History YMMV / FindingDory

** Although most people agree that this film is good, whether or not it's as good as the first film is a point of debate.

* ContestedSequel: ''Finding Dory'' is an odd case among Pixar movies. Its Rotten Tomatoes score is in the mid-90s, putting it nearly on par with ''Finding Nemo'' and Pixar's other acclaimed classics, but the reviews themselves frequently note that [[ToughActToFollow the movie isn't as good as its predecessor]], similar to reviews for ''WesternAnimation/MonstersUniversity'' (which had a significantly lower Tomatometer score). If one looks at Metacritic, its score is a respectable 77 (the exact same as ''WesternAnimation/ABugsLife''), whereas Pixar's [[Franchise/ToyStory other]] [[WesternAnimation/FindingNemo highly]] [[WesternAnimation/TheIncredibles acclaimed]] [[WesternAnimation/{{Ratatouille}} films]] [[WesternAnimation/WallE have]] [[WesternAnimation/{{Up}} scores]] [[WesternAnimation/InsideOut in]] the high 80s or low 90s. In any case, [[OverlyNarrowSuperlative it's the best-reviewed Pixar sequel that isn't a follow-up to]] ''WesternAnimation/ToyStory'', and it's still seen as a worthy sequel and a good movie in its own right. And there are many who feel it's an EvenBetterSequel for it’s deeper story, faster pace, and Hank.

* ToughActToFollow: Considering how well-loved ''WesternAnimation/FindingNemo'' is, and the fact that it had ''13 years'' to be loved as just a stand-alone film, expectations for the sequel were a little too high. Having fan favorite Dory as the main character here helped a ''ton'', and the reviews for this film are very, very positive, but not quite as strong as the first one. This most likely has to do with the fact that Pixar is currently going through a DorkAge of otherwise inferior sequels (''WesternAnimation/Cars2'' and ''WesternAnimation/MonstersUniversity'') and decidedly poor original films (''WesternAnimation/{{Brave}}'' and ''WesternAnimation/TheGoodDinosaur''). Of the non-''WesternAnimation/InsideOut'' films of said DorkAge, this one seemed for a time to have by ''far'' the best chance of becoming VindicatedByHistory. Since then, ''WesternAnimation/{{Coco}}'', another decidedly strong original film, has managed to be as well recieved as ''Inside Out'', which isn't a good sign as to how ''Finding Dory'' will be looked back on in the future. However, time will tell whether ''Coco'' is even part of the aforementioned DorkAge.

** Although most people agree that this film is good, whether or not it's as good as the first film is a point of debate. Still, the fact that there's even debate is saying something, because every other Pixar movie after ''Toy Story 3'' (with the definite exceptions of ''WesternAnimation/InsideOut'' and ''WesternAnimation/{{Coco}}'') [[DorkAge is widely agreed to be below their standards]].

* ContestedSequel: ''Finding Dory'' is an odd case among Pixar movies. Its Rotten Tomatoes score is in the mid-90s, putting it nearly on par with ''Finding Nemo'' and Pixar's other acclaimed classics, but the reviews themselves frequently note that [[ToughActToFollow the movie isn't as good as its predecessor]], similar to reviews for ''WesternAnimation/MonstersUniversity'' (which had a significantly lower Tomatometer score). If one looks at Metacritic, its score is a respectable 77 (the exact same as ''WesternAnimation/ABugsLife''), whereas Pixar's [[Franchise/ToyStory other]] [[WesternAnimation/FindingNemo highly]] [[WesternAnimation/TheIncredibles acclaimed]] [[WesternAnimation/{{Ratatouille}} films]] [[WesternAnimation/WallE have]] [[WesternAnimation/{{Up}} scores]] [[WesternAnimation/InsideOut in]] the high 80s or low 90s. In any case, [[OverlyNarrowSuperlative it's the best-reviewed Pixar sequel that isn't a follow-up to]] ''WesternAnimation/ToyStory'', and it's still seen as a worthy sequel and a good movie in its own right. And there are even some who feel it's an EvenBetterSequel.

* AwesomeMusic:

* VisualEffectsOfAwesome: Hank the Octopus has been said to be the most complex CGI rig Pixar has ever done. It took two years for the studio to finish even ''one'' of his scenes! They explain it in detail [[https://youtu.be/Nn0S2vmSCU0 here]].

