A Turtle’s Tale 2: Sammy’s Escape from Paradise (2012)

MY MAIN GRIPE ABOUT 2010's A Turtle’s Tale: Sammy’s Adventures was how such a beautifully animated film could house such a plodding story and minimal character development (not to mention a subtle-as-a-sledgehammer environmental message).


The hope was that director Ben Stassen would beef up his story and its players for A Turtle Tale’s 2: Sammy’s Escape from Paradise, where we’re reunited with an advanced-age Sammy (Johnny Wesley) and his best friend Ray (Thomas Lee), who find themselves trapped by poachers and dumped into The Tank, a lavish underwater restaurant/aquarium. As they try to reunite with their grandkids Ella (Shyloh Oostwald) and Ricky (Carter Hastings), who have followed them to The Tank, Sammy and Ray try to hatch an escape plan to get past Big D (Dennis O’Connor), the tough-talking seahorse who rules the aquarium with an iron fin.

With A Turtle’s Tale 2, Stassen and his team have cut way back on the save-the-earth messaging of the original Turtle’s Tale, but the imbalance between animation and character depth still remains. Once again, the film is beautifully animated, with fluid character movement and sprawling seascapes. Unfortunately, the characters aren’t as engaging, nor is their dialogue.

This one-dimensional approach to the creatures’ personalities isn’t limited to Sammy, Ray, and their grandturtles. The inhabitants of The Tank are also one-note, stock stereotypes – a virtual United Nations of sea life sporting overbearing Spanish, French, and Italian accents, to name a few. And while Big D may be positioned as the big baddie who won’t let Sammy and Ray leave, he’s about as menacing as a tough-talking fish stick from Staten Island.

Save for one inspiring, extended sequence where Ella and Ricky are chased through the aquarium by a pair of barracudas, the action – whether to advance the plot or merely keep your attention – is virtually nil. It probably doesn’t help when your two leads are a pair of old, slow-moving sea turtles who make Finding Nemo’s Crush look like Usain Bolt.

A Turtle’s Tale 2 does feature an enjoyable yet odd use of a classic rock soundtrack, including Jimi Hendrix’s “All Along the Watchtower,” The Champs’ “Tequila,” and the morbid choice of the B-52’s “Rock Lobster” as a restaurant couple crack apart and slurp up a freshly served pair of the song’s titular crustaceans.

Just like its predecessor, A Turtle’s Tale 2 is a disappointing and frustrating experience. Stassen and his obviously talented team of animators and filmmakers have again put immense efforts into creating a visually enthralling world, but little to no effort into the characters who inhabit it. Gorgeous style, very little substance…and another wasted opportunity.

aka Sammy’s Great Escape.

Rating:

What did FilmBoy and Jack-Jack think?

A Turtle’s Tale 2 was unable to keep their attention. By the halfway point, they were doing other things while the film played in the background. (Truth be told, I was checking the clock by that point, too.) FilmBoy’s official verdict? “It wasn’t the best movie ever. It was okay. It was definitely better than the first one.”

Is it suitable for your kids?

Violence/Scariness: Seagulls try to eat a group of turtle hatchlings as they make a run from the beach to the ocean. A couple of dopey little fish are eaten by a pair of barracudas (one gulp, no blood). Ella and Ricky are in danger of being eaten as they’re chased by the same barracudas.
Rude Humor: Seagulls unleash a barrage of bird droppings on a boat’s crew.
Language: One mention of “idiot.” An eel declares, “You don’t have a friggin’ clue.”
Alcohol: Bartenders at a club in the aquarium mix and serve drinks.

Will your FilmMother want to watch it?

She may want to watch it based on the setting, premise, and cute box art, but steer her clear. She’ll be bored within the first 30 minutes.

"What a cutie. Shame to eat 'em in just one bite..."

A Turtle’s Tale 2: Sammy’s Escape from Paradise
* Directors: Ben Stassen, Vincent Kesteloot
* Screenwriter: Dominic Paris
* Stars: Johnny Wesley, Thomas Lee, Shyloh Oostwald, Carter Hastings, Dennis O’Connor
* MPAA Rating: N/A



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A Turtle’s Tale: Sammy’s Adventures (2010)

AFTER HIS LACKLUSTER ANIMATED FILM Fly Me to The Moon in 2008, director Ben Stassen knew he had to step up his game for his next effort.

