Movie Review Coco Disney-Pixar
Monday, March 5, 2018
Movie Review - Coco Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★
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| Coco |
Coco
In Disney-Pixar's extraordinary adventure, a boy who dreams of becoming a
great musician embarks on a journey to uncover the mysteries behind his
ancestor's stories and traditions.
Reviews :
Written
and directed by Lee Unkrich (Toy Story 3, Finding Nemo) and Adrian
Molina (The Good Dinosaur, Monsters University), Coco is a wonder to
experience. Dazzling, breath-taking animation, marvelous story-telling,
engaging characters and so much heart that it's a film that's going to
stay with you for a long, long time. This isn't just the best animated
film to come out this year, it's arguably the best film of any kind to
come out this year. It's the first film in years that I immediately
wanted to see again after it was done, like just not leave the theater
and watch it all over again. It's that good.
Coco takes place in Mexico on Día de Muertos (Day of the Dead) an important holiday in Mexican culture that is celebrated every year from October 31st to November 2nd (All Hallows' Eve, All Saints' Day, and All Souls' Day). Traditions connected with the holiday include building private altars called ofrendas where families display photos of those in the family who have passed on, often going back for generations, then honoring the deceased using calaveras (decorated skulls made of sugar), Aztec marigolds, and the favorite foods and beverages of the departed, and also visiting their graves with these as gifts. Visitors also leave possessions of the deceased at their graves. It helps to know this as background for the story, though the film does a good job of showing all of this as it goes on. It's all centered around the importance of family and of remembering those who have gone before you.
Miguel Rivera (Anthony Gonzalez) is a 12-year-old boy who lives in a small rural village of Santa Cecilia with his elderly great-grandmother Coco (Ana Ofelia Murguía) and three generations of her descendants. Miguel's dream is to play the guitar someday, much like his hero, the famous Ernesto de la Cruz (Benjamin Bratt), a nationally celebrated musician and actor who came from his village and whose mausoleum is a major attraction there.
Coco takes place in Mexico on Día de Muertos (Day of the Dead) an important holiday in Mexican culture that is celebrated every year from October 31st to November 2nd (All Hallows' Eve, All Saints' Day, and All Souls' Day). Traditions connected with the holiday include building private altars called ofrendas where families display photos of those in the family who have passed on, often going back for generations, then honoring the deceased using calaveras (decorated skulls made of sugar), Aztec marigolds, and the favorite foods and beverages of the departed, and also visiting their graves with these as gifts. Visitors also leave possessions of the deceased at their graves. It helps to know this as background for the story, though the film does a good job of showing all of this as it goes on. It's all centered around the importance of family and of remembering those who have gone before you.
Miguel Rivera (Anthony Gonzalez) is a 12-year-old boy who lives in a small rural village of Santa Cecilia with his elderly great-grandmother Coco (Ana Ofelia Murguía) and three generations of her descendants. Miguel's dream is to play the guitar someday, much like his hero, the famous Ernesto de la Cruz (Benjamin Bratt), a nationally celebrated musician and actor who came from his village and whose mausoleum is a major attraction there.
However, there is a problem. Many years ago, Miguel's
great-great-grandmother, the formidable matriarch Imelda (Alanna Ubach)
was married to a musician who left her and their young daughter Coco to
seek his fortune writing songs and playing music and never returned.
Imelda turned to shoe-making to support herself and her daughter, and
eventually shoe-making became the family business. She also began a ban
on any and all music in the family - no singing, no guitar-playing, no
musicians! - which has continued to this day, rigidly enforced by
Miguel's take-no-prisoners grandmother (Renee Victor).
All of this
serves as a major obstacle to Miguel and his dreams. Miguel does
practice in secret though, watching old movies of the great Ernesto and
teaching himself how to play, and decides in spite of everything to
enter a talent show for the Day of the Dead.
A sequence of events
however result in Miguel stealing Ernesto's guitar from the mausoleum,
and the next thing he knows is that he's suddenly an invisible ghost to
the living - but the returning dead can see him and he can now see them.
Which in turn sets him on a journey across a mystical bridge from the
land of the living to the land of the dead, a wondrously beautiful place
but one from which he must quickly find a way to return before he ends
up becoming one of the dead himself and having to stay there forever.
He's helped along the way by a down-on-his-luck denizen named Hector
(Gael García Bernal), who's in danger of being forgotten, and a number
of other characters he encounters. His quest ultimately requires him
solving a generations-old mystery and setting right a wrong that
occurred long before he was born.
The musical score by Michael Giacchino (Up, Ratatouille) is as beautiful as the animation, shifting from lively to wistful as the scenes require, and young Anthony Gonzalez's singing voice gives heartfelt depth to Miguel's dreams of becoming a musician.
The musical score by Michael Giacchino (Up, Ratatouille) is as beautiful as the animation, shifting from lively to wistful as the scenes require, and young Anthony Gonzalez's singing voice gives heartfelt depth to Miguel's dreams of becoming a musician.
Disney has
always been synonymous with great story telling, powerful artwork and
animation, and having heart in most of their major films. Some of the
great Disney movies have transcended time and are loved by different
generations for that very reason. But then in 2013, Disney attempted to
trademark "Dia de los Muertos", or Day of the Dead for one of it's
upcoming movies, a move met with much deserved resentment and criticism
from Hispanic writers, critics, and the public. To say that the Day of
the Dead is the Mexican version of Halloween is incorrect. It isn't a
holiday as much as a tradition which is embedded into the heart of many
Mexican families to honor loved ones who have passed away.
