Finding Dory

This poignant, beautifully voice-acted adventure is everything a sequel should be: emotionally satisfying, full of lovable old and new characters, and, just as Dory would want, utterly unforgettable. DeGeneres' performance is pitch perfect -- as is that of her younger counterpart (Sloane Murray) in flashbacks to Dory's youth growing up with her loving parents, Jenny (Diane Keaton) and Charlie (Eugene Levy), who cleverly work around her memory condition by encouraging ways she can remember to get back home. DeGeneres' voice beautifully evokes Dory's loneliness, sadness, wonder, confusion, hope, and joy.

Audiences will also love new characters in Finding Dory like the chameleonic, curmudgeonly Hank, who wants Dory's tag that grants her transfer to the Cleveland Aquarium as a way of avoiding his eventual release back into the ocean. Dory also reacquaints herself with her old pal Destiny (Kaitlyn Olson), a nearsighted whale shark, and meets Destiny's neighbor, Bailey (Ty Burrell), a beluga; the whales have a fun, bantery vibe. And a pair of sea lions voiced by The Wire co-stars Idris Elba and Dominic West provides comic relief as they help Marlin and Nemo hitch a ride into the institute via a kooky loon, Becky. Although Dory's adventure is subtler than Nemo's, it tugs at the heart strings; teaches valuable lessons about disabilities, teamwork, and the unconditional love of family; and is as memorable a movie as Pixar's finest.