And while his follow-up A Turtle’s Tale: Sammy’s Adventures is no masterpiece, it’s lightyears better than Moon. (See what I did there? Lightyears? Moon? It’s a space joke, people.)

A Turtle’s Tale follows the journey of Sammy (voiced by Ben 10’s Yuri Lowenthal), a sea turtle who leaves the beach where he was born and spends the next 50 years exploring the world's oceans -- all while trying to find his first love, a female turtle named Shelly (Gemma Arterton).

Comparisons between A Turtle’s Tale and Finding Nemo are unavoidable and numerous – a sea creature searching the oceans for a missing loved one, meeting all walks (and swims) of life, encountering danger from both sea and man…yet there’s one area for comparison that is in A Turtle’s Tale’s favor: the animation. Stassen’s team has done a superior job of creating an underwater world that’s rich in colors, extremely fluid, and intricately detailed.

Despite this deep, lush world of CGI animation, the themes and characters in A Turtle’s Tale are ironically two-dimensional. All attempts at emotion or depth seem flat and uninspired, Sammy’s many adventures across the sea are less compelling than they should be, and when he finally finds Shelly (what, you thought he wouldn’t?), it’s one of the more anticlimactic reunions between two lost loves in recent memory, turtle or otherwise.

Another turn-off is the heavy-handed environmental message. In addition to fighting foes in the ocean, Sammy battles oil spills, plastic bags, trees being felled in a rain forest, pollution dumped in the ocean, and humans trying to harpoon whales. He even gets a peace sign painted on his shell by a family of neo-hippies he meets in his travels.


In addition to Lowenthal and Arterton, A Turtle’s Tale features celebrity voices by Anthony Anderson as Sammy’s best friend (and fellow turtle) Ray, Tim Curry as a mischievous cat, and Kathy Griffin as a wisecracking mama turtle.

 
A Turtle’s Tale: Sammy’s Adventures is a simple story of one little turtle’s journey through life. Unfortunately, its simplicity is also its downfall. It’s sweet but not sensational, nice but not awesome, watchable but far from a classic.

Not that any of that stopped Stassen: He released A Turtle's Tale 2 earlier this year.

Rating:

What did FilmBoy think?

He gave it 3 stars, saying it was a good movie…but he couldn’t think of anything specifically good about it.

Is it suitable for your kids?

A Turtle’s Tale: Sammy’s Adventures is rated PG for mild peril. Baby turtles are in danger of being picked off by seagulls during their dash from the beach to the ocean; Sammy and Shelly face random perils via a bald eagle, the blades of a tanker, and various predator fish; and whalers attempt to spear a humpback whale. There’s also ongoing discussion of finding a perfect mate, but nothing inappropriate for grade-school kids. Maybe proceed with caution with preschoolers and younger.

Will your FilmMother want to watch it?

She’ll probably find A Turtle’s Tale cute and harmless, but otherwise unmemorable.

Owwww…getitoff, getitoff, GETITOFF!!

A Turtle’s Tale: Sammy’s Adventures
* Director: Ben Stassen
* Screenwriters: Ben Stassen, Dominic Paris
* Stars: Yuri Lowenthal, Anthony Anderson, Gemma Arterton, Melanie Griffith, Isabelle Fuhrman, Sydney Hope Banner, Ed Begley Jr., Kathy Griffin, Tim Curry, Jenny McCarthy
* MPAA Rating: PG


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Orca (1977)

THIS WEEK MARKS the 35th anniversary of Jaws, with many movie blogs posting about the greatness of that film, and rightly so.

Since there’s probably not much I could say about Jaws that hasn’t been said already, I’m taking a different approach and reviewing one of the many “giant killer animal” imitators that came in Jaws’ wake (i.e., Sasquatch, Grizzly, Tentacles) and was arguably the most high-profile: 1977’s Orca: The Killer Whale.

Plot:

While pursuing a great white shark, big-game fishing captain Nolan (Richard Harris) watches a killer whale attack and kill the shark when it threatens to eat the partner of marine biologist Rachel Bedford (Charlotte Rampling). Nolan then decides to set his sights on capturing a killer whale and selling it to a zoo for profit. But when he accidentally harpoons and kills the pregnant mate of a male killer whale, the whale seeks revenge by sinking boats in the harbor where Nolan docks and dining on a few of his crew members.

Bedford tells Nolan that the whale is deliberately seeking him out, wanting him to come back in the ocean. But will Nolan take everyone’s advice in his small fishing town and leave the area, or will he turn and face the killer whale in a to-the-death showdown?

