Backstory of the daffy, memory-impaired tang fish in Finding Nemo has her as a shamelessly adorable guppy forgetting her way back to her family and now, years later, going to look for them. It’s sporadically clever, and sure to divert (when not emotionally scarring) little kids.

But this second-tier Pixar effort seems tacked together by focus groups, and it lacks the momentum, the empathy, and the intimacy that made the first film so satisfying. Feels a little canned. Good points: Ellen DeGeneres is lovable as Dory, and the film treats the forgetful fish’s affliction seriously rather than for laughs. (95 min)