The Dark Knight Rises (2012) Review

                                                         'This city needs me'

Today we take you back to the summer film of yesteryear, the final instalment of Nolan's Batman Trilogy. Following up from the superlative The Dark Knight (2008), The Dark Knight Rises (2012) focuses on Bruce Wayne as the outcast Batman, in post-Dent/Joker Gotham. Eight years after the events that transpired in the former film, Gotham City police department has almost eradicated organized crime and Batman (Christian Bale) has disappeared leaving Police Chief Commissioner Gordon (Gary Oldman) struggling to cope with the guilt he feels over what happened with Batman. This cues the introduction of Selina Kyle a.k.a. Catwoman (Anne Hathaway), an alluring and elusive cat burglar in Gotham and Bane, (Tom Hardy) a ruthless revolutionary out to eradicate Gotham once and for all. The recurring characters that feature from the supreme series are loyal butler Alfred Pennyworth (Michael Caine) and Lucius Fox (Morgan Freeman). New to this instalment are local young police officer John Blake (Joseph Gordon Levitt) and member of Wayne Enterprises Executive Board Miranda Tate (Marion Cotillard).

The film features an array of outstanding performances from the entire cast; Hardy makes a dramatic transformation into his character - Bane, a ruthless militant revolutionary. Hardy is able to capture the audience's attention through most notably the physical manner of his performance. He is brass, bold and dominant, moving like a bulldozer in a manner designed to cause the most damage to his opponents; his voice is striking, clear and almost manufactured, like a machine. This only further emphasises the notion that Bane is a machine 'built' for the potential destruction of Gotham. Portraying the mischievous Catwoman/Selina Kyle is Anne Hathaway, whose come a long way since her Princess Diaries days. The initial skepticism she faced from critics is proved redundant as she puts in a convincing performance of a women who is defined by her alluring, witty and agile nature. It would be easy to miss the complexity of the character and for this not to come across on screen, but Hathaway proves she is able to convey the more vulnerable side of the character through her hesitant gestures and movement as well as adopting the feline tendencies in her mannerisms and physical demeanour. This help create a contrast between the two different portrayals of the character, in the first half of the film she is far more playful whereas in the second half she is seemingly colder and more hardened by what she has witnessed and effectively been a part of.

Christian Bale is able to adhere to the more unsteady side of his character, displaying the unsure side of the Batman through his initial denial of self-doubt and hesitant physical actions. Despite this, Bale is still able to engage the attention of the audience and rally them up behind him as a symbol of their effective 5 month oppression in the latter part of the film. This in turn references the film’s themes of belief and hope in something more than just a man - a symbol, which as we know can withstand more suffering. One of the most heart-breaking moments comes to courtesy to us of Michael Caine, who produces a touching and heartfelt performance as Alfred Pennyworth. Caine's performance clings to the sentimentalities behind the infrastructure of the film – he is a man trying to look after ‘the man behind the Bat.’ A much-needed voice of reason; the scenes in which he features are always the most emotive and thought provoking, as he is a familiar face in the Nolan’s trilogy, meaning the audience have a clear sense of what the character is about and the struggles he's faced over the series. Meanwhile, Joseph Gordon Levitt portrays a somewhat secondary hero in the film as John Blake, who epitomizes the hope that regular people have for the persona of Batman, and all he stands for. Levitt is able to align himself with the audience in terms of feeling, as for many he will be the character that most people can relate to - and the character that emulates the belief in Batman that certain people have. 

As always, Nolan treats the audience to some amazing special effects and visual imagery; the technology featured is superbly crafted, futuristically envisaged and comes to life through this piece. Cinematographer Wally Pfister conveys the themes of the film well, referencing key moments and presenting the gritty and dark nature of the city through notable stylistic measures. The use of color and tone appears somewhat lighter in some sequences which makes it appear more realistic, focused and clear, which in turn really hits home the thematic of the film – the idea of a civilization not dissimilar to our own, needing everyone to ‘rise’ above the oppression around them. The high level of focus gained by Nolan utilizing IMAX cameras for a vast majority of the picture, increases the level of definition and quality, which allows the audience to not only see everything in a much more clearer light, but to also to be able to escape away into the movie. Comprising of breath-taking chase sequences, beautiful and bewitching imagery, high-scale explosions and dramatic scenes, The Dark Knight Rises proves itself amongst audiences and is wonderfully impressive and really dazzling to behold.

