"Finding Dory" is more of the same...which will no doubt thrill children and audiences of the original, "Finding Nemo". But, for folks like me who are NOT big fans of sequels, there also is more of the same.

The film is set before, during and mostly after the adventures that Nemo and his father went through in the previous film. Oddly, while Dory has no attention span and not real memory, she inexplicably kinda remembers her early life and goes off in search of her parents. Nemo and Dad go along to help and a bunch of new friends help Dory to achieve her dream.

The film is a lazy product...a sequel which is enjoyable but introduces nothing substantially new. There's nothing offensive about it at all but I cannot understand folks being excited about it because the film is mostly by the numbers and takes few chances. Worth seeing if you want to see a CGI film (and the 3D looks nice) and don't mind an incredibly familiar cast.

'Finding Nemo' to me has always been one of Pixar's best, colourful, imaginative, hilarious and poignant with great characters (who cannot love Bruce the shark, plus Dory speaking whale is one of Pixar's funniest moments).

Pixar have been hit and miss since 'Up', with some great films like 'Toy Story 3' and 'Inside Out' (which are two of my favourites from the studio) and some disappointments like 'Cars 2' and 'The Good Dinosaur' (don't hate them as much as many others do though, also didn't think 'Brave' was that bad, though it was not the best animated film that year, and liked 'Monsters University'). While it is not as good as 'Finding Nemo', 'Finding Dory' is a worthy sequel and one of their better efforts since 'Up'.

The film does meander in places with occasional draggy pacing and a couple of rather too convenient plot devices, and Dory's memory loss shtick does get repetitive quickly that it does grate too early on. However, the animation is wonderful with an even richer colour palette perhaps than 'Finding Nemo' and matches that film in meticulous detail and visual imagination. The music score is rousing, whimsical and nuanced.

Where Pixar has always excelled at its best is the balance and execution of humour and pathos. Humour and pathos are balanced deftly in 'Finding Dory', with the humour hilarious and in abundance and the pathos bringing genuine tears and emotional power. The story is flawed and doesn't have the imagination or originality of 'Finding Nemo', but the energy, humour and emotion shine through more than brightly and one does relate to Dory in her quest, one that anybody can relate to if in her situation.

Good characters always help and actually are crucial in making a film work. 'Finding Dory' has them, not just Dory, who has lost none of her comic timing but moves the viewer as well, or Marlin and Nemo who bring sweetness and poignancy to the story, but also the scene stealing seals and gleefully entertaining Hank who provides many great moments. One does miss Bruce though. The voice acting is terrific, with Ellen DeGeneres, Albert Brooks and Ed O'Neill being particularly spot on.

To conclude, 'Finding Nemo' is a great film, this reviewer found 'Finding Dory' to be a worthy sequel. 8/10 Bethany Cox

I'm probably one of the few people on the planet who's never seen FINDING NEMO, so I came to this sequel not knowing what to expect. I was pleasantly surprised by a film clearly made for children but which nonetheless has heart and warmth and generally veers on the right side of sentimentality. Ellen DeGeneres wouldn't have been my first choice for lead role but she makes a good job of a fine part, and the story is generally interesting and character-focused, which makes it rewarding. The animation is also effective with lots of strong-looking 3D style FX to draw you into the oceanic panoramas.