Which would be the greater nightmare? A sequel to "Finding Nemo" without Nemo or without Dory? Nemo is a great fish kid, but when it comes to fish characters, he ranks well below Mr. Limpet. Dory, on the other hand, may well be swimming closest to the sun. "Finding Nemo" without Dory along for the second ride would be like a sequel to "The Sting" without Redford or Newman. Which is exactly what happened. And we all know how that turned out. Well, actually, very few know how it turned out since almost nobody went to see it.
Sometimes a little bit of good news seeps through the regular dose of "what were they thinking" that is the environmental pollution that really hangs like a mutant fog over Hollywood. The good news this week is that Ellen Degeneres will be voicing Dory once again in the planned sequel to "Finding Nemo." The bad news? We will not see or hear the sublime matching of character to voice actress until 2016. That is longer than it took Marlin and Dory to track down Nemo the first time.
Other wonderful news out of Pixar is that Albert Brooks will be reprising the role of Nemo's dad, Marlin. Marlin ranks as one of the most admirable fathers in film history and one can only imagine what new travails he may have to face when it comes down to find Nemo again. Actually, it has not even been determined whether nor not Nemo will need to be found the second time around. While the characters of "Finding Nemo" are so incredibly well defined and full of emotional complexity that one does not automatically initiate the natural defense mechanism against sequels when one hears of such plans, the idea of a repeat of the first film is definitely not one that should presumed. Pixar has a history of taking sequels to their films in other directions and merely finding Nemo again is almost unimaginable.
Which is why we can celebrate the news that both Brooks and Degeneres will recreate their roles Marlin and Dory without even a hint of plot or storyline for the sequel being announced. The sequel to "Finding Nemo" probably won't actually be about finding Nemo . And, frankly, even if it is, the movie would still likely be worth watching.
For more from Timothy Sexton, check out:
Why Pixar is the King of Hidden Inside Jokes
The Ten Worst Academy Award Choices for Best Picture
