The Milwaukee Post

16 • Milwaukee County Post • June 24, 2016 By TOM JOZWIK Post Film Critic Literally a fishy film, com- puter-animated "Finding Dory," deals with a blue-tang title character. This character, voiced by Ellen DeGeneres, suffers from short-term memory loss and has become separated from her loving parents, Jenny and Charlie (voices of Diane Keaton and Eugene Levy). Dory attempts to achieve a tang family reunion with the frequently laughable assis- tance of friends like "septo- pus" Hank (Ed O'Neill), who'd be an octopus had he not somehow lost one tenta- cle; whale shark Destiny (Kaitlin Olson), who speaks like a reincarnation of Eleanor Roosevelt; and her very best buds, Marlin (Albert Brooks) and Nemo (Hayden Rolence), father and son clownfish who've taken Dory in, following Dory's sep- aration from Jenny and Charlie. Most of the characters, voices and plot elements men- tioned above will be familiar to those who patronized "Finding Dory's" 2003 pre- quel, "Finding Nemo." Like "Nemo," "Dory" has been helmed by Andrew Stanton (who also wrote "Dory's" screenplay and pro- vides a character's voice). Stanton's co-director this time around is Angus MacLane (who also lends his voice to the effort); on "Nemo," Stanton directed with Lee Unkrich. The new fish story takes place in waters off the coast of California, as well as at terra firma sites such as Monterey's Marine Life Institute — where the philos- ophy "rescue, rehab and release" prevails. Thomas Newman's musical score, including original titles like "Kelpcake" and "Sigourney Weaver," is unob- trusive — at least until Australian singer Sia's rendi- tion of the classic "Unforgettable" over the clos- ing credits. Don Shank has capably handled the art direction and Jeremy Lasky the cinematog- raphy. Additional celebrity voices include those of Willem Dafoe, Ty Burrell, Brad Garrett, Allison Janney, Idris Elba and, yes, Sigourney Weaver. A family with kids won't go wrong in choosing to see this Disney/Pixar PG-rated pic- ture. But "Dory" lacks that special something that, say, "Frozen" offered a few years ago. I saw at least a portion of "Nemo," but not in recent years and not as a reviewer, so I won't proffer a comparison with the 13-year-old sequel that's supposedly following "Nemo's" action at a distance of six months. 'Finding Dory' ★★★ Starring: Voices of Ellen DeGeneres, Albert Brooks, Hayden Rolence, Kaitlin Olson, Diane Keaton, Eugene Levy Directors: Andrew Stanton, Angus MacLane MPAA rating: PG Showings: www.marcusthe- atres.com At a glance Film offers great family fare By TOM JOZWIK Post Film Critic Opening this weekend: a documentary its publicists are trumpeting as "the most controversial film in America" and "the film they don't want you to see." The marketing blurb for the movie, 'Vaxxed,' does not say who "they" are. But the documentary alleges a cover- up in a 2004 government study, one that failed to acknowledge a connection between the triple-dose MMR (measles, mumps, rubella) vaccine and autism. The film's full title, in fact, is 'Vaxxed: From Cover-Up to Catastrophe.' That last word suggests the autism rate in the United States has only been worsening. Recently, "Vaxxed" was taken off the menu at New York City's Tribeca Film Festival — controversial movie indeed! The removal prompted festival co-founder Robert DeNiro, parent of an autistic son, to urge the pub- lic to "go see this film." Those who heed the Academy Award-winning actor's advice will see and hear many talking heads — invariably interesting talking heads — contributing to the documentary's convincing argument. (Brits speaking the king's English, as "Vaxxed" director Andrew Wakefield does on camera here, somehow sound espe- cially convincing.) Physicians, politicians, and parents of the autistic hold forth on what they're con- vinced is an autism-MMR link. The opposition is heard from, too, but not to a great extent. Then again, compilers of the 2004 U.S. Center for Disease Control and Prevention study reportedly declined to comment on cam- era for "Vaxxed." Supplementing the speak- ers are scenes of autistic youngsters acting up, still photos, graphs, excerpts from commercials. Moreover, there are excerpts from a series of telephone calls in which a co- author of the study, senior CDC scientist William Thompson, indicates it ignored autism-MMR connec- tion evidence. The movie's 91 minutes pass quickly. There is no narrator; none is needed. Audience members hear from, among many oth- ers, a French Nobel Prize winner, former U.S. Rep. Jim Moody, a clinical psychologist with expertise in autism and pediatricians who once sup- ported the MMR vaccine but no longer do. Most moving, though, are the aforementioned sequences of autism suffer- ers and their accounts, some- times delivered in tears by their mothers and fathers. Post-MMR, "he never did wake up to the Billy we had before," laments one mother, who cites her son's sudden inability to walk without falling down. Director and on-camera personality Wakefield, although he's been denounced as "Father of the Anti-Vaccine Movement," contends he's actually pro- vaccination; he simply objects to the triple-dose vac- cine instead of individual vaccines for each disease tar- geted. The movie's many speakers and prolific information can occasionally cause the spot- light to move a bit from the alleged cover-up. Photo courtesy of Pixar Animation Studios "Finding Dory" is a story of a lost fish on a search for a family reunion. It's the second movie of the series, after 'Finding Nemo.' 'Most controversial film' makes debut today 'Finding Dory' entertains, but lacks specialness 'Vaxxed' documentary sheds light on ties between vaccinations and autism 'Vaxxed: From Cover-Up to Catastrophe] ★★★ Director: Andrew Wakefield MPAA rating: Not rated Running time: 91 minutes Release date: Friday Showings: www.landmarkthe- atres.com At a glance Submitted photo "Vaxxed: From Cover-Up to Catastrophe" director Andrew Wakefield.

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