positive reviews on Rotten Tomatoes with 13 reviews counted and an average rating of 7.4/10: https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/finding_dory/

Here's a summary with some excerpts from the reviews: http://www.slashfilm.com/finding-dory-r ... arly-buzz/

I don't want to read reviews before seeing it, I just want know know, is there any consensus on how much it mirrors the first one?

Based on the fact that people are saying that Finding Dory is the same thing as the first one (as expected based on the last two trailers), I will lower my expectations.

ce1ticmoon wrote: At this point, they've used up all of the ideas from that '94 lunch meeting that they're always talking about, so perhaps they have really run out of their most inspired ideas. They also seem to be having a hard time cultivating directing talent to succeed the original Pixar braintrust (kinda a similar problem that Ghibli has had with cultivating talent to succeed Miyazaki/Takahata). Hopefully they can rebound from here, but their current slate doesn't inspire much confidence.

I agree on both counts. I feel that the huge string of A++ PIXAR is over. We may get a film here or there that is amazing, maybe even two in a row, but I feel the long string they had in the 90s and 2000s is over. For me, the string really ended with Toy Story 3. I felt like it was a lot of endings for PIXAR on a lot of different levels.

As for the brain trust, they seriously need to find some new players if they are going to stay solvent. Maybe they should ask Uncle Iger if they can have some Marvel writers added to their group?

One of the reasons each Pixar release was so exciting back in the day was that they were (more or less) completely original ideas with a lot of passion behind them. I don't really care about the Disney vs Pixar war because both have their strengths and weakeness, but I do think Pixar absolutely created an unprecedented string of very high quality and enjoyable animated films and earned their reputation for a standard of excellence.

It's impossible to maintain that kind of momentum indefinitely though, and the glut of sequels certainly hasn't helped. They're inherently unoriginal and often seem to have a motive of money/obligation/fan service over creative passion. They can still be fun film experiences, but that feeling of magic and each release being an "event" is just gone.

They should take notice of the critical and financial success of Inside Out. It wasn't my favorite Pixar film ever, but it certainly showed more of the aforementioned creative passion than any of their other post-TS3 films, which were a couple of sequels/prequels and a couple of original concepts with very troubled and unfocused productions. Unsurprisingly, none were as highly regarded. They've completely lost the plot.


Finding Dory's early reviews so far are mostly good, not great. About what's to be expected at this point from Pixar. I still think they're reliably better than most animation studios, but Disney has completely eclipsed them in terms of recent releases and I don't see that changing in the next few years. Of Pixar's five announced upcoming films, four are sequels? And two of those are the third and fourth in their respective franchises? Really?! I hope Coco turns out great since it's been rumored for so long, it's their first musical, and it's their only original film coming out for years, but I wouldn't be surprised if we end up reading about upheavals in the cast, director, script, etc.

Kyle wrote:I don't want to read reviews before seeing it, I just want know know, is there any consensus on how much it mirrors the first one?

I’ve only read bits of them to see if they were positive or not, because I don’t want to know too much about the story before seeing the film, but more than one mentioned it had similarities with the first film. For some of them that was a problem, while others didn’t mind that. Some reviews also said that while there’s a search in this film too, the sequel centres more on Dory’s own search for herself. Another difference is that most of the film takes place in the aquarium this time, while in the first they were in the ocean most of the time.

Here's an excerpt from an article that talks a bit about that:

So far, the consensus seems to be that although Finding Dory is similar to Finding Nemo in a number of ways (as far as plot beats go), there are less tears and more laughs and, the similarities don’t make it a bad movie – not at all.
To sum up then, most agree that Finding Dory is a strong Pixar sequel with a host of entertaining new characters for us to enjoy. Sure, the storyline might feel a little recycled, and at times the action might move too slowly or too fast but it seems as though, if you were a fan of Finding Nemo, then Finding Dory will be an enjoyable and worthwhile visit to the movies.

Source: http://screenrant.com/finding-dory-reviews-preview/

Lady Cluck wrote:It's impossible to maintain that kind of momentum indefinitely though, and the glut of sequels certainly hasn't helped. They're inherently unoriginal and often seem to have a motive of money/obligation/fan service over creative passion. They can still be fun film experiences, but that feeling of magic and each release being an "event" is just gone.

I think that is the key to why the sequels are not as good as the original films, that they're not done with the same passion. That, and the fact that it's more difficult to find another story for the same world that works as well as the first.

So I just saw the movie and as usual it had great visuals and such and the story was pretty good, but not as witty, exciting and well crafted like the first one. I really liked the connection of Dory and her parents, and baby Dory, so cute. (Stick around after the credits too )
I think the main issue I had, which is a strange one, but the whole premise felt too weird. I'm not going to spoil it but the third act with the climax and such just felt too out there considering the aesthetics of the world that was presented in the first movie. It might be that I went into this movie knowing nothing of the plot as I tend to read them before I see animated movies (I like to be spoiled before hand ^^; )
The end scene before it cuts to the credits felt a little too melancholy as well, it should have ended on a really great high note. But other than that I think it was a decent movie.

Hmmm... This is actually doing better on Rotten Tomatoes than I thought. It currently sits at 94% and an average score of 7.6, after 115 reviews. While it probably has another 50-100 reviews coming, this is probably pretty close to where it will land.

It's definitely not up to the level of Inside Out, or the Pixar "classics," or even Zootopia, which generally scored above 96% with an average score of 8+, but it's basically in line with the recent run of well-received WDAS films (Tangled/WIR/Frozen/BH6), which generally scored a Tomatometer in the high 80s/low 90s, with an average score in the mid-7s. And it's significantly higher than Pixar's recent low-end titles (Brave/Monsters U/Good Dinosaur) which scored a Tomatometer in the 60s with an average score well below 7.

