---
title: "Finding Dory"
year: 2016
kind: "film"
canonical: "https://film.one/film/finding-dory"
fi1m_id: "finding-dory"
imdb_id: "tt2277860"
tmdb_id: 127380
wikidata_id: "Q9321426"
fi1m_score: 68
critics_score: 72
critics_reviews: 31
published: "2026-09-27T19:46:03.336152+00:00"
updated: "2026-09-27T19:46:04.407492+00:00"
region: "TR"
licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL."
---

# Finding Dory (2016)

Directed by Andrew Stanton · 1h 37m · Adventure, Animation, Family

## Identity

Finding Dory

- **Canonical:** https://film.one/film/finding-dory
- **Type:** Film
- **Fi1m ID:** finding-dory
- **IMDb ID:** tt2277860
- **TMDB ID:** 127380
- **Wikidata ID:** Q9321426
- **Same entity:** https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2277860/, https://www.themoviedb.org/movie/127380, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q9321426

**Fi1m score: 68** · Critics 72 from 31 reviews

*In a sentence:* Seven-armed octopus steals every scene from a fish who will not remember it happened

> Andrew Stanton hands the sequel to the fish who stole *Finding Nemo* and gives her something sad to carry, which she does. The plot around her swims from tank to tank, and Ed O’Neill’s octopus is the reason to stay.

## Synopsis

A year after Nemo was brought home, Dory (Ellen DeGeneres), a blue tang who forgets things within seconds, lives on the reef beside Marlin (Albert Brooks) and his son Nemo (Hayden Rolence). On a school trip to watch the stingray migration she is knocked flat by a memory: parents, Jenny (Diane Keaton) and Charlie (Eugene Levy), and a place, the Jewel of Morro Bay, California. She sets off to find them, and Marlin and Nemo go with her, riding the current with the turtles. In California Dory is scooped out of the water by staff from the Marine Life Institute, an aquarium and rescue centre, where a seven-armed octopus called Hank (Ed O’Neill) wants the tag on her fin and will carry her through the building to get it.

## Review

Thirteen years after [*Finding Nemo*](https://film.one/film/finding-nemo), Andrew Stanton hands the sequel to the fish who stole the first film. Dory, the blue tang with no short-term memory, was a running gag in 2003; here she is the lead, and the gag becomes a condition. Stanton and his co-writer Victoria Strouse ask what it is like to lose the thread every few seconds and to have lost your parents the same way, and the answer is kinder and sadder than expected. It is also fastened to the last film’s plot with the tanks rearranged. It runs 97 minutes and carries a U.

The best of it is the smallest. In flashback, baby Dory is a thumbnail of a fish with enormous eyes, and Jenny (Diane Keaton) and Charlie (Eugene Levy) coach her through the sentence she will need when she wanders off: hello, she is Dory, she forgets things. She gets it wrong, and they behave as if it is the first time, every time. We were not braced for this and it undid us a little, because Keaton and Levy play worried parents rather than sweet ones, and the film lets us see them frightened when she is not looking. Ellen DeGeneres, who chattered so easily last time, has to find the panic under the chatter here, and does.

Then there is Hank. Ed O’Neill voices a seven-armed octopus who has had enough of the Marine Life Institute and would rather be shipped to a quiet tank in Cleveland than sent back to the sea. He can change colour, squeeze through a pipe, hide in a coffee pot and push a pram, and the animators give every arm its own opinion. O’Neill plays him as a man who has done his time and wants no more conversation. We laughed hardest at the touch pool, where children’s hands come down from above like weather and Hank flattens himself against the bottom and mutters.

The look is expensive and mostly earns it. Jeremy Lasky shoots the open ocean in a blue-green haze, then changes it for the Institute: hard tank light from above, glass with children pressed against it, the yellow murk of the quarantine room. Steve Pilcher’s Institute has pipes and drains and a lorry park, and much of the comedy comes from fish learning how a building works. Thomas Newman brings back his piano from *Finding Nemo* and adds a slow, hopeful line for the parents, used sparingly. Axel Geddes cuts the ocean crossing short, so that Dory, Marlin (Albert Brooks) and Nemo (Hayden Rolence) reach California within a quarter of an hour.

