Coco

I feel like I always say “Pixar’s done it again!” when a new film of theirs hits theaters, so to keep up with tradition, Pixar’s done it again!!!

On the eve of Day of the Dead in a small village in Mexico, Miguel Rivera (Anthony Gonzalez) finds himself at ends with his shoemaking family after they refuse to let him compete in a local talent show due to long standing issues with music and the people that play it. So, when Miguel’s passion for playing the guitar and his love for legendary singer/actor Ernesto de la Cruz (Benjamin Bratt) gets the best of him, Miguel decides to take it upon himself to “borrow” Ernesto’s old guitar in order to show his family – and himself – that he can be a star. But when Miguel accidentally transports himself to the Land of the Dead on the morning the festivities for Day of the Dead begin, he inadvertently sets himself on a journey throughout this new, skeleton populated world. Now, he must find a way to return to the land of the living before it’s too late and he’s stuck in the afterlife forever.

With Coco, Pixar really knows how to not only tug at heartstrings, but also make it look good in the process. Coming off of a few strings of sequels and a couple “meh” original efforts, Coco sees Pixar back in top form. Nearly everything here from the absolutely jaw dropping visuals to the original songs that give old school Disney films a run for their money to the big heart beating at the center of the story, Coco is everything a Pixar movie should be and then some.

The Mexican setting and use of Spanish is an inspired choice and in any less capable hands might have come off as trying too hard or worse, pandering to a certain audience just to make more money, but no, Pixar elevates the material to levels only they could achieve, giving this film a unique voice unheard of in most mainstream films nowadays. While the parallels to The Book of Life and Kubo and the Two Strings are obvious, the filmmakers smartly sidestep any issues those films faced only at the cost of making their own story a little predictable and, for lack of a better word, easy.

And my main gripes with this film are just that – some of what happens here is just too easy, too convenient and most of all, too safe. The twist (if you can even really call it that), while effective in its own right, wasn’t too hard to see coming and suffers only because the early relationship between Miguel and his Land of the Dead guide Hector (Gael Garcia Bernal) isn’t all that strong. The progression of the story, while fun and compelling to experience on its own, loses a bit of steam when every solution to whatever problem Miguel is going through is basically presented to him on a silver platter. I never felt like Miguel had to work for these solutions, never felt like the danger he was in was actually dangerous, so in the end, this film is more about the ride than anything else.

Visually this film is absolutely stunning with saturated colors and a warm lighting scheme that made me want to ignore the film itself and lose myself in the vibrant world Pixar has created. Most of the characters that we follow throughout the film are animated skeletons, another visual triumph that is just plain fun to watch and see come to life on screen. The animation and the way these skeletons move and interact with Miguel and their surroundings are totally different than anything Pixar has done before, but still manages to have those little quirks and charms that only a Pixar animator could pull off.

Beautiful in more ways than one, Coco is one of the best non-sequel films Pixar has made in ages. There’s equal amounts of heart, humor, fun and adventure throughout with a dazzling visual style that makes this film a must see for pretty much anyone. The themes of life and death mixed with a very personal story about following your dreams and not giving up gives Coco all it needs to be better than most films on the market today, and while the story and general through line of the film may be familiar to some, Pixar somehow finds a way to make it all work in order to give us something that we can truly appreciate and enjoy.

Oh, and don’t forget, bring tissues for the end of this one. You’ll thank me later.