# Am I the only person in the world who despises the movie " Finding Nemo"? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [March 5, 2011, 6:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-the-only-person-in-the-world-who-despises-the-movie-finding-nemo/573601 "2011-03-05T18:03:10Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Alka\_Seltzer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c89c15/32.png) [@Alka\_Seltzer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alka_Seltzer)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2011, 2:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-the-only-person-in-the-world-who-despises-the-movie-finding-nemo/573601/41 "2011-03-06T14:36:08Z")
I found Finding Nemo pretty underwhelming as a whole, and also found Dori quite annoying. The seagulls were the best bit (Mine!). They can be very inventive, but in general the pixar films come across as too sentimental/smaltzy for my taste. I still think Toy Story (1) is the best of them by some distance. ---
**Author:** ![RikWriter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/49beb7/32.png) [@RikWriter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RikWriter)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2011, 3:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-the-only-person-in-the-world-who-despises-the-movie-finding-nemo/573601/42 "2011-03-06T15:07:08Z")
I thought it was entertaining. Not the best Pixar movie, but not the worst either. If the OP didn’t like Toy Story, I don’t think there’s much hope he’d like most Pixar movies. ---
**Author:** ![interface2x](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/c0e974/32.png) [@interface2x](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/interface2x)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2011, 3:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-the-only-person-in-the-world-who-despises-the-movie-finding-nemo/573601/43 "2011-03-06T15:19:28Z")
> [@GuanoLad](#): > > _Finding Nemo_ is my favourite Pixar film. I thought it might lose its place at the top after each subsequent movie came out (except for _Ratatouille_ and _Cars_, which I like but aren’t even close to _Nemo_) but as time passes I still retain my love for _Finding Nemo_. Same here, love it. ---
**Author:** ![Idle\_Thoughts](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/838e76/32.png) [@Idle\_Thoughts](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Idle_Thoughts)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2011, 3:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-the-only-person-in-the-world-who-despises-the-movie-finding-nemo/573601/44 "2011-03-06T15:19:58Z")
Sorry, another one to disagree with you. Finding Nemo was my favorite Pixar film (until I saw Up). ---
**Author:** ![Sakuma\_Drops](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/50afbb/32.png) [@Sakuma\_Drops](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sakuma_Drops)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2011, 3:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-the-only-person-in-the-world-who-despises-the-movie-finding-nemo/573601/45 "2011-03-06T15:45:40Z")
> [@RikWriter](#): > > I thought it was entertaining. Not the best Pixar movie, but not the worst either. Yeah, same here. _Finding Nemo_ is one of my favorite Pixar films visually because I love diving and sea life. The story and characterizations are well-done but not groundbreaking or spectacular necessarily. I didn’t get the same emotional punch that I did with, say, _Up_ or _Monsters, Inc._, but that doesn’t make _Finding Nemo_ a _bad_ movie in my mind. It is what it is. ---
**Author:** ![FoieGrasIsEvil](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foiegrasisevil/32/16638_2.png) [@FoieGrasIsEvil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FoieGrasIsEvil)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2011, 3:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-the-only-person-in-the-world-who-despises-the-movie-finding-nemo/573601/46 "2011-03-06T15:49:41Z")
> [@JoelUpchurch](#): > > The principal characters in Pixar movies are all people, they just aren’t always human people. I can think of a lot of live action movies where the characters act less like people than Pixar characters. **Joel** , your sarcasm-o-meter needs to be adjusted! 😃 And I really liked the film too. Lots of great characters and one-liners. “Aww, you guys made me ink!” 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Justin\_Bailey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/justin_bailey/32/8792_2.png) [@Justin\_Bailey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Justin_Bailey)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2011, 4:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-the-only-person-in-the-world-who-despises-the-movie-finding-nemo/573601/47 "2011-03-06T16:02:09Z")
> [@Hakuna\_Matata](#): > > I believe he was referring to > > [El Chapulín Colorado - Wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/El_Chapul%C3%ADn_Colorado) > > the king of lame jokes! Oh my god! Bumblebee Man is real? My mind is blown. ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2011, 5:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-the-only-person-in-the-world-who-despises-the-movie-finding-nemo/573601/48 "2011-03-06T17:10:41Z")
> [@Swords\_to\_Plowshares](#): > > Am I the only person in the world who hates threads with the subject line “Am I the only person in the world who hates Popular Thing X?” They’re just a magnet for people to whine and complain. > [@Red\_Barchetta](#): > > It just proves my theory that more people will always dislike a given something than those who do. It’s a good thing this thread is disproving both of you, then, isn’t it? BTW, I liked the film. I really would like to hear why **Chapulin** doesn’t like it. It was pretty much exactly what I expect a Disney or Pixar movie to be. Well, except the pee joke. That surprised me. ---
