DVD version of ‘Finding Nemo’ offers fun features, dazzling screensavers and two versions of a great film.
By Peter Celauro
A&E Editor
The last thing you’d want to put in your VCR is a fish.
Thankfully, DVD players are a different story. Disney/Pixar’s “Finding Nemo” DVD is so jam-packed full of great movie and fun features, you won’t want to take these fish OUT of the player.
“Finding Nemo” is the fifth installment released by Walt Disney Pictures and Pixar Animation Studios and the most recent hit in a streak of that team’s homeruns. “A Bug’s Life,” both “Toy Story” movies and “Monsters, Inc.” were all huge box office hits, and “Nemo” is no different — since its May 30 release, it has raked in $339.2 million and is the eighth-highest grossing American film of all time.
What’s more, while the success of many top-grossing movies was due to marketing and pre-release hype, the secret of “Nemo” was in the sauce; it’s really just an all-around great film.
“Nemo” tells the story of a clownfish named Marlin and his son, Nemo. When Nemo (who has one gimp PHOTO COURTESY FINDINGNEMO.COM
fin, the source of his
father’s over-protective
nature) is nabbed by an “attacker” I’ll not name here, Marlin takes off across the sea to find him. The trip brings him into contact with vegetarian sharks, current-riding turtles, a forgetful blue fish named Dory and the flaws in his own character. By the film’s end, all of the film’s characters have had a crazy adventure, made great friends and learned something about trust and strength.
Of course, this movie is much more moving, exciting and funny (and far less cheesy) than I’ve made it sound.
One of the strong points of “Nemo” is its writing. The plot moves so quickly and seamlessly from one scene to the next that the viewer never looks at his watch, yet it manages to create close bonds between characters and evoke heartfelt emotion from the audience. The dialogue is humorous and touching on its own, but when synced with the characters’ realistic movements and telling facial expressions, it’s just one facet of some impressive all-around performances. Indeed, if an animated sea creature could win an Oscar for Best Actor, Marlin would garner numerous votes.
What really sets “Nemo” miles apart from everything else on the DVD rack, however, is the way it looks. The ocean is a colorful, fascinating world, and Pixar’s animators and technicians portray it perfectly. Each scene is simultaneously realistic and beautiful, some so much so that the viewer wonders if Pixar had actually used real photography. Using complex programs and powerful computers, the digital moviemakers took every visual factor into account, from the slow wave of anemones to the ever-rippling surface of the water. The result: pure visual bliss from start to finish.
Lucky for remote-wielding viewers watching at home, “Nemo” isn’t just great on the big screen. Pixar paid appropriate attention to detail on its DVD as well.
Disc one of the two Disc collector’s edition offers the film in widescreen format, along with “visual commentary” from the filmmakers, deleted scenes, a documentary on the making of the film and optional narration by the actors. Disc two offers the film in full-screen format, a segment where world-famous diver Jean-Michel Cousteau explores the ocean with the film’s characters, a Pixar animation short film and a host of interactive games and lessons.
Both discs also feature “virtual aquariums” — a feature that displays Pixar’s rendition of various parts of the ocean environment. This innovative feature is designed to be turned on and left running, turning the living room into a glass-sided boat.
Overall, the only accurate description of “Finding Nemo” on DVD is a cliché: the two-disc set truly does offer something for everyone. For those who want a documentary on the finer points of computer animation, “Nemo” has it. For those who can’t afford that aquarium in the living room, “Nemo” is a $20 substitute. And for those who need something to occupy their kids while they file their tax returns, “Nemo” is an obvious choice.
But for those Pepperdine students who want a close-up look at the ocean and its creatures in all their colorful, lively glory, they need do nothing more than step out their front doors … and drive to Blockbuster to rent “Finding Nemo.”
November 13, 2003