* TheyWastedAPerfectlyGoodPlot: After the first film made such a big deal about just getting to Australia, it can seem pretty weird that this film treats crossing ''the entire Pacific Ocean'' so casually. Though many fans are willing to forgive it as it lets most of the film take place in a new location that stops it from [[ItsTheSameNowItSucks feeling like a complete retread.]]

** Although most people agree that this film is good, whether or not it's as good as the first film is a point of debate. Some even debate whether it's up to ''Pixar standards'', despite the fact that it's a sequel to what's considered a classic Pixar film. Still, the fact that there's even debate is saying something, because every other Pixar movie after ''Toy Story 3'' (with the definite exceptions of ''WesternAnimation/InsideOut'' and ''WesternAnimation/{{Coco}}'') [[DorkAge is widely agreed to be below their standards]].

* ToughActToFollow: Considering how well-loved ''WesternAnimation/FindingNemo'' is, and the fact that it had ''13 years'' to be loved as just a stand-alone film, expectations for the sequel were a little too high. Having FanFavorite Dory as the main character here helped a ''ton'', and the reviews for this film are very, very positive, but not quite as strong as the first one. This most likely has to do with the fact that Pixar is currently going through a DorkAge of otherwise inferior sequels (Cars 2, Monsters University) and decidedly poor original films (Brave, The Good Dinosaur). Of the non-''WesternAnimation/InsideOut'' films of said DorkAge, this one seemed for a time to have by ''far'' the best chance of becoming VindicatedByHistory. Since then, ''WesternAnimation/{{Coco}}'', another decidedly strong original film, has managed to be as well recieved as ''Inside Out'', which isn't a good sign as to how ''Finding Dory'' will be looked back on in the future. However, time will tell whether ''Coco'' is even part of the aforementioned DorkAge.

* ToughActToFollow: Considering how well-loved ''WesternAnimation/FindingNemo'' is, and the fact that it had ''13 years'' to be loved as just a stand-alone film, expectations for the sequel were a little too high. Having FanFavorite Dory as the main character here helped a ''ton'', and the reviews for this film are very, very positive, but not quite as strong as the first one. This most likely has to do with the fact that Pixar is currently going through a DorkAge of otherwise inferior sequels (Cars 2, Monsters University) and decidedly poor original films (Brave, The Good Dinosaur). Of the non-''WesternAnimation/Inside Out'' films of said DorkAge, this one seemed for a time to have by ''far'' the best chance of becoming VindicatedByHistory. Since then, ''WesternAnimation/Coco'', another decidedly strong original film, has managed to be as well recieved as ''Inside Out'', which isn't a good sign as to how ''Finding Dory'' will be looked back on in the future. However, time will tell whether ''Coco'' is even part of the aforementioned DorkAge.

* ToughActToFollow: Considering how well-loved ''WesternAnimation/FindingNemo'' is, and the fact that it had ''13 years'' to be loved as just a stand-alone film, expectations for the sequel were a little too high. Having FanFavorite Dory as the main character here helped a ''ton'', and the reviews for this film are very, very positive, but not quite as strong as the first one. This most likely has to do with the fact that Pixar is currently going through a DorkAge of otherwise inferior sequels (Cars 2, Monsters University) and decidedly poor original films (Brave, The Good Dinosaur).

** Hank is the only sea creature of the franchise who's from the ocean but actually ''wants'' to live in human captivity. He shows signs of trauma thinking about living in the ocean and is incredibly pushy about getting his turn to go far inland. The movie never explains why Hank feels this way or why [[spoiler:he has a change of [[{{Pun}} hearts]] near the climax]]. Of course, this could all be an idea for a future film.

* ToughActToFollow: Considering how well-loved ''WesternAnimation/FindingNemo'' is, and the fact that it had ''13 years'' to be loved as just a stand-alone film, expectations for the sequel were a little too high. Having FanFavorite Dory as the main character here helped a ''ton'', and the reviews for this film are very, very positive, but not quite as strong as the first one. This most likely has to do with the fact that Pixar is currently going through a DorkAge of otherwise inferior sequels (Cars 2, Monsters University) and decidedly poor original films (Brave, The Good Dinosaur). Of the non-''Inside Out'' films of said DorkAge, this one has by ''far'' the best chance of becoming VindicatedByHistory.