**Author:** ![Lemur866](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lemur866/32/434_2.png) [@Lemur866](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lemur866)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2011, 5:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-the-only-person-in-the-world-who-despises-the-movie-finding-nemo/573601/49 "2011-03-06T17:18:27Z")
There’s a difference between “I didn’t like it and it was boring” and “I despised it”. What was despicable about _Finding Nemo_? I can think of several despicable movies, like, say, _Hostel_, or _Triumph of the Will_. Movies that make you hate the people responsible for the movie, movies that make the world a worse place. But a movie that wasn’t funny and had lame jokes? That’s not despicable. ---
**Author:** ![choie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/choie/32/7829_2.png) [@choie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/choie)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2011, 6:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-the-only-person-in-the-world-who-despises-the-movie-finding-nemo/573601/50 "2011-03-06T18:15:50Z")
> [@Lemur866](#): > > There’s a difference between “I didn’t like it and it was boring” and “I despised it”. > > What was despicable about _Finding Nemo_? I can think of several despicable movies, like, say, _Hostel_, or _Triumph of the Will_. Movies that make you hate the people responsible for the movie, movies that make the world a worse place. > > But a movie that wasn’t funny and had lame jokes? That’s not despicable. Exactly. _Finding Nemo_ is my third favorite Pixar film (behind _The Incredibles_ and _Ratatouille_) and I find it charming but can understand why people aren’t huge fans of it. But to _despise_ such an otherwise innocuous film? Usually such hyperbole is reserved for films such as **Lemur866** mentioned above. Or it’s used by those too-cool-for-school types who love flaunting how anti-pop culture they are by hating massively popular things like _Harry Potter_ or _Twilight_. (Not that there aren’t reasons to “despise” _Twilight_ for, e.g. its apparentl glorification of stalking, but I’m talking people who haven’t even read it and basically hate it ‘cause it’s freakin’ omnipresent. Which I can understand too, btw.) _Nemo_ is neither odious (unless you’re, like, a confirmed fish-eater who thinks it’s a PETA propaganda tool) nor over-hyped enough to be sickening… plus, it’s also several years old, so any excess hype is long past. So wherefore does the _despising_ come into it? It’s like despising Debbie Gibson or _Family Matters_. May have been annoying once, but why continue the hate? ---
**Author:** ![Sakuma\_Drops](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/50afbb/32.png) [@Sakuma\_Drops](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sakuma_Drops)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2011, 6:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-the-only-person-in-the-world-who-despises-the-movie-finding-nemo/573601/51 "2011-03-06T18:29:41Z")
> [@choie](#): > > _Nemo_ is neither odious (unless you’re, like, a confirmed fish-eater who thinks it’s a PETA propaganda tool) nor over-hyped enough to be sickening… plus, it’s also several years old, so any excess hype is long past. So wherefore does the _despising_ come into it? It’s like despising Debbie Gibson or _Family Matters_. May have been annoying once, but why continue the hate? _Finding Nemo_ was the top-grossing Pixar film until _Toy Story 3._ I get the feeling that some people are still trying to figure out how this could have possibly happened when there are several Pixar films that are considered to be superior, as in, “Why did _Finding Nemo_ make more money than _The Incredibles_? _The Incredibles_ is WAY better! Am I missing something or are people just idiots?” I think it’s as simple as fish (and animals in general) having a little broader appeal than robots or cars or even superheroes. _The Incredibles_ is a very good movie but I can see extremely young kids (or people like my mom who don’t like action-type movies) being nonplussed by it, or not even bothering to see it in the first place. A movie about fish sounds tranquil and non-violent enough for just about anyone to give it at least a try. ---
**Author:** ![salinqmind](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/3ec8ea/32.png) [@salinqmind](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/salinqmind)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2011, 6:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-the-only-person-in-the-world-who-despises-the-movie-finding-nemo/573601/52 "2011-03-06T18:40:13Z")
I love Finding Nemo, and I don’t have any kids around any more. If it’s on TV, I’ll watch every time. It’s pretty, has comical moments, and Ellen does a wonderful ditzy job as Dory… I love Finding Nemo the same way I love: kittens, the symphony, a nice cup of tea, wild berries growing in the back yard, birds at the feeder, and a big messy flower garden. There are those who love rottweilers, sports, beer, a green lawn doused with poison to keep it that way, having no bird feeder because it attracts filthy filthy birds, and a stern line of red tulips marching across their front yard. Have at it. To each his own. You don’t see me asking who despises ‘Transformers’. Not worth working up a frothing rage about. ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2011, 6:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-the-only-person-in-the-world-who-despises-the-movie-finding-nemo/573601/53 "2011-03-06T18:40:25Z")
> [@Sakuma\_Drops](#): > > _Finding Nemo_ was the top-grossing Pixar film until _Toy Story 3._ I get the feeling that some people are still trying to figure out how this could have possibly happened when there are several Pixar films that are considered to be superior, as in, “Why did _Finding Nemo_ make more money than _The Incredibles_? _The Incredibles_ is WAY better! Am I missing something or are people just idiots?” > > I think it’s as simple as fish (and animals in general) having a little broader appeal than robots or cars or even superheroes. Well, it could also be simple dumb luck. Even assuming “The Incredibles” was a way better movie (which, IMHO, it was not; “Finding Nemo” is an equally sensational film) “Finding Nemo” might simply have landed in theatres at a time when the competition was less robust. A movie’s box office take can be greatly affected by what else is playing. ---
