The poor UK has had a long wait for Finding Dory to make waves in cinemas, compared to the rest of the world that has already embraced Little Dory and the old and new gang. Add that to the 13 years we've already had since Finding Nemo, and you get Anticipation with a capital A. Given that I was of age-appropriate child age the first time round, I found myself in another Toy Story 3 scenario and sharing the cinema with 5 year olds screaming at the screen. Hashtag big kids. Dory's search to find her home and lost family was beautiful, nostalgic, familiar but nevertheless blissful.

I'm usually skeptical about long-awaited sequels (most recently in Jason Bourne), especially when I consider the original a worthy, wonderful standalone that shouldn't be potentially dampened by a less-than-par second act. On paper, the plot's a little far-fetched. Having said that, Dory the forgetful fish was such a captivating character that she's captivating enough to fill the very big shoes. That, and this is a story that makes logical sense and in director Andrew Stanton's words, "was the missing piece, emotionally, for the first movie." He's right that it fits nicely - perfectly - into the bigger picture and even though we would be perfectly happy without it, we're much happier for it. Have you ever wondered why Dory was on her own, lost at the start of Nemo? Where is she from? A big question is finally answered, even if you didn't ask the question. Dory takes centre screen but don't worry as Marlin and Nemo are never too far behind. A faultless Ellen DeGeneres, as animated as an animation, brings not only the character to life, but the film too.

The story isn't the most original, but it's poignant, charming and still a gigantic adventure. Dory's essentially trying to find her parents, and the main thing she has to battle this time is her fear of forgetting...and forgetting. Just watch little wide-eyed Dory with her "I suffer from short term memory loss" and her earlier flashbacks, and you're hooked. Little Dory is so darn cute. One of the main differences is the setting, where crossing the ocean is a hop, skip and jump away, and the real navigation is around a seaworld in California. I'm glad they did this; the last thing we want is a carbon copy and this felt exciting and distanced enough to have a sense of newness. It's a very smart, self-aware sequel, with a constant pace that never ever has you bored or not feeling some kind of emotion. Imagine a rollercoaster but in the ocean.

There's an ensemble cast creating creatures big and small, with faces old and new - I've never felt the fish friendship more. Nemo and Marlin are back, with Nemo one year older and wiser and cuter (they grow up so fast don't they!?) and Marlin still the protective father. Their chemistry with Dory remains sharp and sweet. They're not the only cool kids around though...there's Diane Keaton and Eugene Levy as Dory's loving parents (clue: they're not the cruel abandoning type, but they do have extraordinarily 'regular' names, given the exotic-ness of Dory, Nemo etc.), Hank the moody octopus (Ed O'Neill) who can camouflage and swing from object to object- but he's missing a tentacle so he's a septopus,  Destiny the whale (Dory can speak whale, can't she?), plus sea lions, Becky the common loon bird and OMG THE OTTERS. I want a plush toy otter to cuddle up with and yes I'm in my twenties and what? You'll also find a great form of cameo from Sigourney Weaver because she's just awesome, and some much-loved, familiar faces. Somehow, an endless cast list is translated effortlessly into fantastic characters. Even if they don't have that much screen time. Dory herself is very Dory (used as a noun and adjective a fair amount), yet that can lead to magical mayhem. The memory loss lines are sometimes a tad exhausting and repetitive and spelled out...but what can you expect from a forgetful fish? Moments where her memory prevails are touching moments.

The beautiful ocean is an unforgettable view, and it's nice to see the little hints of animation advancement in this past decade. Every scene is a picture you're drawn to, and possibly take for granted. There's also a great scene where we get to see Dory's crazy perspective - I pretty much felt like Dory was real and had been fitted with an on-gill GoPro or something. One of the final big scenes is also something quite spectacular that I won't forget in a hurry.

Never take a Disney Pixar film as skin deep. This is ocean deep, waheeeyyy. Familial bonds and loyalty are a given, given the first film. There's also compassion, chance and fate, vulnerability, feeling lost not in the physical sense, with all of these hitting home - literally. Additionally, Dory's short term memory loss is actually a bit traumatic, and there's careful parallels to other disabilities that you wouldn't initially expect in a cartoon about fish. Not just with Dory, but also with other characters too. In fact, I came across this great blog post that explains it much better than I can.

Much like its predecessor, Finding Nemo was completely guilty...of making me cry. It pulls at the heartstrings and the family feels. She's felt like something has always been missing, and Dory is compelled to find it. I'm talking about her family, and perhaps Dory will find herself too, because Disney Pixar are deep and excellent at breaking down the barriers of simple animated entertainment. And through watching it, I now realise there's something missing from Finding Nemo too and that its been brilliantly filled by Finding Dory. I enjoyed the first more (it's simply iconic), but I'll create a new place in my life for this, even if it never reaches the same timeless level. There are fewer catchphrases and memorable one-liners (a la "Fish are friends, not food) but maybe I've missed something; time will tell. Yes, fish are lost and found so many times we kind of expect the plot trajectory now, but there's still ripples of imagination in the water, plus hilariously lovable new and welcome characters like Hank. Also let it be noted that I nearly cried/howled with laughter during a particular otter scene. Warm, charming and really, really funny, this is a crafted film that delights children and adults alike. It's definitely a journey to remember.

Finding Dory is in cinemas now. PS. Wait til the very end for a post-credits treat. None of the kids did, and we were alone in an empty cinema by the end, so don't miss out.