It's Actually Terrifying if You Think About It

Rating: 5/10 (2 September 2018)

I feel like a grumpy asshole for not liking this, but I just couldn't get past the terrifying premise, despite some incredibly strong animation. The style of the world of dead is indeed beautiful, with some especially stunning backgrounds. The spirit animals were a high point. However, the workings of the world of the dead are very troubling: when you die you end up not in paradise or Hell, but in a world much like our own, including extensive bureaucracy. And you continue to exist in this strange purgatory until you die AGAIN in a seemingly painful way. And there's no judgement beyond being remembered: evil men can continue to be powerful and happy in this afterlife, while good people can live in slums, which is pretty messed up.
The other discomforting part of the movie is that Miguel comes from a bizarre family with a cult-like hatred of music. That's not a thing! Some fundamentalists hate certain kinds of music like rock or metal, but no one hates all music! What about hymns and choir? It's really creepy to see an entire family hate something so intrinsically tied to the human experience. I'd be interested to see how people marrying into the family handle this "quirk." It's also very strange how they deify the deceased family matriarch and follow her vindictive insistence of wiping out all reference to her husband.
These plot problems aside, I also found Coco to rely too much on childish antics, with lots of running and "cute" shenanigans. There was also less music than expected. I was also a little grossed out by the design of the dog Dante. I don't like hairless dogs in general, and this one had a tongue lolling out of his mouth at all times which is nasty. I could take this in small doses (like the dumbest hyena in Lion King), but this dog is a central character, which is tough if you hate looking it.