Critique:

In Orca, everything feels second-rate compared to Jaws – not only in terms of story and execution, but in the quality of the production:

• poor special effects, even for the ‘70s (the whale’s attack on the shark is especially bad)
• a lack of continuity that’s laughable at times
• a sparse, sporadic narrative by Rampling’s character that adds nothing
• an underdeveloped backstory for Nolan as to why he can relate to the whale’s grief
• a score by Ennio Morricone that sounds like it could have come from (or could easily fit into) one of his famous spaghetti western soundtracks

As for “Orca” himself, he’s a combination of an animatronic whale and stock footage of killer whales from the now-defunct Marine World (source: IMDb). The close-ups of the whale poking his head out of the water and leaping in the air were obviously shot in a fresh-water tank.

In terms of the cast: Harris brings more energy and gravitas to the role of Nolan than the film deserves, while Rampling does her best to look stern when lecturing Nolan as their love/hate relationship develops. (The cast also includes a post-Cuckoo’s Nest Will Sampson and a pre-10 Bo Derek).

Despite the overall shoddiness of the film, Orca does have some merit: The scenes of the whale pushing his dead mate to shore are touching and sad. Cinematographer Ted Moore captures some fascinating shots of the open sea and the shores of Newfoundland (where Orca was shot). And one way Orca differs from Jaws is that, to an extent, you find yourself rooting for the creature in the ocean, not the humans hunting it down.

Unfortunately, the very point where Orca should pick up steam – when Nolan sets out to sea in pursuit of the whale – is where the film drags, until it reaches an ending that’s strangely both satisfying and anti-climactic.

Overall, Orca only succeeded in doing one thing: making me appreciate Jaws even more (if that’s possible).

Tidbits:

• Despite a lackluster film, Orca had pretty awesome poster art (click to enlarge). Unfortunately, it’s a scene that never happens in the movie.
• While the whale killing a shark in Orca was probably a dig at Jaws, the makers of Jaws 2 got their revenge: In that sequel, a mauled killer whale washes up on shore, with giant bites out of its body.
• Bedford claims that killer whales have a “profound instinct for vengeance.” To any marine biologists who might be reading: Is this true? (If it is, that’s pretty amazing.)

Rating:

Is it suitable for your kids?

I remember seeing Orca at a drive-in as a kid (I would have been about 8), and I think I was in a bit over my head. There are many violent scenes, including:
* After being harpooned, the pregnant whale swims into the boat’s propeller to try and take its own life
* The miscarriage of the baby killer whale onto Nolan’s boat deck is especially traumatic
* The whale dines on several of Nolan’s crew, though with little bloodshed; however, he does bite the leg off one unfortunate crew member, briefly revealing a spurting, bloody stump
* A crew member is killed by an iceberg avalanche

Will your FilmMother want to watch it?

I can’t imagine the appeal Orca would have to her, especially with a pregnant mammal dying and miscarrying in the same scene. But if she’s looking for high-sea thrills and a giant fish, there’s this movie that came out back in ’75…

Rule #1: Always keep killer whales at arm's length.

Orca
* Director: Michael Anderson
* Screenwriters: Luciano Vincenzoni, Sergio Donati, Robert Towne (uncredited)
* Stars: Richard Harris, Charlotte Rampling, Will Sampson, Bo Derek, Keenan Wynn, Robert Carradine, Scott Walker, Peter Hooten
* MPAA Rating: PG



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Romeo & Juliet: Sealed with a Kiss (2007)

I’M A BAD DAD.

Well, more like a deceitful dad.

Let me explain: I wanted Dash to watch Romeo & Juliet: Sealed with a Kiss with me for this review, but I knew there’d be no way if he knew the full title or true plot. I told him it was simply called Romeo & Juliet, and it was about two seals who wanted to be “friends” but their families wouldn’t allow it.

I still sensed some reluctance, but after some additional cajoling during our recent snowpocalypse in the Northeast, he gave in.

Plot:
For those who need a refresher course from their Cliffs Notes, Romeo & Juliet tells the story of two warring families, the Montagues and the Capulets. One day, lovelorn Montague seal Romeo (Daniel Trippett) falls for Capulet seal Juliet (Tricia Trippett), but they must keep their forbidden love a secret – not only from the rival families, but also from a boorish elephant seal Prince (Phil Nibbelink) who wishes to make Juliet his own.