Once there, the film has one move: get from this tank to that tank, and each leg needs a new helper. Destiny (Kaitlin Olson), a whale shark who cannot see, and Bailey (Ty Burrell), a beluga who has decided his echolocation is broken, are amiable, and their troubles rhyme with Dory’s rather too neatly; the film says its lesson out loud more than once. Idris Elba and Dominic West are two sea lions who guard a rock and bark at a third, funny for as long as they are on screen. Marlin has nothing to do but fret, and Brooks is left repeating his old lines.

The last twenty minutes take the whole thing out of the water, and we will not say how. A film that had been tender and small for an hour decides it needs to be big and loud to finish, and we sat through the ending not displeased, exactly, but wondering who had asked for it. Stanton wrote the story with Bob Peterson, and it is the story, not the individual scenes, that lets the film down.

*Finding Nemo* had an ocean and a father’s fear of losing a child in it, and everything moved because of that fear. *Finding Dory* has a good idea about a fish who forgets, and spends its middle in an aquarium because tanks are useful for set pieces. Watch it for the octopus and the flashbacks, ideally with someone under eight, who will not mind that the plot swims in circles and will tell you afterwards what happened, which is more than Dory could.

*Fi1m score 68, published 27 September 2026.*

## What the critics say

Most critics like Finding Dory, and the reviews agree on why. The praise clusters around Dory herself: her memory loss is treated with care rather than as a running gag, and Ellen DeGeneres’s voice work is singled out again and again for its warmth. The animation is admired almost everywhere, particularly the underwater light and the aquarium sequences, and Hank the octopus is the new character most reviews mention, with Ed O’Neill’s performance credited for many of the laughs.

The reservations are consistent too. Nearly every review, including the warm ones, says the story runs close to Finding Nemo’s and lacks Pixar’s usual invention, and several fault an overlong or overblown ending. The spread is fairly narrow: most critics land between good and very good. The dissent comes from The Hollywood Reporter, which finds impatience outweighing enjoyment, and The Skinny, which calls the film sluggish and forgettable.

## Straight answers

**Is Finding Dory worth watching?**

*Finding Dory* is worth watching for families with young children, and for anyone fond of the original, though we scored it 68 because the plot swims from tank to tank without going anywhere. The flashbacks to baby Dory and her parents are unexpectedly sad, and Ed O'Neill's seven-armed octopus is the best thing in it. Watch it with someone under eight.

**How long is Finding Dory, and what is it rated?**

*Finding Dory* runs 1h 37m. It is an adventure and animation film.

**Where can I watch Finding Dory in Türkiye?**

*Finding Dory* is streaming on Disney+ in Türkiye. Availability is checked daily; the links above go straight to each service.

**How does Finding Dory compare to Finding Nemo?**

*Finding Dory* is the weaker of the two: [*Finding Nemo*](https://film.one/film/finding-nemo) had an ocean to cross and a father's fear driving every scene, while the sequel spends its middle in an aquarium because tanks make useful set pieces. Dory's memory loss gives the new film a sadder and kinder centre, and the octopus Hank is a fine addition. Adults will prefer the original; small children will not mind either way.

**What should I watch after Finding Dory?**

After *Finding Dory*, try [*Finding Nemo*](https://film.one/film/finding-nemo) (2003, Fi1m 85): The original, with an actual ocean to cross and a father worth worrying about. Then [*Song of the Sea*](https://film.one/film/song-of-the-sea) (2014, Fi1m 82): Irish selkie tale about a lost mother, gentler and stranger than anything from Pixar; and [*Ernest & Celestine*](https://film.one/film/ernest-and-celestine) (2012, Fi1m 84): A bear and a mouse in watercolour; the best odd-couple animation of its decade.

