BRILLIANT!

Rating: 10/10 (13 October 2018)

Coco is a spirited story of a young boy who wants to be a musician despite his family's wishes and finds himself in the land of the dead. Directed by Lee Unkrich and co-director Adrian Molina, Coco draws heavily on Mexican folklore and the importance of family and tradition. Being a Pixar film, Coco appeals toward emotionally compelling moments, focusing on the power of love and family that never fails to make the audience cry. The young boy, Miguel Rivera, voiced by Anthony Gonzalez, takes us all on an exciting adventure that one can only imagine. Coco is a heartwarming family entertainer about the importance of family and a well-crafted coming of age story that also captures the beautiful traditions of Mexico. If you are looking for a story of family and legacy expressed through the storytelling and song of Mexican tradition, be sure to watch Disney Pixar's animated film Coco. In Santa Cecilia, Mexico, twelve-year old Miguel lives with his whole family. Miguel is a kindhearted child who loves music and idolizes once famous singer-songwriter, Ernesto de la Cruz. He dreams of becoming a musician against his family's wishes because his great-great-grandmother Imelda banned music in the family ever since her husband left her and their daughter, Coco, to pursue his music career. The movie takes place on El Día de los Muertos (the sacred Day of the Dead), an annual tradition in which the souls of the dead are able to return for a reunion with their living family members. It all starts when Miguel accidentally removes the photo sitting in the center of the family ofrenda of Coco with her parents and discovers that her father, Miguel's great-great-grandfather, whose face was torn out, was holding the famous Ernesto's guitar. Believing that his great-great-grandfather was indeed Ernesto de la Cruz and desperate to show his musical talent, he heads out to enter a talent show that was going on. Realizing that he needs a guitar, he sneaks into Ernesto's mausoleum and "borrows" the famous guitar to use in the talent show. All of a sudden he becomes invisible to the living and discovers that he is cursed for stealing from the dead. Miguel then finds himself in the Land of the Dead and must return to the Land of the Living before sunrise or he will become one of the dead. However, in order to return he must receive a blessing from a member of his family that can undo the curse placed upon him, so he seeks Ernesto for a blessing. Following a mysterious and exciting chain of events he encounters Hector, a skeleton who once played in a band with Ernesto, who offers to help him find him. In return, Hector asks Miguel to take his photo back to the Land of the Living to be put on the ofrenda, so he can visit his daughter before she forgets him and he disappears completely. The two go on a wild adventure to seek Ernesto and dark history is unfolded leading Miguel to figure out that Hector is actually his great-great-grandfather, not Ernesto. The film concludes with Imelda giving Miguel a blessing, with no conditions attached, so he can return to the Land of the Living. He sparks Coco's memory of Hector and she gives him a picture to place on the ofrenda. The final scene takes place one year later with Hector's picture happily back on the family ofrenda allowing him to return and reunite with Coco and the rest of his family. Beyond the main plot points, there are many other aspects that make this movie such a great one. One of the most interesting things about this movie is the way that its plot is built around the members of Miguel's family, living and dead. While exploring the Land of the Dead, Miguel is also able to experience and participate in the activities and traditions of Mexico which allows the audience to experience it as well. Some of the individual elements, such as the portrayal of the Day of the Dead, are very accurate and recognizable to those familiar with the tradition. Coco is filled with vibrant visuals and beautifully designed characters with stunning imagery like the bridge of yellow and orange petals that connects the two worlds. Accompanied by Oscar award winning "Remember Me" for best original song by songwriters Robert Lopez and Kristen Anderson-Lopez it captures the audience's imagination with humor and heartwarming moments. Lastly, the messages in the movie are powerful and beautiful and relates to both children and adults for everyone to enjoy. Coco is one of the most loved movies in America today as it focuses on the importance of family and the power of Mexican tradition and music which has never been seen before in a Disney-Pixar movie and I highly recommend it.