Critique:

Like A Fish Tale, Romeo & Juliet: Sealed with a Kiss is an interesting detour from the big-budget animated blockbusters put out by Pixar, DreamWorks, etc. But also like Fish Tale, Romeo & Juliet’s blend of traditional-looking 2D characters with blatantly computer-generated scenery is an ill fit (in addition to writing and directing R&J:SWAK, former Disney animator Phil Nibbelink animated the entire film himself by computer). The quality ultimately falls somewhere between a Saturday morning cartoon and a Disney feature.

In terms of the storytelling: The film’s narrative is a bit underwhelming and flat, and many of the jokes and punchlines are derivative. (As adults we’ve heard them all before, though kids will probably think they’re hysterical.) There are also generous twists on quotes from Romeo & Juliet (“A fish of any color would smell just as sweet”) and other Shakespeare works such as Hamlet and Macbeth.

For the sake of a G-rated kids’ movie, Nibbelink takes liberties with the fates of the main characters (spoiler alert: Romeo and Juliet don’t die at the end), although we’re to believe that Mercutio (Chip Albers) meets the same fate as in the play (P.S.: He comes back, too). The last act gets dark in tone and visuals – though no darker than any Disney classic – including Juliet drinking the potion that makes her appear dead (which may need some explaining to younger viewers).

I’m wavering between liking or merely tolerating Romeo & Juliet: Sealed with a Kiss, because it depends on a larger question that plagues the film: Who’s it for?
Boys? Too much lovey-kissy.
Little children? Much like Shakespeare’s play, the film’s subject matter is a bit heavy: fighting, dying, pretending to die, etc.
Adults? You probably need at least a passing knowledge of Romeo & Juliet (and maybe other Shakespeare works) to fully appreciate the story and a healthy portion of the dialogue/jokes.

While Nibbelink should be commended for taking on the Bard and making a G-rated film when such films are a rarity, Romeo & Juliet: Sealed with a Kiss ultimately misfires in both finding and captivating an audience. When it ended, parting was not sweet sorrow...just unsatisfying.

Rating:

What did Dash think?

It’s hard to keep a 6-year-old boy interested in a love story, even if it’s done with animated, talking seals. So it was no surprise when Dash gave up on R&J:SWAK at the halfway point, declaring it “boring” and that he only likes “the seals who make the jokes” (Mercutio and Benvolio).

Will your kids like it?

I think R&J:SWAK will definitely be more appealing to little girls who dream of princes, princesses, and fairy tales. If Dash is any indication, young boys may bail when the love story gets in full swing.

Will your FilmMother like it?

My wife (who teaches high school English, including Hamlet) approached R&J:SWAK as more of a curiosity to see how Nibbelink adapted the classic play for kiddies, but she was pretty underwhelmed by what she saw. Maybe your FilmMother will have more appreciation for the love story and cute little seals.

Uh, thanks, but I've got Kleenex back at my cave.

Romeo & Juliet: Sealed with a Kiss
* Director: Phil Nibbelink
* Screenwriter: Phil Nibbelink
* Cast: Daniel Trippett, Tricia Trippett, Chip Albers, Michael Toland, Phil Nibbelink, Chanelle Nibbelink
* MPAA Rating: G

A Fish Tale (2000/2006)

OKAY, A LITTLE BACKSTORY to set up this review…

1. My wife showed a Hello Kitty tribute video to my boys, featuring the song “Little Kitty” by Danish pop duo Creamy.
2. Dash really liked the song, so I tried to find the mp3. Turns out it’s from Creamy’s very rare album, which I found a link to on this blog.
3. The album also features “Help! I’m a Fish” – which was the theme to an animated kids’ film of the same name, released in Europe in 2000.
4. The movie was released in the U.S. in 2006 as A Fish Tale – and I found it on Half.com for $5.

Plot:
• Three children – adventurous Fly (Jeff Pace), his baby sister Stella (Michelle Westerson), and their brainiac cousin Chuck (Aaron Paul) – accidentally get turned into fish after drinking a potion made by an eccentric scientist (Monty Python’s Terry Jones).
• The kids end up in the sea, with one problem: They must find and drink the antidote within 48 hours, or remain as fish forever.
• However, the antidote has fallen into the hands (fins?) of a villainous bottom-feeder (Alan Rickman), who has big plans for the antidote, since it can turn fish into humans. Will the kids get the antidote in time?