Once again, the transcendent Hans Zimmer returns to compose the film’s musical score, which is, as usual, dramatic and enticing but justly empowering (especially the score ‘Rise’). Using strongly percussive instruments, Zimmer creates a thunderous, overbearing sound that is able to grab the viewer and engulf them fully within the film, emulating the sense of urgency and danger that the characters feel. Contrastingly, the use of soft, high pitched lingering tones make the effect last longer, and is somewhat haunting - which keeps the audience on edge and wondering what's going to happen next. Zimmer adds to the overall thrilling nature of the film, creating a score that is highly theatrical and really gets the audience involved with the tension and emotion of the film.

The film has a universal connection and theme to it as it reflects the ability of its characters to ‘rise’ - to rise above the oppression, to rise above the persona – to rise against those who wish to destroy Gotham - and most importantly to rise above the part of themselves that they need to overcome in order to return to their once great magnitude and former glory. It is this, which is truly thought provoking and which is the core of Nolan’s The Dark Knight Rises.

The Dark Knight Rises proves itself effective as a stand-alone film and as a suitable ending to the what has been the best trilogy of Batman films by Nolan. Enthralled with aesthetic pleasure, a striking plot, memorable characters and various thought provoking themes, Nolan makes sure to keep your mind focused on The Dark Knight Rises well after its 165 minutes are concluded.

4.5/5 stars

Reviewed by Mel. 

Miley Cyrus - Wrecking Ball (Official Audio!)

A few days ago, current it-girl Miley Cyrus rather cunningly released the official audio for her track 'Wrecking Ball', which is taken from her upcoming fourth studio album, Bangerz. Certainly an interesting title for the album (slightly pretentious, but could it really be anything else?) I was half expecting this new track 'Wrecking Ball' to be some sort of wild dance track similar to that of the notorious 'We Can't Stop.' However, I was pleasantly surprised as the new track has a more softer sound with a strong chorus and almost a techno vibe. 

The beginning of the track is reminiscent of Cyrus' 'When I look at you' and features a chanting element and a definite smoother sound compared to some of Cyrus' previous track. The narrative of the track focuses around Cyrus' reflection on how she may have come across too hard in a relationship and how there was a breakdown of sharing and communication. In short, it's your usual reflective relationship track but I think it has the potential to have a more universal appeal than 'We can't stop', and it could be quite successful for Cyrus. Let's hope the music video fits in with the song and we see a different side to the new image she is emulating on screen and through her music. If this sounds like your sort of thing, check out the official audio below:

Music track reviewed by Mel. 

The Saturdays - Disco Love (+ Music Video)

A couple of days ago, British-Irish girl group The Saturdays released their music video for the single Disco Love, a track that may as well serve as an audio dedication to countless pop & disco artists/songs (Bee Jees, Olivia Newton-John, Kylie, Britney etc.) and whose basic beat is inspired by the Whitney Houston song, I wanna dance with somebody. Although the track aims to model itself as an upbeat party tune, it fails to incorporate basic characteristics which would make it so, such as a catchy chorus, and ends up coming across as completely unmemorable. 

That may sound harsh, but I challenge you to listen to the track (below) and then try and recall any lyrics or basic tune at all. Usually when listening to a particular song it is fairly easy for something to stick out in your memory (good or bad), however this track passes over your head quite easily and rather unfortunately, means that probably only hard-core Saturdays fans will find this latest offering appealing. The music video, quite similarly to the song is a bit same-old and too generic for my liking, with The Saturdays getting stranded when their car breaks down and end up partying it up with some random strangers. How original. Check it out below:

I feel a bit sorry for Frankie throughout the whole video as she doesn't feature greatly in it (being stuck behind the steering wheel of the car, due to the fact that she was pregnant) and the girls seem to have entirely forgotten she was there, with only Rochelle to keep her company. 

