'Finding Dory' Soundtrack Review

Ah, new Pixar movie week. It’s always a fun one. There’s an avalanche of clips and TV spots that reveal way too much, fun interviews and a new soundtrack. With Finding Dory finally hitting theaters this week comes a new score composed by Thomas Newman, who is Andrew Stanton’s collaborator of choice, having also scored Finding Nemo and Wall-E. His scores tend to be great at setting up the atmosphere of the movie even if they’re not as flashy as, say, Michael Giacchino’s. So how does his third Pixar collaboration compare to the rest of the studio’s soundtracks? Pretty good!

If you’re a fan of the Finding Nemo music, chances are you’ll like the Finding Dory soundtrack. It has plenty of new themes balanced with callbacks and evolutions of the Nemo motifs. The standout, to me, is the Hank, the Octopus, theme. Listening to it made me feel like I was watching a fun heist scene and it reminded me of the fantastic Man from U.N.C.L.E score, one of last year’s highlights.

If you’re a soundtrack nerd, like me, this is a fine addition and it’ll be perfect for listening while reading or working. My favorite Pixar scores tend to be the ones Giacchino composes (The Incredibles, Up, Inside Out) but the Thomas Newman ones are the best to listen when you want something quiet that will transport you to the way you felt watching the movie. They’re really atmospheric.

There’s also a song, Unforgettable, performed by Sia. I’m confident everyone will enjoy the song and will leave the theater humming it. You can give it a listen here, presented by the voice of Dory herself, Ellen DeGeneres.