**Author:** ![Alka\_Seltzer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c89c15/32.png) [@Alka\_Seltzer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alka_Seltzer)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2011, 6:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-the-only-person-in-the-world-who-despises-the-movie-finding-nemo/573601/54 "2011-03-06T18:41:13Z")
> [@Alka\_Seltzer](#): > > They can be very inventive, but in general the pixar films come across as too sentimental/smaltzy for my taste. That came across a bit harsher than I intended. The line between sincerity and over-sentimentality is a difficult one to pull off. ---
**Author:** ![Baal\_Houtham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/baal_houtham/32/13604_2.png) [@Baal\_Houtham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baal_Houtham)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2011, 6:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-the-only-person-in-the-world-who-despises-the-movie-finding-nemo/573601/55 "2011-03-06T18:43:20Z")
As has been said, there’s no reason to despise the film. And casting my vote regarding its overall quality: I rank it even with _Bug’s Life_, and only ahead of _Cars_. Ellen as Dori was very good. The gulls were funny. Other than that, the vegetarian shark set-up was stupid (most aquatic critters will eat meat, why pick on sharks), and the laidback turtles were on a level with JarJar Binks. Neither Nemo nor Marlin were interesting characters. Generally speaking, I’m unsympathetic to animals with human level intelligence trying to overcome human persecution. Hell, if you’re that smart arrange the aquarium pebbles to draw pictures conveying your messages. Tell humans to stop locking you up and separating you from your off-spring. (Although honestly, my tolerance for this situation varies with the individual story. Charlotte’s Web is just fine.) ---
**Author:** ![Hrududu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/3ec8ea/32.png) [@Hrududu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hrududu)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2011, 7:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-the-only-person-in-the-world-who-despises-the-movie-finding-nemo/573601/56 "2011-03-06T19:24:19Z")
I really enjoyed Finding Nemo. I also think its a gorgeous looking film. I’d put it in the top tier of Pixar films. ---
**Author:** ![Sakuma\_Drops](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/50afbb/32.png) [@Sakuma\_Drops](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sakuma_Drops)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2011, 7:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-the-only-person-in-the-world-who-despises-the-movie-finding-nemo/573601/57 "2011-03-06T19:35:54Z")
> [@RickJay](#): > > Well, it could also be simple dumb luck. Even assuming “The Incredibles” was a way better movie (which, IMHO, it was not; “Finding Nemo” is an equally sensational film) “Finding Nemo” might simply have landed in theatres at a time when the competition was less robust. A movie’s box office take can be greatly affected by what else is playing. True. I think there was at least one case where a Pixar fall release went up against a _Harry Potter_ movie, for example. I just find it interesting whenever people lament a movie that they didn’t like too much making a lot of money, as if this is the only appropriate barometer for gauging a film’s worthiness. ---
**Author:** ![Justin\_Bailey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/justin_bailey/32/8792_2.png) [@Justin\_Bailey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Justin_Bailey)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2011, 8:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-the-only-person-in-the-world-who-despises-the-movie-finding-nemo/573601/58 "2011-03-06T20:17:03Z")
> [@RickJay](#): > > Well, it could also be simple dumb luck. Even assuming “The Incredibles” was a way better movie (which, IMHO, it was not; “Finding Nemo” is an equally sensational film) “Finding Nemo” might simply have landed in theatres at a time when the competition was less robust. A movie’s box office take can be greatly affected by what else is playing. This is actually exactly what happened. I saw Finding Nemo in the theatre (the only Pixar film I saw theatrically) because me and some friends wanted to see a movie and it was all that was playing (well, 28 Days Later was too, but there was a big horror hater in the group). So Finding Nemo it was. Just look at its competition during its run (click on the dates): [http://boxofficemojo.com/movies/?page=weekend&id=findingnemo.htm](http://boxofficemojo.com/movies/?page=weekend&id=findingnemo.htm) It’s a whole string of nothing (and the only family movie in theaters for nearly its entire run). ---
**Author:** ![PSXer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/48db29/32.png) [@PSXer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PSXer)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2011, 8:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-the-only-person-in-the-world-who-despises-the-movie-finding-nemo/573601/59 "2011-03-06T20:18:47Z")
I didn’t really like it nor dislike it, but because everyone was telling me how great it is I got tired of everyone liking it so much ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2011, 9:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-the-only-person-in-the-world-who-despises-the-movie-finding-nemo/573601/60 "2011-03-06T21:23:45Z")
It wasn’t terrible, but I think it’s probably my least favorite of the Pixar movies I’ve seen (I think all of them except _A Bug’s Life_, _Cars_, and _Up_). I think this might be partly because I don’t have kids: I can see how it might resonate much more strongly with a parent. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-the-only-person-in-the-world-who-despises-the-movie-finding-nemo/573601.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-the-only-person-in-the-world-who-despises-the-movie-finding-nemo/573601.md?page=4)