As previously stated, the video is a bit seen-it-all-before, which isn't necessarily a bad thing, it just may not appeal to anyone who hasn't heard of The Saturdays before. The video aims to emulate a retro feel, with roller-skates, big bows and crazy hair-do's, with all members of The Saturdays dressed in colourful ensembles. Overall, there's nothing spectacular here, but it's just funky enough not to be too boring to (most) potential audiences; just don't expect to remember it in the morning. 

Song and music video reviewed by Mel. 

Thor: The Dark World new posters + Marvel's Agents of SHIELD new promo

Today it's all about Marvel. Thor: The Dark World has some new posters out and they're looking rather striking. Down the bottom we have Chris Hemsworth's Thor, with his trusty hammer and up the top we have everyone's favourite: Thor's scheming adopted brother Loki. 

Not that I haven't mentioned the plot about multiple times, but incase you've missed it, in this upcoming sequel to Thor (2011) and in a way sequel to The Avengers Assemble (2012) as well, Thor returns to Earth to come back for Jane Foster, and is also faced with danger from a primeval race who wants to plunge the world into darkness. And, as we know, who knows darkness better than Loki, who Thor must recruit to help save the day. Incase you wish to read up more about this particular instalment, you can click the links below to read:

A review of Thor (2011) incase you want to familiarise yourself with the story:
http://scenesisters.blogspot.co.uk/2013/08/thor-2011.html

A featurette from Thor: The Dark World:
http://scenesisters.blogspot.co.uk/2013/08/thor-dark-world-new-featurette.html

And of course, you can watch the trailer for Thor: The Dark World, below:
http://scenesisters.blogspot.co.uk/2013/08/thor-dark-world-new-trailer.html

And next up is the new promo for 'Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.' and it's pretty clear from the new promo that the marketers of this upcoming television series are pushing the  writer and director of the programme, Joss Whedon as their initial selling point. Focusing on Whedon's stellar director work on The Avengers Assemble, the promo features a selection of clips from the series and of course, mentions that it premieres this fall on ABC. The new programme features Clark Gregg as the unforgettable Agent Phil Coulson who is from the films by Marvel. Also making an appearance are the agents: Iain De Caestecker as Agent Leo Fitz, Agent Melinda May is portrayed by Ming-Na Wen, Chloe Bennet is the computer hacker Skye, Brett Dalton is Agent Grant Ward and Elizabeth Henstridge plays Agent Jemma Simmons. The series is shaping up to be a pretty intriguing and action packed television programme which is sure to satisfy those who have a craving for everything Marvel; With Whedon at the helm it's hard to see how this could possibly go awry. Watch the new promo below: 

Movie news, posters and promos reviewed by Mel. 

Haim - The Wire (Music Video)

Earlier this week, Haim (comprised of sisters Este, Danielle and Alana Haim and their drummer Dash Hutton) released their music video for their upcoming single The Wire. Indie rock band Haim's new track focuses around the end of a relationship and how things just sometimes don't work out. The addition of guitar sounds throughout add to the overall feel of the song, and the chorus in particular is pretty catchy 'Always keep your heart locked tight/ Don't let your mind retire/ Oh, but I just couldn't take it/ I tried hard not to fake it/ But I fumbled it when it came down to the wire' and I just adore the whole tone and the acoustics on this track. 