### Reviews we read (31)

- **Empire**, Jimi Famurewa (90/100, inferred): Famurewa praises the film as a dazzling, emotionally rich return to form that avoids feeling like a retread. He especially singles out Dory’s intimate emotional journey and the inventive aquarium sequences. [Read](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/finding-dory-review/)
- **Variety**, Owen Gleiberman (90/100, inferred): The critic finds the sequel beautiful, rambunctious, and emotionally satisfying, saying it lives up to the original. He especially praises its dazzling underwater imagery and Dory’s newly deepened characterization. [Read](https://variety.com/2016/film/reviews/finding-dory-review-ellen-degeneres-albert-brooks-pixar-1201791897/)
- **Radio Times**, Trevor Johnston (85/100, inferred): The review is strongly positive, finding the sequel full of heart and even smarter than its predecessor. It singles out the film’s emotional warmth and intelligence. [Read](https://www.radiotimes.com/movies/finding-dory-review/)
- **IndieWire**, David Ehrlich (B+): Ehrlich finds the sequel surprisingly satisfying and a compelling defense of sequels, despite its familiar scenery and lack of Pixar-level originality. He particularly praises its emotional exploration of feeling lost and the sense of connection that makes the ocean feel like home. [Read](https://www.indiewire.com/criticism/culture/finding-dory-review-pixar-1201687373/)
- **Little White Lies**, Anton Bitel (3/4/4): Bitel finds the sequel beautifully animated, fast-paced and funny, with an affirming message about overcoming adversity together. He singles out its pixel-perfect panoramas and plentiful gags, while noting a troubling portrayal of bullying toward a character with an intellectual disability. [Read](https://lwlies.com/reviews/finding-dory)
- **The Independent**, Geoffrey Macnab (4/5): Macnab calls it one of Pixar’s most charming films, praising its blend of whimsy, screwball humour and pathos. He singles out the witty dialogue and sound effects, while noting the story’s sentimentality and predictable ending. [Read](https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/films/reviews/finding-dory-review-fishy-sequel-is-one-of-pixars-most-charming-films-yet-a7157881.html)
- **Time Out**, Anna King (4/5): The review says the sequel goes swimmingly for the most part, though its story falls short of Pixar’s usual invention. It singles out the film’s visual pleasures for praise. [Read](https://www.timeout.com/movies/finding-dory)
- **Film Comment**, Michael Sragow (75/100, inferred): Sragow finds the follow-up poignant and playfully self-referential. He singles out its blend of emotional depth and self-aware humor for praise. [Read](https://www.filmcomment.com/deep-focus-finding-dory/)
- **Slant Magazine**, Christopher Gray (3/4): Gray finds the sequel emotionally affecting despite its familiar stakes and formulaic journey. He praises how Dory’s empathy helps other characters overcome their doubts, alongside the film’s sensitive portrayal of her memory loss. [Read](https://www.slantmagazine.com/film/finding-dory/)
- **The AV Club**, A.A. Dowd (B-): Dowd finds the sequel pleasant but less transporting and inventive than its predecessor. He praises its photorealistic underwater visuals and recurring Alien-related jokes, while criticizing its confined setting and canned emotional arc. [Read](https://www.avclub.com/finding-dory-loses-some-magic-by-leaving-the-big-blue-s-1798188118)
- **The New York Times**, A.O. Scott (70/100, inferred): The review’s verdict is positive, though the sequel’s journey feels familiar. It singles out the film’s warmth and Ellen DeGeneres’s performance. [Read](https://www.nytimes.com/2016/06/17/movies/finding-dory-review-pixar.html)
- **Vulture**, David Edelstein (70/100, inferred): Edelstein finds the sequel less original and emotionally deep than Finding Nemo, but ultimately delightful and funny. He especially praises the escalating slapstick and the resourceful new character Hank. [Read](https://www.vulture.com/2016/06/movie-review-finding-dory.html)
- **Evening Standard**, Charlotte O'Sullivan (65/100, inferred): O'Sullivan finds the sequel inferior to Finding Nemo but still pleasurable, with Dory's appeal carrying it. She praises Ellen DeGeneres's sensitive, nuanced voice performance, while noting that familiar gags and scenes rarely startle. [Read](https://www.standard.co.uk/culture/film/finding-dory-review-nemos-best-pal-has-become-star-of-the-show-a3307396.html)
- **The New Yorker** (65/100, inferred): The critic finds the sequel a safe but engaging lighthearted diversion for fans of the original. They praise its colorful, immersive world and engaging take on home and identity, despite a predictable script. [Read](https://www.newyorker.com/goings-on-about-town/movies/finding-dory)
- **Screen Daily**, Tim Grierson (64/100, inferred): The page identifies this as a review of the 2016 film, but the review text is behind a paywall. Its verdict and any specifically praised or criticized element cannot be determined from the available text. [Read](https://www.screendaily.com/reviews/finding-dory-review/5104687.article)