Disney's
trademark attempt was an insult to not only the day itself but to
millions of people who honor that tradition. That being said, Disney
dropped the trademark, and did everything right since then to fix their
mistake. Many of the people hired to work on Coco were Hispanic, and
after their blunder they also hired Lalo Alcaraz, a political cartoonist
and Disney critic, along with Octavio Solis and Marcela Aviles as
cultural consultants on the movie. They went from possibly being
boycotted to having great international and domestic success, turning
many into believers including myself. The end result being a culturally
rich and emotional movie that left tears in everyone's eyes.
Unlike past Disney/Pixar movies I've seen, there are three layers of meaning integrated into this movie. The first layer is what every Disney story requires which are the characters, plot, visuals, settings etc. The second layer are the morals that Coco teaches, which any person watching the movie can learn from. These two alone are enough to call Coco a great Pixar movie in my opinion. However the third layer, which involves the integration of hispanic traditions and culture, is what makes this movie standout as special, memorable, and unique.
Unlike past Disney/Pixar movies I've seen, there are three layers of meaning integrated into this movie. The first layer is what every Disney story requires which are the characters, plot, visuals, settings etc. The second layer are the morals that Coco teaches, which any person watching the movie can learn from. These two alone are enough to call Coco a great Pixar movie in my opinion. However the third layer, which involves the integration of hispanic traditions and culture, is what makes this movie standout as special, memorable, and unique.
As a Mexican-American,
this movie holds a special place in my heart because so much of this
movie feels real and familiar. From the family dynamic that Miguel
shares with the family, to the chancla (sandal) smacking grandma, and
especially because of the music, this movie feels saturated with
Hispanic customs and way of life. It is obvious from the first scene to
the last that Disney listened very well to their cultural advisors for
this movie.
Being a Mexican-American, I've learned that various aspects of Life, Death, and Family are handled and understood differently between all ethnicities, backgrounds, and cultures. Coco involves several scenes in a graveyard, shows relatives returning from the afterlife as skeletal versions of who they once were, and has Miguel racing against the clock to return to his family before dying. These are cinematic occurences which some may not want to watch or explain to their children. My suggestion for anyone who hasn't watched this movie and is not of a Central/South American background is to be prepared and be open minded.
Being a Mexican-American, I've learned that various aspects of Life, Death, and Family are handled and understood differently between all ethnicities, backgrounds, and cultures. Coco involves several scenes in a graveyard, shows relatives returning from the afterlife as skeletal versions of who they once were, and has Miguel racing against the clock to return to his family before dying. These are cinematic occurences which some may not want to watch or explain to their children. My suggestion for anyone who hasn't watched this movie and is not of a Central/South American background is to be prepared and be open minded.
Though some parts of the movie could seem farfetched,
myself along with all the Hispanic adults and children watching the
movie in theatres were mesmerized to watch something you can identify
with as a person and as a community. For many, this movie is all about
seeing the world through another's eyes, and that's wonderful in itself.
Ultimately, Coco is a fantastic movie worthy of the Pixar/Disney brand which every family should enjoy. Prior to release, my two concerns with the movie was that it would be a heartless Pixar version of the Book of Life, and that Disney would take advantage and exploit the Hispanic culture in a distasteful way. I'm glad to say that besides focusing on music and honoring the Day of the Dead , similarities ended between the two movies.
Ultimately, Coco is a fantastic movie worthy of the Pixar/Disney brand which every family should enjoy. Prior to release, my two concerns with the movie was that it would be a heartless Pixar version of the Book of Life, and that Disney would take advantage and exploit the Hispanic culture in a distasteful way. I'm glad to say that besides focusing on music and honoring the Day of the Dead , similarities ended between the two movies.
I enjoyed The Book of Life, and had low expectations for Coco in
comparison. The truth is (no disrespect to the movie or the people who
made it) The Book of Life is enjoyable and relatable, not a cultural
staple. Although both movies treated one of the most important Mexican
traditions with dignity and respect, Coco's heartwarming interpretation
will become an unforgettable treasure in the Hispanic community for
generations to come.
Highly, highly recommended for anyone who loves animation, great story-telling and characters that grab you by the heart and never let go.
Coco (Theatrical Version) 2017
- Genres: Fantasy, Adventure, Animated, Comedy, Kids & Family
- Starring: Anthony Gonzalez, Gael García Bernal
- Supporting actors: Benjamin Bratt, Alanna Ubach, Renee Victor, Jaime Camil, Alfonso Arau, Herbert Siguenza, Gabriel Iglesias, Lombardo Boyar, Ana Ofelia Murguía, Natalia Cordova-Buckley, Selene Luna, Edward James Olmos, Sofía Espinosa, Carla Medina, Dyana Ortelli, Luis Valdez, Blanca Araceli, Salvador Reyes
- Directors: Lee Unkrich, Adrian Molina
- Format: Prime Video (streaming online video)
- Language: English
- Subtitles: English
- Studio: Pixar
Description
: Movie Review Coco Disney-Pixar
Rating
: 4.5
Reviewer
: Bey Alhamdi
ItemReviewed
: Movie Review Coco Disney-Pixar