 I'm not usually in to (mostly) girl group-bands, but I really enjoy listening to a vast majority of their songs and their overall look is just brilliant; Haim have a real uniqueness and talent that other bands just don't possess. The music video for The Wire is also particularly hilarious. I've read that a few people don't understand or find the premise of the video 'stupid' but I think it's ingenious. It's rare that a music video will feature quite strong female figures and show that out of a break-up, the ex-boyfriends have turned out worse. Obviously, the video overplays with the drama and I'm fairly sure the first guy from the video is from The Lonely Island, which makes everything even more hilarious. Watch the video below: 

I may have already mentioned how fond I am of this video, but if you've watched it then you can make your own mind up. As mentioned above, the guys are looking pretty downright sappy throughout the entire video and the expression on especially Este's face just made me laugh so much (below). 

And just incase you needed a picture of the recently dumped boyfriends all having a joint phone call therapy session together, here's one below: 

At the end of the video, the ex-boyfriends all turn out to one of Haim's shows in a last desperate attempt to salvage their relationship, but alas they soon realise that it's all over and burst into a fit of spontaneous blubbing once more. Both the track and the video have become recent favourites of mine and I usually try and stick to being unbiased about certain things, but this song has been stuck in my mind all week. I recommend you go give it a listen if you're into indie rock/pop and this sounds like your sort of thing. 

Track and music video reviewed by Mel. 

2013 MTV VMA's - A Look Back At The Night's Craziest Moments

Well the 2013 MTV VMA's was interesting to say the least. Just for your information, we'll be talking about the craziest and the best moments of this year's video music awards, including a whole segment about whatever Miley Cyrus was trying to achieve with her erm, 'performance' and the opener, Lady Gaga, as well as Katy Perry, the *NSYNC reunion with all the JT goodness and the ever so creepy performance from Thicke and Cyrus. 

Moment 1: The opening performance from Lady Gaga.

Gaga returns to the stage in a mash-up of her previous looks and performances with her new single Applause and it's a suitable return to the stage for the music artist. Gaga starts her performance off with a wide-shot of her beady-eyed face singing from her track Aura beautifully, switching from her usual crazy singing to a falsetto that really kicked off the start of the VMA's. It was like a quick-change gone wild, with Gaga changing into 5 outfits including a blue-sequined jacket, face paints, clamshell bra and flower-esque underwear. 

Overall Gaga looked great, she sang most of it live apart from when she clearly ran out of breath from dancing (who can really blame her?) and she garnered appropriate 'applause' from the audience. 

Moment 2: The Smith Family's reaction to Miley Cyrus' performance.

I mean really, this was priceless. Do I need to say anymore? Incase you're wondering what they're reacting to, see Moment 3 below. 

Moment 3&4: Miley Cyrus' individual performance + added Robin Thicke.

I'm going to try and keep this as simplistic as possible. I can only assume Cyrus was trying to show how much she's changed and (forcibly) ram this version down our throats as much as possible. All I could manage to think whilst she was 'doing her thing' was how uncomfortable the whole affair was and how much I just wanted everything to stop. Miley was dressed in a bear-esque swimsuit whilst she 'danced' around the stage at an award show where young and old audiences were watching. Oh dear lord. I'm definitely putting 'please make Cyrus put her tongue back inside her mouth' on this year's christmas list. Everything about this performance just screamed wrong and if you needed any more proof or you just wanted to potentially traumatise yourself again, here are some glorious gifs of this whole bizarre affair. 

I have no words for this particular one, and can someone please tell me what the whole foam finger thing was about?

And as you can see, just to make everything even worse, we had the 'makes-my-skin-crawl Robin Thicke' in his black and white pin stripe suit singing his completely overrated song and dancing with Cyrus. If you can call it dancing. It's safe to say this was my least favourite moment of the night but most definitely the craziest. 

Moment 5: *NSYNC Reunion with JT leading it.

Justin Timberlake who won the award for Video of the Year with 'Mirrors' and received the Michael Jackson Video Vanguard Award as well. Then good ol' JT hit the stage and performed songs such as Cry Me A River and Take Back the Night and then what a surprise, his former band members from *NSYNC took to the stage and performed classics like Bye Bye Bye. 

