Finding NemoMovie Reviews

Must Go!
Avg. Critic Score: 90 out of 100 Universal acclaim Metascore® based on all critic reviews
Information for Parents:
5 OK for kids 5+
Read Common Sense Media review

Critic scores range from 0 to 100, with higher scores indicating more favorable reviews.

  • 100
    San Francisco Chronicle | C.W. Nevius

    The visuals pop, the fish emote and the ocean comes alive. That's in the first two minutes. After that, they do some really cool stuff. Read full review

  • 100
    The Hollywood Reporter | Sheri Linden

    An exhilarating fish story in the perfectly cast comic adventure. Read full review

  • 100
    Chicago Sun-Times | Roger Ebert

    This time the dad is the hero of the story, although in most animation it is almost always the mother. Read full review

  • 100
    Entertainment Weekly | Lisa Schwarzbaum

    You could trawl the seven seas and not net a funnier, more beautiful, and more original work of art and comedy than Finding Nemo. Read full review

  • 90
    Wall Street Journal | Joe Morgenstern

    An undersea treasure all the same, and a prodigy of visual energy. Read full review

  • 88
    Rolling Stone | Peter Travers

    Leave it to a g-rated cartoon to give the live-action epics a lesson in action, fun and bracing originality. Read full review

  • 88
    New York Daily News | Jami Bernard

    This stirring children's movie about separation anxiety is swimming with comic references only adults will catch, thus greatly expanding the potential audience. Read full review

  • 88
    USA Today | Claudia Puig

    The most gorgeous of all the Pixar films — which include "Toy Story" 1 and 2, "A Bug's Life" and "Monsters, Inc." —Nemo treats family audiences to a sweet, resonant story and breathtaking visuals. Read full review

  • 88
    Boston Globe | Ty Burr

    Pixar is so good at what it does that every other kiddie-entertainment purveyor -- including parent company Disney -- flounders in comparison. Read full review

  • 75
    Philadelphia Inquirer | Carrie Rickey

    Though not as great as "Toy Story 2" and "Monsters, Inc.," Pixar movies that are the gold standard for family movies, Finding Nemo is visually entrancing. Read full review

View more reviews for Finding Nemo on Metacritic

Information for Parents
Common Sense Media says OK for kids 5+ Sweet father-son tale has some very scary moments.
What Parents Need to Know Parents need to know that even though there are no traditional bad guys in Finding Nemo, there are still some very scary moments, including large creatures with zillions of sharp teeth, the apparent death of a major character, and many tense scenes with characters in peril. And at the very beginning of the movie, Marlin's wife and all but one of their eggs are eaten by a predator -- a scene that could very well upset little kids. Expect a little potty humor amid the movie's messages of teamwork, determination, loyalty, and a father's never-ending love for his son. The issue of Nemo's stunted fin is handled exceptionally well -- matter-of-factly but frankly.
  • Families can talk about how parents have to balance their wish to protect their children from being hurt (physically or emotionally) with the need to let them grow up and learn how to take care of themselves. Kids: How do your parents handle this?
  • Talk about Nemo's disability and about how everyone has different abilities. How do you know what your abilities are, and what do you do to make the most of them?
  • What parts of the movie were scary? Why? Did anything that you think was going to be scary turn out not to be so bad?
The good stuff
  • educationalvalue true2 Educational value: Though not intended as an educational movie, kids will pick up facts about sea creatures and perhaps an interest in learning more about the ocean.
  • message true4 Positive messages: Diverse characters get along well, and a disabled character is brave and capable. A father searches tirelessly for his son and learns a lesson in letting go and letting him grow up.
  • rolemodels true3 Positive role models: Nemo's dad is protective (sometimes overly), loving, and determined when it comes to finding his son. He makes mistakes, but he learns from them. Nemo is brave (and sometimes defiant) and learns lessons about working together. He doesn't let his disability slow him down.
What to watch for
  • violence false3 Violence and scariness: Scary creatures with lots of very sharp teeth, the apparent death of a major character, and many tense scenes with characters in peril.
  • sex false0 Sex: In the short film Knick Knack, which appears on some DVDs, the female characters have exaggerated breasts.
  • language false0 Language: Not an issue
  • consumerism false3 Consumerism: This movie is part of the Disney-Pixar dynasty, with plenty of merchandise associated with the film.
  • drugsalcoholtobacco false0 Drinking, drugs and smoking: The sharks attend a 12-step-type of meeting to get them to stop eating fish, but only adults will get the reference.
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Finding Nemo Movie Reviews + Ratings

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