"Hilarious, exciting and endlessly inventive, Finding Nemo is an awesome aquatic animation." And we didn't stop there in our praise for Pixar's underwater odyssey. Now with the two- disc DVD release of the film, we prepare once again to lavish admiration upon the achievements of Pixar - not just for their movie, but also for an equally entertaining DVD.
Neat And Tidy
The last Disney/Pixar DVD was the fabulous but daunting Monsters, Inc. release which, while packed with fun, contained so many little featurettes and sections to explore, you soon started to lose your way. Finding Nemo Collector's Edition is a far tidier enterprise, with one clean sweep coming courtesy of the visual commentary track.
It works like an ordinary commentary in that you have co-directors Andrew Stanton and Lee Unkrich, and co-writer Bob Peterson, talking over the film dialogue about the production process. The difference is that when they mention a deleted scene we then get to see it, or if they're discussing various technical effects, the disc then switches to a short featurette to illustrate their point. This works well and gives you an excellent overview of the story development.
Knick Knack
The fun continues on disc two, which is teeming with little Easter eggs for you to find - from amusing little animations to a full-length advert for the Aquascum 2003 fish tank cleaning pump. You can also play a game of Fisharades, where you've got to guess what the shoal of fish are supposed to be imitating. Take too long and risk being berated by an Aussie surfer dude. The best part of the disc, though, is an early Pixar short called Knick Knack, where a snowman tries to escape out of his snow dome to join the rather more exotic tourist trinkets on his shelf.
Back To Skool
Just to make sure that you do learn something, there are also educational featurettes like Mr Ray's Encyclopaedia, where you can learn about different fish; and Exploring The Reef, where Jean-Michael Cousteau takes us for an underwater look at a beautiful reef.
Your Very Own Aquarium
Any menu which comes with a fish symbol in the corner means that you can turn off the test and turn your TV or monitor into an animated aquarium. It's a lovely idea and is one of many touches to this DVD that showcase the continuous attention to detail that makes anything Pixar does so enjoyable. If you can't wait to see what they've got coming next, there is also a preview of their next project on disc one.
EXTRA FEATURES
This DVD was reviewed on a JVC XV-N5 DVD player.