To See or Not to See: Coco

True to form, Disney/Pixar’s latest animated film, Coco, will make you laugh, fill you with joy, and tug at your heartstrings.

Miguel (Anthony Gonzalez) dreams of being a musician like his idol, the great Ernesto de la Cruz (Benjamin Bratt). Music is in his soul. There’s one problem, though. His family has a generations-long ban on music. His great-great-grandfather left his great-great-grandmother, Mamá Imelda (Alanna Ubach), and great-grandmother, Mamá Coco (Ana Ofelia Murguía), to become a musician so ever since then, the family has outlawed music. They are a family of shoe makers.

Miguel finally decides that he wants to prove his musical talent at the town’s Day of the Dead celebration (he secretly plays the guitar and sings), but is discovered by his family and his guitar is destroyed. In the process, he discovers something that makes him believe Ernesto de la Cruz just may be his great-great-grandfather. Stumbling into the Land of the Dead, Miguel sets out on a journey with the help of a spirit named Héctor (Gael García Bernal) to find Ernesto to get his blessing to play music and return to the Land of the Living. Along the way, he encounters his ancestors and discovers what really happened all those years ago.

The animation of Coco is, of course, wonderful. Having this story set in Mexico during the Day of the Dead lends itself to vivid colors and beautiful scenes that are lush. Sharing such a huge cultural event like Day of the Dead with audiences that may not be familiar with it is splendid. It’s a chance to learn about a culture, celebrate life, celebrate family, and explore the intense topic of death in an un-scary way. It also is a step toward films that are more inclusive of a large swath of the global population.

The music is catchy, and the songs range from upbeat songs that make you dance in your seat to touching tunes that amplify the story. In fact, the story is so well-done that you’ll immediately want to watch Coco again and share it with your loved ones.

In short, Coco is an absolute delight that the whole family will enjoy.

 

★ ★ ★ ★ out of 4

 

Photo Credit: Disney/Pixar