Critique:
• The first thing that caught my eye in A Fish Tale was the animation. It’s largely 2-D, with fluid motion that often reminded me of classic Disney films (seriously).
• The movie is only 77 minutes long – a short yet near-perfect length to keep the attention of young viewers.
• A Fish Tale does have its flaws. It jumps between scenes a bit abruptly at times, and while the 2-D animation is impressive, the film’s attempts at CGI animation for larger creatures and objects are lackluster, underdeveloped, and feel out of place.
• Don’t let the atrocious box art fool you; A Fish Tale was surprisingly entertaining. It’s a fun adventure and a nice detour from the animated movies that typically blanket the U.S. market.

Rating: 3 stars
(out of 5)

What did Dash think?

A Fish Tale isn’t huge on laughs, but it had Dash chuckling several times. He definitely enjoyed the movie.

Will your kids like it?

• While it’s no Finding Nemo or The Little Mermaid, your young kids should enjoy A Fish Tale (it’s a helluva lot better than Shark Tale, that’s for sure).
• There are a few scenes that may be too intense for preschoolers, including a school of menacing piranhas, a shark who munches on other fish characters, and a fish who “drowns” after turning human from drinking too much of the antidote.

Will your FilmMother like it?

While it’s far from a classic, A Fish Tale is a highly watchable movie. She should find it fun to watch with the kids, provided she doesn’t judge it too harshly against the other sea movies I mentioned above.

Trailer (as Help! I’m a Fish):

A Fish Tale

• Directors: Stefan Fjeldmark, Michael Hegner, Greg Manwaring
• Screenwriters: Tracy J. Brown, Stefan Fjeldmark, Karsten Kiilerich, John Stefan Olsen
• Stars: Alan Rickman, Terry Jones, David Bateson, Jeff Pace, Aaron Paul, Michelle Westerson
• MPAA Rating: G


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ffolkes (1980)

LAST DECEMBER, there was a great article by Entertainment Weekly's Chris Nashawaty about Roger Moore, where Nashawaty mentions how people his age (children of the ‘70s, including yours truly) see Moore as the James Bond. Sure, we go back and watch Sean Connery’s Bond films out of obligation, but Moore will always be 007 for our generation.

Which makes ffolkes – and Moore in the title role – so refreshing to watch…

Plot:
• On the North Sea, a team of terrorists led by Lou Kramer (Anthony Perkins) hijacks the Norwegian ship Esther and two British oil platforms, Ruth and Jennifer – planting bombs on all three.
• Kramer then anchors Esther next to Jennifer and tells Jennifer’s commander his demands: The British government must pay him £25 million in five different currencies (“the money market is so unstable these days,” he quips). If he doesn’t get the money in 24 hours, he blows up Ruth. Four hours after that, he blows up Jennifer.
• The British military can’t get close to Ester, Ruth, or Jennifer without Kramer’s team getting wise, so they call on Rufus Excalibur ffolkes (Moore) – leader of an elite special-ops team who’s also an eccentric, cat-loving misogynist.

Critique:
• Rumor has it Moore felt he was miscast as ffolkes, but that couldn’t be further from the truth. He’s deliciously perfect as the dapper, egocentric ffolkes, and it’s fun to watch him in a decidedly different role from his then-current James Bond gig (he shot ffolkes between Moonraker and For Your Eyes Only). He fires off commanding dialogue from a script by Jack Davies (adapting his own novel), featuring several great zingers you’ll be repeating to yourself for days.
• Perkins is highly effective as head terrorist Kramer – starting as a bold, emotionless villain who slowly unravels as the standoff drags out. Veteran James Mason also appears in a supporting role as an apprehensive admiral of the British Royal Navy who goes along with ffolkes’ plan of attack.
• Some of Michael J. Lewis’ musical score is a bit overdramatic, but nothing that gets in the way of enjoying the film.

In Moore’s autobiography, he dedicates a few pages to filming ffolkes – talking about how Perkins was a walking encyclopedia of film knowledge, and relaying a funny anecdote about the film crew trying to sedate the overly frisky cats without cat-lover Mason finding out.

Bottom line: ffolkes is a unique, overlooked little gem. I highly recommend seeking it out.

aka North Sea Hijack.

Rating: 4 stars (out of 5)

Will your kids want to watch it?

