Pixar lands another big one

Once again Pixar Studios proves to be atop the cartoon heap with its latest outing, "Finding Nemo." Not since "The Little Mermaid" has aquatic animation been this entertaining, but the formulaic story might prove a bit too familiar for some.\n"Finding Nemo" is the story of Marlin the clown fish (Albert Brooks) who is neurotic and overprotective of his only son, Nemo (Alexander Gould), who because of a small fin is not a very strong swimmer. Desperate to show Marlin his abilities and to succeed independently, he swims too far from his reef-based home to a boat where he gets captured by a scuba diving dentist. Nemo awakens to find himself in a tank with a group of colorful characters voiced by the likes of Willem Dafoe, Brad Garrett and Allison Janney to name a few. With Nemo gone, Marlin must scour the entire ocean battling sharks, jellyfish and other deep sea creatures. Along the way he finds help from Dory (Ellen DeGeneres), a fish with no short-term memory.\nAlthough "Finding Nemo" is definitely a worthwhile film, it is not quite up to par with the two "Toy Story" flicks and "Monsters Inc." Brooks, and especially DeGeneres, do spectacular jobs with their roles, but it is hard to stack-up to the duos Pixar has provided in the past (i.e. Tom Hanks and Tim Allen or Billy Crystal and John Goodman).\nWhile plenty of adult-oriented jokes are thrown-in (for example: one scene with a shark resembles an Alcoholics Anonymous meeting), "Finding Nemo" is definitely aimed more towards the kids. The story is the same as any movie with a neurotic parent and an independent child. Also, much of the resolution depends on the fact that the story of Marlin is being told by every fish across the ocean, which is a little far-fetched even for a cartoon. One plus is the lack of lame songs that often feel forced into Disney movies. Children will probably find the tale suspenseful, but adults will remain in awe of the visual spectacle the digital dynamos at Pixar can produce.