This animated underwater road trip has all the right elements and does an excellent job of hitting its target market.  Now Finding Nemo has arrived for home viewers in another format Blu-ray/Blu-ray 3D and I must say the amazing talent at PIXAR has made it eye popping and crystal clear.  Whether you have 3D or there’s one in your future, get the new 5-Disc Blu-ray, Blu-ray 3D, DVD and Digital Copy loaded with bonus features for the whole family.

Most all families know the tale, but for those who want their memory refreshed the story goes like this.  Marlin (voice of Albert Brooks) and young Nemo (voice of Alexander Gould) find themselves living alone together after a fisherman takes Marlin’s wife.  Having to bring his son up without a lot of knowledge about the subject, Marlin finds himself very cautious as to where Nemo goes.  

Having been sheltered for so long, Nemo has desires to see the undersea world.  Wandering off from his school one day, the youngster gets netted by some fish collectors. Marlin finds out Nemo’s gone missing, finds a clue and starts looking for him.  Along the way he meets Dory (Ellen DeGeneres) a loony ‘fish-out-of-water’ and the two ocean fish begin an underwater road trip that becomes an unforgettable adventure.

Marlin (Voice of Albert Brooks) and Dory (Voice of Ellen DeGeneres) run into a swarm of turtles

All the voice actors are perfect for their characters and especially Ellen DeGeneres who steals the show as the ditsy Surgeonfish Dory.  Extremely funny I found myself laughing before she finishes a sentence. Albert Brooks has the kind of voice that makes you wonder if Marlin really has a handle on things.  His Marlin wants to be the perfect dad, but he’s also crowding his son Nemo who needs to experience life. As for Nemo, Alexander Gould does an incredible job of bringing the clown fish to life.  The urgency in Nemo’s voice, the worry in the tone and the childish giggle needed for the character are nicely provided by Gould.

Just like most all Disney/PIXAR films there’s always a lesson to be learned and Finding Nemo has one of the best.  Here the advice centers on Nemo obeying parenting and for Marlin never giving up.  It’s this kind of message that makes a family film inspiring, especially since it’s tied in with a cool adventure and a lot of fun related action.  It’s hard to choose which Disney/PIXAR or any animated film shows best, but Finding Nemo’s certainly in my top ten.

Finding Nemo has been nominated for 36 awards and won 35 including an Oscar for Best Animated Feature.  Interesting fact: The film took in over $380 million at the box-office in the United States with over $540 million foreign for a total of $921,261,061.  If you calculate the number of viewers using an average ticket price of $5 for example, that would come to over 184 million views of the film. Kind of boggles the mind a bit doesn’t it?

Nemo, Dory and Marlin look real and very colorful in 3D

The 3D presentation of this film makes for remarkable entertainment.  Not all 3D has been great or even necessary in a lot of films released over the past few years, so choosing the right one can be a chore. When Finding Nemo was released there wasn’t a surge of the format so it missed the opportunity in theaters until it was remastered in 3D for theaters during 2012.  Now that TV technology has surpassed what 3D was in the past with glasses that give a better depth perception, the format allows the viewer to be ‘part’ of the performance.  The shadows of the past are gone with this clear and bright picture 3D presentation.  The film also has some eye popping elements including reaching out to touch the fish as they swim by or backing away from a spray of water, it’s that good.

The visual clarity of the Blu-ray played on a HD Television gives theater quality to the viewer.  The 1080p with an aspect ratio of 1.78:1 fills widescreen televisions without any loss of picture on the edges.  Colorful and bright the movie feels like a live action adventure surrounding flowery reefs, realistic surf and plenty of ocean water with creatures your children will love.  No need to go to an aquarium any time soon as there’s a lot of sea life brilliantly depicted in Finding Nemo.

It’s hard to even question the sound quality with the 7.1 Dolby TrueHD embedded in the Blu-ray disc.  The soundtrack provides an adventurous tone, voices are clear and understandable, and special effects sound has genuine affect on the storyline. If you have the right equipment you’ll even experience some of the soundtrack from both sides and in back of the room.  The sound guys provide the roaring waves, boat horns, bubbles, cracking glass, dental tools, etc. and of course clear dialogue from some of the most notable actors in the business.

The bonus features are plenty with enough additional entertainment for several sittings.  To describe them all would not do it justice so you’ll just have to enjoy the experience yourself.  The following is a list of the bonus features on the Blu-ray disc 1 and Blu-ray disc 2 with several repeated on the DVD.

SPECIAL BONUS FEATURES:
Blu-ray Disc 1

• “Knick Knack” Theatrical Short Film (Rated: G)
• Aquarium
• CineExplore- This ‘making of’ features Directors Andrew Stanton, Lee Urkrich and writer Bob Peterson.
• Finding Nemo – A Filmmakers’ Roundtable- The Principle Crew and Producers talk about their experience with the film.
• Reinventing the Submarine Voyage- a visit to Disneyland’s Tomorrowland
• Also: Deleted Scene: “Alt Opening” and “A Lesson in Flashbacks”.

Blu-ray Disc 2

• Making Nemo- An excellent behind-the-scenes documentary covers everything from the concept of Nemo to the research the crew did involving the ocean.
• Exploring the Reef- Takes you on a short trip to a reef
• Studio Tour- What PIXAR’s all about
• Mr. Ray’s Encyclopedia- This interactive educational tool is very good for budding sea explorers.
• Also: “Aquariums”, “Art Review”, “Old School”, “Classic Content”, “Outtakes”, “Deleted Scenes” and “Publicity Pieces”

FINAL ANALYSIS:  An exciting adventure and great family fun. (A)

Specifications and additional film information:

• Cast: Albert Brooks, Ellen DeGeneres, Alexander Gould, Willem DaFoe
• Directed by: Andrew Stanton, Lee Unkrich
• MPAA Rating: G
• Genre: Comedy, Family, Animation
• Running Time: 1 hr 42 min
• Street Date: December 4, 2012
• Original Film Release Date: May 30, 2003
• Aspect Ratio 1.78:1
• Language: English, Spanish and French
• Format: Blu-ray, DVD, Blu-ray 3D
• Audio: Blu-ray Feature Film: 7.1 DTS-HD Master Audio Dolby TrueHD 7.1 surrounded, 1.0 DTS-HD Master Audio Original Theatrical Mix; DVD- Feature Film – 5.1 Disney Enhanced Home Theater Mix
• Video: 1080p High Definition DVD Feature Film – 1.78:1
• Subtitles: English SDH, Spanish and French
• Number of Discs: 5 Disc 3D Combo Pack
• Distributed by: Buena Vista Home Entertainment