Prepare to be stunned by some of the most beautiful visuals I have ever seen in a Disney movie. "Coco" tells the story of Miguel, a boy who wants to follow in the footsteps of his musical idol, but comes from a family that has banned music. Through his adventures in the film, Pixar explores the themes of family, forgiveness, and provides insight into Día de los Muertos.
For those who have seen "Coco" (prior to December 8th), let's talk about the thing that's really on all of our minds: that abhorrently long dumpster fire that is "Olaf's Frozen Adventure." The second it began to play, my mind said "no, no please God no." We all know "Frozen" is overrated and Disney's response to keep it relevant is just their attempt to make a profit.
The short begins with a mediocre song performed by Elsa, Anna, and the people of Arendelle. Honestly, I thought the short had a good opportunity to just end there. Actually, I thought there were several opportunities to end the train wreck before it actually did. About halfway through, my friend turned to me and said "Are we in the right theatre?" Plain and simple, Disney should have stuck with their original intentions to keep "Olaf's Frozen Adventure" a TV special. Because guess what? A Pixar short should not be twenty-one minutes long.
Thankfully, all is forgotten the second "Coco" begins to play. You will be absorbed by the details and colors of the world of the dead in the movie. Realizing how much time and effort was put into a single five second shot makes you appreciate the animation even more.
I come from a Hispanic family and witnessing Coco was heartwarming, not only as a lovable Pixar film, but as an accurate representation of a culture I grew up in. Particularly in the personality of Miguel's abuela. Like my own grandmother, her love is a tough one. She wants to protect Miguel by protecting him from what she has always known to be harmful; music. This leads to the great moment in which she beats up a mariachi player with "la chancla." Other than that, she contains all the accurate quirks you would expect an abuela to have (including the desire to never let her grandchild go hungry).
Coco contains original songs which make you want to dance and, sometimes, cry. "Remember Me" was a particular favorite, mainly for the emotional scene towards the end of the film. Its different versions throughout "Coco," reminded me of the magic and power that music has. Just by changing the tempo of the song and realizing the true intentions of the lyrics from a father leaving his daughter, it transforms into a beautiful new entity that will leave you in tears.