Moment 6: Everyone got riled up about T-Swizzle saying the following.

Moment 7: Katy Perry's closing performance. 

Perry closes the VMA's with her performance of her new track Roar dressed in boxing gear complete with leopard sports bra and satin shorts with fire print. 

I think it's safe to say that the VMA's certainly 'roared' with a infusion of sequins, colour, twerking and horrifying/hilarious gifs and pictures that we will truly remember for at least the next week or so. So all in all, did the VMAs deliver for you? What was your best/worst moment? 

MTV VMA's reviewed by Mel. 

AOA Black - Moya & EXO - Growl (Latest K-Pop Videos)

As promised, this addition to the latest K-Pop videos includes a male band (EXO) and female group (the band not the idol group) AOA Black, which stands for Ace of Angels. The girl band is made up of members Choa, Jimin, Yuna, Youkyoung and Mina and their song Moya is a type of power pop mixed with a break-up song. 

The video itself centres around getting back at an ex and showing him that you are better and stronger now (hence the impromptu band performance) and the guy in the crowd who looks very embarrassed at the end of their on-stage performance. The song is upbeat and features keyboard accompaniment throughout providing a solid beat to jam to along with the addition of guitar and drums. The rapping in the piece is particular impressive and comes courtesy of Jimin. 

The music video is full of bold and bright colours (standard in a K-Pop video) and all the outfits (especially Choa's) are cute and fresh. There is the traditional K-Pop dancing and hand gestures, but the facial expressions in this video really make it. At the end of the video, the 'sleazy' guy's (who's hitting on everyone) eyes literally pop out of his head, when he sees that the girl on stage is the one he hurt (which looks to be Choa).

It pretty much ends with the equivalent of a 'fuck you' with all the women making powerful hand gestures at the guy as he looks very embarrassed. It's pretty hilarious. Although the video isn't an epic film like some of the other K-Pop videos we've seen, it's still pretty funky and interesting in it's own right. If this sounds like your type of track or you just want to check out the video, watch above. 

Next up is EXO's Growl and I was definitely not ready for this type of pelvic thrusting and choreographed dance moves. The video emulates some sort of underground dance-off. Except there's just a bunch of EXO's members (I couldn't name all of them for you if I tried) dipping and diving in matching suits like this is some sort of cross-over ad for clothing and haircare products. 

Don't get me wrong, the video is by far the best part of everything about this song. It's enticing to say the least. Watch the video below and then we'll go through it in all it's glory. From what I gather, EXO seems like a Korean version of the Backstreet Boys, yes? 

All I can say from the video is that these boys take themselves very seriously. Lots of firm staring and wild hand gestures whilst getting very close to the camera (in turn of course).   The track itself is rather smooth but with an almost sexy hook (although I can't take their strong facial expressions seriously) but the video is a whole montage of dance moves and that's what makes this so entertaining. 

It's got everything, thrusting, dipping and bunny hops?! No I'm serious, they literally look like rabbits hopping around their grey box-esque underground lair. I have literally no words. It's all very well-timed though, and it'll keep you entertained for hours. I'm not kidding. What do you think of the video? Personally, I found it hard to focus with everything going on but maybe that's just me. 

Music videos and tracks reviewed by Mel. 

Brown Eyed Girls - Kill Bill, (Latest K-Pop Videos)

Just as we promised with the previous Latest K-Pop Videos, we are going to cover a male group very soon (possibly later today), but first up is the Brown Eyed Girls with their track Kill Bill, aptly named considering the whole video is a homage to the Quentin Tarantino film (Vol 1 in particular). Anyone who is a fan of the samurai sword wielding movie, will no doubt appreciate the careful construction of the video and the references to all the characters and the events (Kill Bill: Vol 1 is a particular favourite of mine so it was pleasant seeing a music video centred around the movie). 