- **The Guardian**, Jordan Hoffman (3/5): Hoffman finds the sequel emotionally effective but repetitive, facile, and heavy-handed in its message. He praises Hank’s mesmerising animation and DeGeneres’s performance, while faulting the overblown ending. [Read](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2016/jun/14/finding-dory-review-nemo-sequel-disability-ellen-de-generes)
- **Total Film**, Neil Smith (3/5): Smith finds the film enjoyable but clearly less successful than its predecessor, calling it a partial return to form. He praises its moments of visual beauty, especially the starry reflection in Dory’s eyes and the migrating manta rays. [Read](https://www.gamesradar.com/finding-dory-review/)
- **Los Angeles Times**, Kenneth Turan (45/100, inferred): Turan finds the sequel only sporadically encouraging and ultimately a mid-range Pixar effort. He praises its undersea visuals and especially the entertaining sea creatures Dory encounters. [Read](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/movies/la-et-mn-finding-dory-review-20160613-snap-story.html)
- **The Hollywood Reporter**, Todd McCarthy (25/100, inferred): McCarthy finds the sequel rambunctious and passably humorous but far less inventive than its predecessor, with impatience outweighing enjoyment. He praises Hank the octopus’s funny physical antics and Ed O’Neill’s vocal performance as the film’s main source of laughs. [Read](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-reviews/finding-dory-film-review-901456/?facebook_20160610)
- **Consequence**, Allison Shoemaker (85/100, inferred): The critic finds the sequel delightful and emotionally resonant, even if it lacks the original’s surprises. She especially praises how it turns Dory’s memory loss into a strength, alongside its animation and tender message. [Read](https://consequence.net/2016/06/film-review-finding-dory/)
- **HeyUGuys** (85/100, inferred): The critic considers it one of Pixar’s best sequels and a brilliant film overall. They praise the emotional baby-Dory sequences, while finding the climactic freeway chase over the top. [Read](https://www.heyuguys.com/finding-dory-review/)
- **Polygon**, Julia Alexander (85/100, inferred): The review calls the sequel a worthy successor, emotionally rich and ultimately hopeful. It especially praises the tender flashbacks showing Dory’s parents helping her cope with memory loss. [Read](https://www.polygon.com/2016/6/16/11947230/finding-dory-review/)
- **Deadline**, Pete Hammond (80/100, inferred): Hammond finds the sequel irresistible and expects it to please both children and parents. He particularly praises Ellen DeGeneres’s vocal performance and the humor provided by the scene-stealing octopus Hank. [Read](https://deadline.com/2016/06/finding-dory-review-pixar-ellen-degeneres-finding-nemo-video-1201773876/)
- **Den of Geek**, Simon Brew (4/5): Brew finds the sequel enjoyable, though not as strong as Finding Nemo. He praises Dory’s positive portrayal of disability, the memorable characters, and the film’s stunning visuals, while noting that its story feels familiar. [Read](https://www.denofgeek.com/movies/finding-dory-review-2/)
- **Eye for Film**, Amber Wilkinson (80/100, inferred): Wilkinson finds the sequel emotionally effective and warmly entertaining, with Dory’s optimism at its heart. She praises its balance of sentiment, slapstick and visual gags, which keeps the story lively without eclipsing its characters. [Read](https://www.eyeforfilm.co.uk/review/finding-dory-2016-film-review-by-amber-wilkinson)
- **/Film**, Peter Sciretta (8/10): Sciretta finds the sequel emotionally rewarding and fun, though less successful overall than Finding Nemo. He praises the new sea lion characters and the film’s emotional humor, but faults its overlong ending. [Read](https://www.slashfilm.com/544763/finding-dory-review/)
- **Collider**, Matt Goldberg (B): Goldberg calls the sequel a heartwarming, funny, and worthy successor, though it falls short of Finding Nemo. He praises its endearing new characters and emotional treatment of mental health, while noting uneven pacing. [Read](https://collider.com/finding-dory-review/)
- **Paste**, Michael Snydel (7.6/10): Snydel finds the sequel emotionally affecting and a worthwhile expansion of Dory’s story, despite chaotic plotting and some weak comic characters. He praises its honest treatment of loneliness and the challenges faced by Dory and her parents. [Read](https://www.pastemagazine.com/movies/finding-dory)
- **The Playlist** (71/100, inferred): The URL presents the film as a worthy successor to Finding Nemo. The article text is blocked, so its verdict and specific praise cannot be verified. [Read](https://theplaylist.net/finding-dory-sets-its-own-course-and-is-a-worthy-successor-to-finding-nemo-review-20160615/)
- **Digital Spy** (70/100, inferred): The critic finds the sequel brilliant and engaging despite a somewhat repetitive plot and heavy-handed moral messages. The dazzling action and Ed O’Neill’s performance as Hank stand out for praise. [Read](https://www.digitalspy.com/movies/a798499/finding-dory-review-is-the-nemo-sequel-fresh-or-fishy/)
- **The Skinny**, Tom Charles (★★): Charles finds the sequel sluggish and less sharp, smart, or funny than expected from Pixar. He praises its animation and emotional impact, though he finds the world less tactile and the film forgettable. [Read](https://www.theskinny.co.uk/film/new-releases/finding-dory)