I still don't expect a lot from this, since it does indeed seem like it will be a retread of Finding Nemo in a lot of ways, but I'm relieved that it seems we can at least expect a decently entertaining movie with a solid story and some heart. I guess it never could have been that bad with Stanton at the helm.

TheBlibaBlob wrote:The end scene before it cuts to the credits felt a little too melancholy as well, it should have ended on a really great high note.

That actually intrigues me. I'm all for bittersweet and/or melancholy endings.

And thanks for the heads up about the after-credits.

A lot of the excerpts of positive reviews are relatively lukewarm so I'm surprised it's maintaining such a high RT score overall, but I know that system is flawed.

I am a little more intrigued to see it though. Finding Nemo isn't one of my favorites anyway so I don't have very high expections anyway.

Lady Cluck wrote:A lot of the excerpts of positive reviews are relatively lukewarm so I'm surprised it's maintaining such a high RT score overall, but I know that system is flawed.

I am a little more intrigued to see it though. Finding Nemo isn't one of my favorites anyway so I don't have very high expections anyway.

It's flawed if you're only looking at the percentage, since a film with a Tomatometer of 100% could hypothetically have an average score from anywhere as low as something in the 6s to a perfect 10. It only shows us how many critics think the film leans positive or negative, even if it is just barely. But usually the "Average Rating" portion is pretty reliable in giving us an idea of how critics feel. An average of 7.6 is actually decently high. The Metacritic score is around 78, which is actually decently high as well.

I had actually thought the excerpts of the positive reviews were relatively lukewarm as well, thus I was a little surprised at the high average score, but perhaps it's just because the film is understandably being compared to Finding Nemo or the Toy Story sequels.

I'm with you though. Finding Nemo has never been a favorite of mine, so this was never a film that got me very excited, and obviously the trailers didn't really help to make me feel that this is a must-see. Still, some reviews have gotten me a little interested to see how it all plays out.

I just returned from my opening day matinee and absolutely loved it! I'm not sure from one viewing if I liked it as much as the original, but considering Finding Nemo is my favorite Pixar film and favorite CGI animated film, that would be a tall order. I would definitely rank it, for my tastes, in my top tier of Pixar films, in my top 5 or 6 and possibly higher. It may be my favorite animated sequel by anyone; Toy Story 2 is the only sequel I enjoyed as much.

I read almost nothing about the film before seeing it and had no idea what to expect. I definitely don't feel that it was a retread of the original; as one reviewer put it, a more accurate title would be "Nemo and Marlin Help Dory Find Her Folks".

I enjoyed the new animal characters and thought the film had lots of charm, humor, and heart. TONS of heart, actually.

I thoroughly enjoyed returning under the sea (and on land) to the world of these beloved characters and would highly recommend the movie.

PS. I also really enjoyed the "Piper" short that played before the film, as well as the post-credits scene, so go early and stay until the end!

More clips:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vEutqwpPAto
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SoS0D6ZdWFo
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2DsM1ddPYMc

Video interviews with the cast:
Ellen DeGeneres
Diane Keaton
Ed O'Neill
Ty Burrell
Albert Brooks

And a featurette about the technology developed to create Hank, the octopus:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nn0S2vmSCU0

I saw FD this afternoon! Nowhere as good and exciting as the first one, but this was still really good! Baby Dory is everything!

Loved it.

Spoiler free review:

Contrary to the impression created by the trailers, this movie was completely different to Finding Nemo in my opinion.

I felt it played more like a Toy Story movie. Fish trying to get around in a human world.

I felt the animation was a bit distracting. It didn't seem as natural as Finding Nemo. The underwater scenes didn't seem as strong or amazing as the first movie. I wasn't a huge fan of some of the dialogue which sounded improved by the voice actors. I had that problem with Inside Out too. I just don't feel that that "awkward...." tone will age very well.

Hank wasn't as amazing a character as the reviews made him out to be. I still love him, but his development wasn't as believable to me.I also felt Dory went a little out of character to achieve this. She seemed to recall Hank's continual stubborn behaviour quite easily and became quite terse. This never happened with Marlin despite almost the exact personality, although the situation was very different..

I enjoyed how they decided to end the film. Even though this feel didn't have the quality if the original 8 Pixar films and felt somewhat rushed, it has been their best in years.

Just got back from the theater... Me and my boyfriend enjoyed it but we both agreed it's nowhere near as brilliant as its predecessor. I agree with the above post that some of the underwater animation, though beautiful, wasn't up to par as in Nemo.

Also, at times I felt like I was watching a Dreamworks film, especially the climax.

It looks like Finding Dory is set to break the animated opening weekend record at the box office.

Disney-Pixar’s “Finding Dory” continues setting records, bringing in $55 million on Friday for the biggest single day at the box office for an animated movie.

It tops the previous record of $47 million held by DreamWorks’ “Shrek the Third” in 2007.

The sequel to “Finding Nemo,” playing on 4,305 screens, is also on pace to have the biggest opening weekend of all time for an animated film. “Finding Dory” is now expected to top $130 million, which is much more than the $121.6 million made by current record holder “Shrek the Third.”

“Dory” should also easily beat the opening of “Toy Story 3,” which earned $110 million in 2010, to break a Pixar record.

“Dory” shattered the animated box office record for Thursday night showings. The Disney-Pixar film brought in $9.2 million on Thursday, compared with the $6.2-million Thursday Universal’s “Minions” had in 2015, which previously held the record for the highest-grossing animated movie during Thursday previews.

“Dory” also crushed previous Pixar opening Thursday performances, including $4 million for “Toy Story 3” and $3.7 for “Inside Out.”

Source: http://www.thewrap.com/finding-dory-bre ... on-friday/