The female K-Pop group, consisting JeA, Miryo, Narsha and Ga-In, have said that the idea for the video came from JeA, who stated that 'the whistle in the intro of the song reminded me of the movie Kill Bill' and the rest of the group decided that it would be fitting to included western elements and references in the music video. The song certainly has a sassy feel to it, and includes some pretty impressive raps and a pretty catchy chorus and that's exactly what makes it stick. The track has a plus side of having a visually quite impressive music video, which you should check out for yourself below: 

The Brown Eyed Girls have made their music video into a type of mini-movie, with black and white imagery, and most importantly, an actual narrative to the video, which is interesting to see unfold. It's sassy, sexy, bold and daring. 

The video features overplaying titles which introduce the members as 'characters,' all members are part of the 'Brown Eyed Girls Squad (similar to the Deadly Viper Assassination Squad in Kill Bill) and they each have code names: jeA is bloody blue spider (channelling Elle Driver), Ga-In is mack the knife (channelling The Bride), Narsha is S-A-K-U-R-A (channelling O-Ren Ishii) and I can only assume Miryo as Guns N Roses is channelling Vernita Green. 

The video has it all, well choreographed dance moves, fighting, spiders, guns, pretty much everything that comes to mind when I say western bloody ninja fight. The video also possesses moments of humour and ludicrous (but well made) outfits and overall it's pretty entertaining, even if you've never seen the film. It's well worth a watch (I mean it). 

                          

Track and music video reviewed by Mel. 

Thor (2011) Review

                                                      'I will not fight you brother'
                                                              'I'm not your brother, I never was'

In light of the recent comic-book film adaptation craze it seems only fitting that we revisit the 2011 American superhero film Thor based on the comic book character published by Marvel Comics and created by Stan Lee. The basic premise of the film centres around Thor, (Chris Hemsworth) son of Odin (Anthony Hopkins) who is banished to Earth following his failed attempt to battle with the Frost Giants of Jotunheim who tried to steal to Casket of Ancient Winters (which Odin himself previously stole). It is then up to Thor to regain his honour and stop his brother Loki, (Tom Hiddleston) from becoming the new King of Asgard. Thor's mortal love interest, Jane Foster (Natalie Portman) also appears in the movie, along with Idris Elba who plays Heimdall, the omniscient/omnipresent Asgardian who monitors the bifrost bridge. Thor's mortal companions on earth consist of Jane, (previously mentioned) Dr Erik Selvig (Stellan Skarsgard) & Darcy Lewis (Kat Dennings). 

The performances from the cast are stellar, in particular Hiddleston, Hemsworth and Elba. Hiddleston's Loki emulates the isolation and betrayal the character feels knowing that he isn't like everyone else on Asgard, that he doesn't technically belong to that race, and although he is playing the villain archetype, it's far easier for an audience to empathise and understand his plight rather than outright condemn him. Hiddleston successfully manages to create multiple dimensions to a character who could have lost his complexity in the transition from book to screen; he is portraying a man who is fighting for recognition and love from his father whilst he struggles with his identity and the sibling rivalry that drives his revenge. Portraying the initially arrogant brother (Thor) is Chris Hemsworth, who is able to capture the raw emotion of the character after he loses his place amongst his father on Asgard and convey the transformation he makes through the film with the help of Jane without making the whole thing feel contrived. Elba's Heimdall comes across as particular powerful and proves everlasting in a film with so many fascinating characters. 

In a film with so much turmoil, it can be difficult to incorporate a suitable sense of humour, but in this piece the director Branagh manages to balance that out with almost a self-mocking feel. The strained brotherly relationship between Thor/Loki is certainly funny in places and seems to be paving the way for a face-off in the future, (cue Thor: The Dark World anyone?) where no doubt Loki will have to answer for his crimes. 

