Finding Nemo Movie Review

There's a lot of fishing swimming out in the ocean, but one of them is far from home...

Marlin Clownfish thinks he is on top of the world with a nice home in the Great Barrier Reef, wonderful wife, and 1400.5 fishies on the way. One day everything changed. A hungry fish surprises them and wipes out Marlin's entire family, leaving him all alone with one surviving egg. Guess who? Nemo. This devastating event traumatizes Marlin, and he promises to never let anything happen to Nemo again. Marlin begins to fear everything in the ocean. He even tries to hold Nemo back from school. But eventually Nemo has to go to school. There Marlin's worst fears are realized when a human diver "fish-naps" Nemo away for his fish tank.

Marlin immediately begins to search for Nemo. Along the way he meets a hilarious fish with ADD named Dory. She has a bad memory but a big heart. Together they meet sharks, mines, turtle-dudes, hungry seabirds, sewer systems and more in their hunt for Nemo.

Finding Nemo features several points of application that make for great discussion in your children’s ministry. Take advantage of this film to teach important lessons your kids will never forget. Here are a few I left the movie tonight thinking about:

1. A LESSON ON PATIENCE - Nemo wants to go to school like everyone else. He learns that he has to be patient and wait for the right time.

2. A LESSON ON OBEDIENCE - Nemo put himself in great danger when he disobeyed his father and did what he wanted. He ended up in a fish tank at a dentist's office. All of this would have been avoided if he would have obeyed at the beginning. The Bible teaches boys and girls to honor and obey their parents (Ephesians 6:1).

3. A LESSON ON FRIENDSHIP - Marlin grew frustrated with Dory and ends up leaving her all by herself in his search for Nemo. We should remember that friends need to stick together through the thick and thin, at good times and bad.

4. A LESSON ON PARENTING - Marlin, Nemo's dad, loved and his son but was a little overprotective. Moms and dads should love and protect their kids, but should leave them room to make some of their own decisions too.

5. A LESSON ON LOVE - I have saved the best for last. Marlin loved his son so much that he was willing to RISK his life for him. We have a heavenly Father who loves us so much that he didn't RISK his life, but GAVE it freely for us (See John 3:16).

Pixar Studios lived up to its reputation. Just like A Bug's Life, Monsters Inc. and Toy Story, Finding Nemo makes computer animation breathtaking. The colors are bright and fascinating bringing the underwater world magically to life.

Finding Nemo gets two thumbs up from this children’s pastor. Although I think the beginning starts a bit heavy, it is packed with laughs and family-friendly fun. You will see me first in line at Blockbuster to buy my copy when it is released on video. It’s one “packed to the gills” with great fun and valuable lessons for kids of all ages!

By Pastor Ryan Frank