"Coco" Movie Review

Rating: 10/10 (13 March 2019)

Optimistic, talented, Miguel ventures through a life that has been so terribly unfair to him. His family disapproves of his musical interests, and all his time must be devoted to making shoes, although he has always been a good kid and just wants to follow his dreams. Miguel must make a tough decision when it comes down to his dreams and family. He finds himself in an extraordinary world like no other, and with the help of his fallen ancestors and role model, Ernesto de la Cruz, in the Land of the Dead, maybe he has a chance to end the banishment of music in his family once and for all...
I hardly started in "Coco", and already I see the exceptional visual effects and soundtrack that sets this movie apart from any animated movie I have ever seen. This movie comes to show that animation is a medium, not an age category for little kids, therefore proving that it can be interesting to any age. The movie "Coco" makes for a very special viewing due to the beautiful message that reminds you to listen to your heart, follow your dreams, and above all put family first.
I was in awe by "Coco" and what made me love it, even more, was how different, yet remarkable it was, than your traditional Spanish animated movies. When I began taking Spanish in the 7th grade, I remember watching the movie "The Book of Life" in class. I thought it was amazing. I was able to learn so much about The Day of the Dead, and the rituals that are practiced. Then I saw "Coco". It set "The Book of Life" apart by a far shot. "The Book of Life" showed us the meaning of true love, and finding your person despite all the obstacles you may face. That was the first thing that set it apart from "Coco". "Coco" not only shows how love conquers all, but it also showed the meaning of love within a family. Since I do know quite a bit about this special holiday, I am able to say that both films did a tremendous job capturing the idea of The Day of the Dead, and why it is so important in many Spanish speaking countries. As similar as these two movies are, I have never seen any movie quite like "Coco", when it comes to the message behind it all.
Like I said before, one of the main attraction's of the film "Coco" is its astonishing visual effects. The two worlds in this movie are connected by beautiful orange marigold's. When the filmmakers had the idea for this movie, they did lots of research on The Day of the Dead and found out that families lay marigolds out on streets connecting all the way to their ofrenda (or alter) with pictures and memories of their loved ones. In connection to this holiday, marigolds are so important, because they help guide the spirit of a family's loved one home. The bright orange marigold bridge was brought to life through the latest animation technology, and it was an exquisite view for everyone. The inspiration for the Land of the Dead was the hilly Mexican town of Guanajuato, that had beautiful lights surrounding the town bringing it to life at night. The scene where we first see the Land of the Dead in "Coco" was shot with 7 million lights, giving it it's luminous colors and shapes that bring the whole story to life. The breathtaking animation makes this movie definitely worth seeing.
Yet another main attraction of the movie, "Coco", is it's the euphonious soundtrack. This film features an original score from Oscar-winning composer Michael Giacchino (the composer who wrote the songs from Disney's "Up"), a song by Oscar winners Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez, and additional songs co-written by Germaine Franco and co-director and screenwriter Adrian Molina. Director Lee Unkrich said, "Coco' has music in its DNA," which is why it features a variety of beautiful Mexican music. Franco explored a wide variety of instrumentation to write these songs, including a guitarron, folkloric harp, a Quijada, sousaphone, charcheta, yjaranas, requintos, marimba, trumpets, and violins. The traditional Mexican songs in this movie, bring the characters and town to life and inspire the main character Miguel to venture on a risky path towards being a musician. There was so much work put into all of the songs, including the hit song "Remember Me", which was written as both a lullaby and an upbeat song. The soundtrack leaves you blown away, and the creativity put into each song makes it even better.
From this movie, 12-year-old Miguel learns the true meaning of family, and the sacrifices you have to make. The script has some inspirational quotes that melt your heart, and leave you wishing for more. One of the first times Miguel realizes the importance of family is towards the end of the movie when he says, "We may have our differences, but nothing is more important than family." This quote is important to the storyline because Miguel realized that no matter your differences and your goals in life, you'll always have one thing in common, and that's the bond and love you share for each other. Although Miguel learns to cherish family, he also learns to follow his dreams, despite the obstacles he faces. Miguel realizes that he is different yet special, when he says, "I am not like the rest of my family. There's something that makes me different." He realized that it is one thing to follow your dreams, but first, you have to believe in yourself enough to pursue them, which is something Miguel struggled with. Miguel, as well as other characters, teach you to always put family first, but to also accept who you are, and to never be afraid to follow your dreams no matter the circumstances.
I could go on and on about this movie, but I'll stop there. To conclude, "Coco" is a vibrant story of family, fun, and adventure with remarkable characters, visual effects, and a soundtrack that gives the story liveliness. With crazy twists, and lifelong lessons, this movie is by far one of the best films to see, and I promise you when I say that it will truly melt your heart, because in the long run, being yourself matters more than you know.