I highly doubt your children have ever heard of ffolkes, but when you watch it, do so without young kids in the room. Though ffolkes is largely bloodless, people are shot, poisoned, harpooned, and thrown overboard. Also, a terrorist tries to get frisky with a female hostage.

Will your FilmMother like it?

ffolkes has more of a “guy” feel to it, and Moore’s title character is quite the he-man woman-hater. Though if she likes characters who like cats, maybe she’ll give it a chance.

That pizza should've been here by now...

ffolkes
• Director: Andrew V. McLaglen
• Screenwriter: Jack Davies
• Stars: Roger Moore, Anthony Perkins, James Mason, Michael Parks, David Hedison, Jack Watson
• MPAA Rating: PG


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Finding Nemo (2003)

I CAN’T BELIEVE I let Father’s Day pass without reviewing a movie that focused on dads, or the relationship between a dad and child.

To amend for that oversight – and to cleanse Dash and my palates of the last two lackluster kids’ films we watched (here and here) – I popped in Finding Nemo.

Plot:
Overprotective, recently widowed clown fish Marlin (Albert Brooks) takes his son Nemo (Alexander Gould) to his first day of school. But when Nemo rebels after yet another of Marlin’s lectures about playing it safe, he’s snatched up by a diver, who takes him away. With the help of a friendly, forgetful blue tang named Dory (Ellen DeGeneres), Marlin begins the seemingly impossible quest of finding his son and bringing him home.

Critique:
• Like Monsters, Inc., Finding Nemo is a movie that you view much differently after becoming a parent. The film starts by playing on one of our worst fears – having one of our children be lost or abducted – then takes us on Marlin’s journey, against seemingly overwhelming odds, to bring his boy home.
• Directors Andrew Stanton (WALL-E) and Lee Unkrich (Toy Story 3) – with a script from Stanton, Bob Peterson, and David Reynolds – pack enough adventure into Nemo’s 100 minutes to fill three films. There are so many layers and sequences, with a massive amount of characters – each one fully fleshed out thanks to a cast whose voices perfectly fit their respective roles.
• The underwater world of Nemo is amazing, full of rich colors and lifelike underwater movement – not just the fish themselves, but their surroundings as well.
• In addition to the main story and characters, there's an abundance of smaller treasures in Nemo that help make it such a joyful experience: The shark support group. The “tank gang.” The “Mine! Mine! Mine!” seagulls. The father-and-son, surfer-dude sea turtles (dad Crush is voiced by Stanton). The pitch-perfect score by Thomas Newman. The “heyyy, heyyy, heyyy” crabs. The school of fish impressionists (voiced by Pixar lucky charm John Ratzenberger).
• And while I’m not the biggest Ellen DeGeneres fan, she is priceless as Dory – providing comic relief while dishing out the occasional pearl of wisdom.

As fathers, we each want to be a hero in our kids’ eyes; a brave, loving, and trusting protector who knows when to hold our children tight, when to loosen our grip…and when to let go (something Marlin learns on his quest to find Nemo).

For me, Finding Nemo captures that dad-as-hero ideal in the simple look of awe and admiration on Nemo’s face when the pelican Nigel (Geoffrey Rush) tells him about Marlin’s adventures. That’s the face we all want our kids to have when they look at, or even think about, their father.

By the way…if you’re a father with young kids, and you don’t get misty at least once while watching Finding Nemo, call your doctor. Something’s wrong with you.

Rating: 5 stars (out of 5)

What did Dash think?

Dash talks a lot when we watch Finding Nemo – not out of boredom, but excitement and laughter. He always wants to share the amazing and funny moments in the film, sometimes just to make sure that I “get it.”

Will your kids want to watch it?

• The more appropriate question is, “How soon will you want your kids to watch it?” If you have young children, Finding Nemo is an absolute must-see.
• That being said, there are a few intense scenes and scary fish, and Nemo’s mommy dies in the opening segment (albeit off-screen). Use your judgment showing Nemo to the pre-K crowd.

Will your FilmMother like it?

She won’t like it; she’ll love it. Finding Nemo is a great, virtually flawless film. And even if she has seen it, it’s worth another viewing…or five.

Mine?

Finding Nemo
• Directors: Andrew Stanton, Lee Unkrich
• Screenwriters: Andrew Stanton, Bob Peterson, David Reynolds
• Stars: Albert Brooks, Ellen DeGeneres, Alexander Gould, Willem Dafoe, Brad Garrett, Allison Janney, Geoffrey Rush
• MPAA Rating: G


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