Review of Finding Nemo (2003) by Delmar T — 15 Oct 2013

Finding Nemo is Pixar's best work. Better than Up (no matter how good that opening is), better than Wall-e, better than The Incredibles, better even than Toy Story 3. It earns that label not because it is funny as all Hell (it is), not because the story is touching, perfectly paced and emotionally involving (it is), not even because the characters are three dimensional, engaging and relatable (they are).

It is their best work because this film is one of the only ones ever made that could never have worked in any other medium. A colour CGI film that can only possibly work in that format is a rare thing indeed. I submit that The Incredibles could have been told just as effectively as a 2D animation, Toy Story could have been claymation, and even Up could conceivably have worked in live action. That's not to downgrade the considerable achievements of these remarkable films, merely to suggest that they are not quite of the same formal perfection as Finding Nemo. It resides alongside Raging Bull, Fantasia, 2001: A Space Odyssey and Sunrise as an example of a film which could not work in any other medium. Compare the gorgeous underwater visuals of this film to The Little Mermaid. Great as that film is, there's no comparison.

Finding Nemo makes us laugh, makes us cry and touches our hearts. Its script is a thing of beauty. Its visuals are beyond compare. It is a masterpiece and I am proud to call it one of the best films of the 2000s.