The long-awaited “Finding Dory” hit theaters June 17th and blew fans of all ages away. From its lesson-filled storyline to the insane graphics, Pixar has succeeded.

“Finding Dory” explores Dory’s life before “Finding Nemo,” then goes on to her own quest to remember her past and to find her family.

Though the plot differs, the entire feel of the movie was not a “just another sequel.” It feels like you’re watching “Finding Nemo,” yet it does like a continuation.

Visually, Pixar’s animators blew the graphics and animations out of the park. The crisp detail and colorful surroundings set up an amazing palette for the story to unfold on.

Ellen DeGeneres portrays Dory again and portrays the adorable, hilarious fish it hard not to love. The acting throughout the movie was full of inflection and made the story seem real and relatable, not just a kids story.

The other characters Dory meets on her trek, such as Hank,a grumpy octopus and Destiny, a whale shark, also were acted brilliantly. They added to the story in a positive way, each character bringing a quirky personality to contribute.

What makes Pixar and “Finding Dory” different from other kids movies is that they are not afraid to add heavy elements to their story. By making them often have sad undertones to an otherwise happy movie, the movies come off more realistic and full of lessons.

Overall, “Finding Dory” was not only a success for Pixar, bringing in a box office of $1312219, but also a success for all of the fans waiting and hoping for a movie to live up to the childhood classic “Finding Nemo.”

“Finding Dory” exceeded expectations and won a place in our heart right next to “Finding Nemo.”