Finding Dory: reviews

What the critics say average 7.8 from 22

• 10 VarietyOwen Gleiberman It?s a film that spills over with laughs (most of them good, a few of them shticky) and tears (all of them earned), supporting characters who are meant to slay us (and mostly do) with their irascible sharp tongues, and dizzyingly extended flights of physical comedy. Read
• 9.0 Screen DailyTim Grierson 'Finding Dory' is a supremely delightful sequel. Although never challenging the original?s high standing within the Pixar pantheon, this follow-up showcases everything the venerated animation company does so well, providing plentiful laughs, ace action sequences and a deep emotional wellspring. Read
• 9.0 New York TimesA. O. Scott What 'Finding Dory' lacks in dazzling originality it more than makes up for in warmth, charm and good humor. Read
• 8.8 Rolling StonePeter Travers If 'Finding Dory' lacks the fresh surprise of its predecessor, it still brims with humor, heart and animation miracles. Read
• 8.8 New York PostLou Lumenick If there has ever been a better voice performance in an animated film than Ellen DeGeneres? in Pixar?s wonderful sequel 'Finding Dory', I sure can?t think of it. Her tour de force even surpasses Robin Williams in 'Aladdin'. Read
• 8.5 The WrapAlonso Duralde 'Finding Dory' never quite hits that sweet spot of sadness. The film definitely pushes our buttons as it portrays loss and separation, but it never slows down enough to let us ache. Even so, Finding Dory is rousingly entertaining. Read
• 8.3 IndiewireDavid Ehrlich 'Finding Dory' doesn?t feel lazy, cynical, or like a rehash. On the contrary, it does what a sequel should ? it?s a compelling argument for why we make them in the first place. Read
• 8.3 HitfixDrew McWeeny Say what you will, but Pixar understands innately that making their audience feel something deeply is the greatest magic trick in movies, and all of their work as technicians and artists are always focused on making that happen. Read
• 8.0 Time OutAnna King While 'Finding Dory' is definitely the kind of visual pleasure we?ve come to expect from Pixar, its storyline doesn?t always reach the heights of inventiveness upon which the gigantic animation studio has built its reputation Read
• 8.0 EmpireJimi Famurewa Pixar sequel-phobes be damned ? this is a dazzling and technically impressive return to form that delivers a similar high to Finding Nemo without feeling like a retread. Read
• 8.0 VultureDavid Edelstein In the end, is 'Finding Dory' better than 'Finding Nemo'? It?s funnier and more intricate, but the tears it jerks have been jerked before. It?s not as original, not as deep. Read
• 8.0 The TelegraphRobbie Collin Navigates tricky emotional territory with a perceptiveness and tact that isn?t just great storytelling, but could be a real comfort to parents and children alike who unexpectedly see themselves in Dory?s plight. Read
• 7.5 Entertainment WeeklyChris Nashawaty What it is is a perfectly enjoyable family film that?s comforting, familiar, and a bit slight, like one of those serviceable 'Lion King' spin-offs that Disney used to ship straight to DVD back in the ?90s. Read
• 7.5 Roger EbertSusan Wloszczyna The result might be less fulfilling this time, but 'Finding Dory' is ultimately worth the voyage. Read
• 7.5 The Washington PostAnn Hornaday In deciding not to stray far from the first film in plot or tone, it makes for a pleasant, familiar, cheerfully unassuming fish-in-her-water tale. Read
• 7.5 The PlaylistJamie Maleszka The animated story finds true buoyancy in its social value rather than its creative frontiers. Has the movie reinvented the animation game or Pixar?s standing within it? Far from it, but 'Finding Dory' is a well-told promise that individuality and self acceptance always win. Read
• 7.5 Chicago Sun-TimesRichard Roeper It?s a solid, entertaining, well-paced sequel featuring terrific voice work, a clever script and some ingenious action sequences. It just doesn?t quite reach the soaring heights of inspirational storytelling and elevated humor of the original. Read
• 7.0 Los Angeles TimesKenneth Turan Because no one compensates for a thin concept like the people at Pixar, there is a lot to admire in the animated 'Finding Dory', including stunning undersea visuals and an ocean full of eccentric and engaging aquatic creatures. Read
• 6.7 The A.V. ClubA. A. Dowd There?s something a little canned about the film?s emotional arc; the strings show more than they used to on Planet Pixar, even with DeGeneres providing empathy by the gallon. Read
• 6.3 USA TodayBrian Truitt While the animation is still top-notch and a slew of new waterlogged personalities buoy the story, it doesn?t have nearly the same sense of heart, wonder and awe as Nemo. Read
• 6.0 The Hollywood ReporterTodd McCarthy While rambunctious and passably humorous, this offspring isn't nearly as imaginative and nimble-minded as the forerunner that spawned it. Read
• 6.0 The GuardianJordan Hoffman The problem with 'Finding Dory' is it doesn?t know when enough is enough. Its believe-in-yourself message is pounded with the subtlety of a hammerhead shark and the final action sequence is really too far-fetched to fathom. Read