Of course, the visuals in the film are pretty spectacular and the whole aesthetics of Asgard are breath-taking and a pleasure to behold. Similarly, the lightning and fight scenes match this high standard, however sometimes the film can feel a little bit lacklustre in some moments where the audiences might be left waiting for the action to actually occur. The movie is no doubt in its element when the events are back in motion and the performances from the actors make up for these minor flaws. At first, it's easy to presume the whole banishment to Earth theme has often been overused, but in this instance it doesn't feel too derivative or laboured in its construction, however all audiences may not agree. Other than these minor elements which in a way hold back the film from its true potential, there is very little else which I could falter in a film about one of the marvel superhero's who doesn't get enough attention from studios compared to others (Iron Man, for instance). 

It's nice to see that the film retains some mocking humour and wit which can sometimes be lost when creating an origin story. As previously stated, it's re-assuring to see that Marvel can still turn out an entertaining film that isn't based on Tony Stark and that it can build on other stories which retain their heart and integrity on screen. While some might find the whole thing pointless and disjointed in places, most audiences will find that Branagh has provided a suitable beginning to what feels like the first part in a series, as well as a stand alone film. 

4 stars out of 5 

Reviewed by Mel. 

Finding Nemo (2003) Review

                                        'What is it with men and asking for directions?'

Featuring in this instalment of 'revisited films' is the 2003 underwater adventure Finding Nemo. The following review is a revised version I wrote previously. Following the re-release of Finding Nemo last year in its newly converted 3D format a sequel entitled Finding Dory was announced by none other than the voice of Dory herself, Ellen DeGeneres. Finding Nemo was a resounding hit amongst fans and critics alike and has gained a strong following from children and adults for its fun and cheerful animation and quirky characters. The film itself follows Marlin, (Albert Brooks) an overprotective clownfish, on his elongated journey to retrieve his son, Nemo, (Alexander Gould) from a group of divers. Along the way we are introduced to another fish - Dory (Ellen DeGeneres) and a turtle named Crush (Andrew Stanton, also the film's director) who assist Marlin in his expedition. 

 The film introduces a whole host of new and vibrant characters, none more so than Dory, a pacific regal blue tang fish. Suitably voiced by comedian Ellen DeGeneres, the fish adds some much-needed humour to a film we could be a rather somber affair otherwise. Dory is distinctly forgetful and somewhat naïve in comparison to the other underwater inhabitants, but she steals every scene and retains some of the best lines throughout the film. Degeneres' manages to swim her way into the hearts of many audiences through her energetic performance of the character's upbeat tone and constant bursts of singing. Furthermore, her voice encompasses every essence of the character; the scene where Dory attempts to speak 'whale' to attract the help of a distant fish, is particularly amusing.

Visually astounding, (especially in its revised format) this subaquatic tale dazzles with gorgeous colours and intricate detail that manages to bring the whole tale to life. It's beautiful to see the vast array of plant life and creatures that live together underneath the depths of the ocean, expressed in the film marvellously. The aesthetic appearance of the film helps to reflect the emotion that the characters feel when being exposed to something new, which the audience can relate to watching this movie. Although the film isn't completely scientifically accurate (what ever is?) the imaging and production that went into this piece is certainly no easy feat, and should be applauded. 

At times, the musical score by Thomas Newman pulls on the heart strings of the viewers, (especially in the opening sequence) and the score 'Barracuda' evokes a sense of sadness within the audience that should melt even the coldest of viewers, which is a difficult thing to do when the film is an animated feature, as it obviously lacks the human relation that live action possesses. However, I'm positive most audiences will find themselves notably touched by the tale of the characters and their plight to survive in new waters. 

Overall, this tender tale of adventure, rescue and determination has a lasting impression and is able to infuse hilarity with meaningful characters to create something which too many animated features fail to do. The visuals are dazzling, the narrative coherent, and the plot develops steadily enough to keep viewers entertained and satisfy without forfeiting the foundations of the tale or losing any of its humour. If you have been searching for an incredibly and thoroughly charming piece of animation, then look no further; Finding Nemo has created a standard of cinema that all other future productions can only hope to aspire to. 

4.5 stars out of 5 

Reviewed by Mel.