Tonight as we were getting ready for bed, my daughter asked if I would search all over the ocean for her if she ever got lost. After explaining that she probably wouldn’t be in the ocean, and that I can’t really swim, and that’s why I need her to stay right with me whenever we’re out, blah blah blah, the answer was undoubtedly yes.
If you can’t already tell, we’ve been spending a lot of time watching Finding Nemo. Released on 12/4 in high-definition Blu-ray and Blu-ray 3D, Disney/Pixar's Finding Nemo has been a big topic of discussion at our house over the past week. From questions such as “what exactly is a clownfish” to asking why Nemo had a hurt fin, and wondering whether any of the fish in the doctor’s office are Nemo, there’s been a ton of discussion both about the movie and the things a 4-year-old takes away from a film such as this.
And, as it turns out, there are quite a few important life lessons in Nemo that I hadn’t really realized when viewing it pre-kids. I remembered how hilarious the film was, and how much I loved Ellen Degeneres as Dory, but the serious parts just didn’t hit me the way that they do now. Watching it today, I can feel for Marlin wanting to keep Nemo close and insolate him from the big, bad outside world, but I can also see that Nemo needs to have some independence as well.
Oh, and there were some great life lessons in there for the kiddies, too. Stuff like not wandering off and getting snagged by a fishing boat. And, learning to “just keep swimming” may not seem like a life lesson, but I would argue that it is – sometimes you just have to keep on track and stay focused in order to get through the tougher moments.
And that is part of the magic of Disney/Pixar movies, mixing life lessons and tough subjects with entertainment for all ages. For instance, as anyone who has seen Finding Nemo will tell you, the beginning is a bit of a downer. From the opening scenes of Marlin losing his entire family, save Nemo, to the moment that Nemo is taken from him, there’s not much to cheer about.
This emotional beginning serves the story by setting the stakes high, which then allows them to make the comedy that follows really count. Luckily, all the sadness is quickly forgotten when you come along on Marlin’s journey to rescue Nemo with a hilarious cast of characters he meets along the way.
On top of the great story is the fact that Finding Nemo looks amazing on Blu-ray. There is just something about the way animated movies look in 1080p that blows me away every time, but the underwater scenes in Finding Nemo are truly gorgeous. The whole family loved feeling immersed in the ocean, and were all amazed as the beauty continued up into the Sydney harbor above the surface.
Besides being available on Blu-ray for the first time, Finding Nemo is also now available in 3D. This is one of those movies that just needed to be in 3D, and makes me really wish we had a 3D capable TV. With all the depth and detail in the ocean that is there in the normal 2D version, I'm sure the it is really a sight to behold with even more depth. P.S. Anyone have a 3D TV we can borrow for a few years?
Of course, there's also some great new bonus features on the new Blu-ray release, such as: HD Aquariums (NEW), CineExplore (NEW), Knick Knack (Original Theatrical Short), Filmmakers Roundtable Discussion (NEW), Reinventing the Submarine Voyage (NEW), Flashbacks, Art Review, Making Nemo, Outtakes, Deleted Scenes, Exploring the Reef, Studio Tour, Old School, Publicity Pieces and Mr. Ray's Encyclopedia
A big thank you to Disney/Pixar for sending Finding Nemo on Blu-ray to facilitate this review. As always, all opinions are 100% ours.