** Although most people agree that this film is good, whether or not it's as good as the first film is a point of debate. Some even debate whether it's up to ''Pixar standards'', despite the fact that it's a sequel to what's considered a classic Pixar film. Still, the fact that there's even debate is saying something, because every other Pixar movie after ''Toy Story 3'' (with the definite exception of ''WesternAnimation/InsideOut'') [[DorkAge is widely agreed to be below their standards]].

** Nemo this time around. Does having him be sarcastic either make him surprisingly funny or bizarrely out of character? Despite this, many feel Hayden Royce was just as good a replacement (if not better) for Alexander Gould.

* BrokenBase:

** Hank is the only sea creature shown in the movie who's born in the ocean to actually ''want'' to be in human captivity. He shows signs of trauma thinking about living in the ocean and is incredibly pushy about getting his turn to go far inland. The movie never explains why Hank feels this way or why [[spoiler:he has a change of [[{{Pun}} hearts]] near the climax]]. Of course, this could all be an idea for a future film.

** Nemo this time around. Did having him as sarcastic either make him surprisingly funny or bizarrely out of character? Nonetheless, many feel Hayden Royce was just as good a replacement (if not better) for Alexander Gould.

* BaseBreakingCharacter: The two female randos, one of whom sports a tomboyish haircut, who may or may not be [[LesYay a lesbian couple]].[[note]]They're often referred to as "the two women with the baby," only because they're seen looking into a baby carriage in the trailer. In the movie itself, they're actually putting the sippy cup containing Dory back into the carriage when they think that the baby inside (Hank in disguise) dropped it. They, themselves, are never actually seen with a baby.[[/note]] When they appeared in a trailer, it sparked a lot of hype from people who believe there should be more positive portrayals of homosexuality in family films, but also a lot of [[GayPanic animosity]] between them and [[MoralGuardians exactly the kind of people one would expect to have a problem with this]]. Even the filmmakers [[ShrugOfGod decidedly not taking a stand and leaving it up to the viewer]] [[http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2016/06/11/finding-dory-s-lesbian-couple-and-how-disney-keeps-failing-its-lgbt-fans.html has been controversial]].

** The Tank Gang were actually going to be ''main characters in the film who helped Marlin and Nemo look for Dory''. Why in the world they were demoted to a brief scene after the credits (especially considering it involved bringing back all their voice actors) is a mystery that to this day remains unanswered, but it's highly speculated that it's because their storyline is being [[RefittedForTheSequel saved for the next film]].

* JerkassWoobie: Hank is a cranky octopus who is frequently rude towards Dory, and is seemingly only helping her to get her quarantine tag. But the fact that he's traumatized from being mishandled by people (in fact, the reason why he's so desperate to get Dory's quarantine tag is to be able to live a peaceful, secluded life without any contact with others) and was clearly terrified when he found himself in a touch tank makes him much more sympathetic. It's also highly implied that the loss of one of his tentacles due to a traumatizing experience is why he is so afraid of being released back into the wild.

* ToughActToFollow: ''WesternAnimation/FindingNemo'' is considered a modern day classic, so this was inevitable. Having FanFavorite Dory as the main character here helped a ''ton'', and the reviews for this film are very, very positive, but not quite as strong as the first one. This most likely has to do with the fact that Pixar is currently going through a DorkAge of otherwise inferior sequels (Cars 2, Monsters University) and decidedly poor original films (Brave, The Good Dinosaur). Of the non-''Inside Out'' films of said DorkAge, this one has by ''far'' the best chance of becoming VindicatedByHistory.

* BrokenBase: Although most people agree that this film is good, whether or not it's as good as the first film is a point of debate. Some even debate whether it's up to ''Pixar standards'', despite the fact that it's a sequel to what's considered a classic Pixar film. Still, the fact that there's even debate is saying something, because every other Pixar movie after ''Toy Story 3'' (with the definite exception of ''WesternAnimation/InsideOut'') [[DorkAge is widely agreed to be below their standards]].
** Also, on whether or not it should be the end for the ''Finding'' franchise. Some feel that Dory was the best and perhaps only thing left to truly be explored after the first film, and so a third film would feel [[SeasonalRot forced and bad]]. On the other hand, many also feel that sacrificing elements of the first film (like the sharks, the tank gang, Nigel the pelican, and the entire ocean) is a clear sign that the this is ''not'' the GrandFinale, and that there is still more unexplored greatness for the series.

