OK, a person would never guess that I’m not, in general, a “New Disney” fan. Give me the old stuff any day. But a few of the newer movies are real gems, and this is one of them (Toy Story and TS2 being others).
What I like: It’s a nice story. And the actors who do the voices do a really good job, even Ellen Degeneres, who I really can’t stand.
What I don’t like: The smart-aleck-y-ness in most of the lines. I think it’s funny, but I’m a smart aleck and sarcastic as all get-out. These are not qualities I really find appealing in young children.
Willing Suspension of Disbelief Becomes Challenging:
– The whole diver incident is hard to believe. That they could just come out of complete nowhere?
– And the fish escaping at the end, they’re all in individual plastic bags, and they roll themselves to the ocean to be FREE!! Ok, but first, they’re in plastic bags and they don’t have teeth. Second, they’re floating on the ocean surface. Now, everyone knows that a plastic bag half filled with water will float on the surface of a larger body of water at exactly the level of the water inside the bag, right? So the fish are resting on top of the water, meaning that they’re in plastic bags full of air?? (It’s important to note that while I find THIS to be too big of a leap to take, I have no problem with the idea of talking fish rolling themselves off a window ledge, across the street, and into the harbor in a pre-planned plot to gain their freedom.)
– The new tank cleaning system is a real pipe dream.
What Wally could learn: Bad things happen when you run away from your parents just to prove that you can do it. Especially in parking lots, stores, or in the ocean. Facing your fears if it means accomplishing a more important goal or task.
What Wally probably is learning: That sharks and whales are super fun playmates.
Other funny information: I at times read the nitpicker website. I believe it was there that someone pointed out that they noticed a glaring error in the movie: the seagulls drawn in the movie are North American seagulls, not the type that would be found in Australia. Someone replied to this nitpick, saying that they had noticed another glaring error – Fish Don’t Talk!!
Nitpicker also gave me this gem: Mr Ray sings, “Let’s name a species, a species, a species; Let’s name a species that lives in the sea…” but the creatures Mr. Ray lists– porifera, hydrozoa, coelentera, etc. are not species– they are phyla.”
The View From Here 