## Details

- **Director:** Andrew Stanton
- **Director:** Andrew Stanton
- **Screenplay:** Andrew Stanton, Victoria Strouse
- **Story:** Andrew Stanton, Bob Peterson
- **Cinematography:** Jeremy Lasky
- **Editor:** Axel Geddes
- **Music:** Thomas Newman
- **Production design:** Steve Pilcher
- **Producer:** Lindsey Collins
- **Cast:** Ellen DeGeneres as Dory (voice); Albert Brooks as Marlin (voice); Ed O'Neill as Hank (voice); Hayden Rolence as Nemo (voice); Diane Keaton as Jenny (voice); Eugene Levy as Charlie (voice); Ty Burrell as Bailey (voice); Kaitlin Olson as Destiny (voice)
- **Runtime:** 1h 37m
- **Release (Türkiye):** 17 June 2016
- **Genres:** Adventure, Animation, Family
- **Budget:** $200 million
- **Box office:** $1.03 billion
- **Trailer:** https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NQu-153MnGQ

## Where to watch in Türkiye

- Disney+: streaming, uhd

*Checked 2026-09-27.*

Also available in: AE, AR, AT, AU, BE, BG, BR, CA, CH, CL, CO, CZ, DE, DK, EC, EE, ES, FI, FR, GB, GR, HK, HR, HU, IE, IL, IS, IT, JP, KR, LT, MX, NL, NO, NZ, PA, PE, PL, PT, RO, RS, SE, SG, SI, TR, UA, US, ZA. Add `?region=XX` to this URL for another country.

## Awards

- Kids' Choice Award for Favorite Animated Movie 2017: Kids' Choice Award for Favorite Animated Movie (won)
- Annie Award for Best Animated Feature 2016: Annie Award for Best Animated Feature (nominated)
- Critics' Choice Awards 2016: Best Animated Feature (nominated)

## If you liked this

- *Finding Nemo* (2003), Fi1m 85: The original, with an actual ocean to cross and a father worth worrying about — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/finding-nemo.md)
- *Ponyo* (2008): Miyazaki’s goldfish girl; hand-drawn water that behaves like nothing in a tank
- *Song of the Sea* (2014), Fi1m 82: Irish selkie tale about a lost mother, gentler and stranger than anything from Pixar — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/song-of-the-sea.md)
- *Ernest & Celestine* (2012), Fi1m 84: A bear and a mouse in watercolour; the best odd-couple animation of its decade — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/ernest-and-celestine.md)
- *Paddington 2* (2017), Fi1m 91: A small creature loose in a large institution, with jokes for the grown-ups — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/paddington-2.md)

---
© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/film/finding-dory