* BrokenBase: Although most people agree that this film is good, whether or not it's up to Pixar standards is a point of debate. Still, the fact that there's even debate is saying something, because every other Pixar movie after ''Toy Story 3'' (with the definite exception of ''WesternAnimation/InsideOut'') [[DorkAge is widely agreed to be below their standards]].

** [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=odDkji5biaE Shells]].

** While most of the previous movie's characters are relegated to minor roles, they still have memorable appearances. Special mention goes to the turtles and [[spoiler:the Tank Gang]].

** Hank is the only sea creature shown in the movie who's born in the ocean to actually ''want'' to be in human captivity. He shows signs of trauma thinking about living in the ocean and is incredibly pushy about getting his turn to go far inland. The movie never explains why Hank feels this way or why [[spoiler:he has a change of [[{{Pun}} hearts]] near the climax]].
* TheyWastedAPerfectlyGoodPlot: After the first film made such a big deal about just getting to Australia, it can seem pretty weird that this film treats crossing ''the entire Pacific Ocean'' so casually. Though many fans are willing to forgive it as it lets most of the film take place in a new location that stops it from feeling like a complete retread.
* ToughActToFollow: ''WesternAnimation/FindingNemo'' is considered a modern day classic, so this was inevitable. The reviews for this film are very, very positive, but not quite as strong as the first one. This most likely has to do with the fact that Pixar is currently going through a DorkAge of otherwise inferior sequels (Cars 2, Monsters University) and decidedly poor original films (Brave, The Good Dinosaur). Of the non-''Inside Out'' films of said DorkAge, this one has by ''far'' the best chance of becoming VindicatedByHistory.

* SequelHook: Some fans consider the lack of appearances from most characters of the first film as a good sign that there is more to come.

* NarmCharm: "It's your destiny, Destiny." As silly as that line sounds on paper (and on-screen), the context ([[spoiler:Bailey getting Destiny to jump the wall of her enclosure]]) manages to make it work.

* SpoiledByTheFormat: The names of [[spoiler:the Tank Gang]] and their voice actors appear in the end credits before the characters themselves show up in TheStinger.
* TastesLikeDiabetes: The opening scene with Baby Dory.

** The GiantSquid, which takes the role of the anglerfish from the original movie. Unlike the anglerfish, however, the squid doesn't get outwitted in any way (our heroes simply flee from it), and it disappears entirely until a scene during the credits. Considering that [[spoiler:the climax takes place outside the institute (and features nearly everyone coming BackForTheFinale)]], it could've easily made a reappearance.

* ToughActToFollow: ''WesternAnimation/FindingNemo'' is considered a modern day classic, so this was inevitable. The reviews for this film are very, very positive, but not quite as strong as the first one.

* ContestedSequel: ''Finding Dory'' is an odd case among Pixar movies. Its Rotten Tomatoes score is in the mid-90s, putting it nearly on par with ''Finding Nemo'' and Pixar's other acclaimed classics, but the reviews themselves frequently note that [[ToughActToFollow the movie isn't as good as its predecessor]], similar to reviews for ''WesternAnimation/MonstersUniversity'' (which had a significantly lower Tomatometer score). If one looks at Metacritic, its score is a respectable 77 (the exact same as ''WesternAnimation/ABugsLife''), whereas Pixar's [[Franchise/ToyStory other]] [[WesternAnimation/FindingNemo highly]] [[WesternAnimation/TheIncredibles acclaimed]] [[WesternAnimation/{{Ratatouille}} films]] [[WesternAnimation/WallE have]] [[WesternAnimation/{{Up}} scores]] [[WesternAnimation/InsideOut in]] the high 80s or low 90s. In any case, [[OverlyNarrowSuperlative it's the best-reviewed Pixar sequel that isn't a follow-up to]] ''WesternAnimation/ToyStory'', and it's still seen as a worthy sequel and a good movie in its own right.

** While technically the same character, Baby Dory is the undisputed beloved fan favorite of the film, who endeared ''every'' viewer who saw her.