Finding Nemo is widely regarded as one of Pixar’s most heartfelt and popular movies - so much so that anyone who ever even dares to dismiss or chastise it is usually immediately met with a round of deafening boos. But that’s never stopped the posse over at Cinema Sins from turning on a film and picking apart its every little mistake. And they’ve now given the same brutal treatment to Finding Nemo with typical hilarious results.
Wow. I mean, I expected Finding Nemo to have a few little flaws dotted throughout it but I didn’t think Cinema Sins would find so many. I feel like they’ve ruined the whole thing for me in one fell swoop. In fact, I can only imagine a feeling that’s comparable to this would be if they ran into a child’s home on Christmas Day, stole all of their presents, and then gave them a slap for good measure too.
So, what did CinemaSins find? Well, they made sure not pull any punches from the very start, declaring that the sight of Marlin (Albert Brooks) and Coral (Was I the only one who didn’t know it was Elizabeth Perkins?) looking over their burgeoning brood of clown-fish immediately made them think about eating caviar. I mean, come on! That’s Marlin Jr. and Coral Jr. you’re talking about! Have some decorum.
Of course, what follows is one of the most heart-breaking opening scenes in cinematic history, as a raging and obviously starving barracuda storms down to Marlin and Coral’s new home- but even this sequence isn’t safe from ridicule. For example, as the video points out, it’s quite lucky that Marlin was knocked away to perfect safety before the barracuda gorged on the young family.
This episode even goes into full-science mode, and further undermines the intro sequence with the information that all clown fish are hermaphrodites - noting that they change sex depending on the grouping situation. This means that since Coral was the alpha female of the clan, the strongest male now becomes female and takes her place. So, Nemo should turn into a woman, which Cinema Sins predicts could even be the plot for Finding Dory. And I thought Inside Out sounded ambitious!
Cinema Sins also seems to take great joy in revealing that Marlin probably has OCD, accusing a group of dim-witted father fish of being racist, and revealing that Bruce the Shark (Barry Humphries) must have seen either The Shining or The Tonight Show With Johnny Carson to have made his reference of, "Here’s Johnny". However their most probing question was why did the parents of Darla take this photo of her holding a fish just seconds after she’d murdered it?
But forget that questionable slice of parenting for the time being, because how was Marlin planning on getting onto dry land and into the dentist’s office after he’d arrived at Dr. P Sherman’s address of 42 Wallaby Way? I didn’t think it was possible, but Finding Nemo might have just been ruined for me. Hopefully 2016’s Finding Dory will make up for it. Otherwise I’m never going to be able to look a fish in the eye ever again.
