Coco

COCO (PG)

D: Lee Unkrich

Disney/Pixar (Darla K. Anderson)

USA 🇺🇸 2017

105 mins


Animated


W: Adrian Molina, Matthew Aldrich, Lee Unkrich & Jason Katz

Mus: Michael Giacchino


voices of: Anthony Gonzalez (Miguel), Gael Garcia Bernal (Hector), Benjamin Bratt (Ernesto de la Cruz), Alanna Ubach (Mama Imelda), Rene Victor (Abuelita), Ana Ofelia Marguia (Mama Coco)


A traditional Mexican story gets a Disney-Pixar makeover, primarily because inclusivity and diversity was the flavour of the moment in Hollywood throughout 2017. Assembling a voice cast of Latino performers, along with Pixar's usual high standard of animation, the overall result was very well received by both audiences and critics, winning the Oscar for Best Animated Feature.

The story follows Miguel, a young Mexican boy with an interest in music, which has been banned in his household for decades by his elderly grandmother.

During the annual "Day Of The Dead" celebrations, Miguel finds himself transported to Tierra Del Muerte, where the souls of the dead reside on the condition that they are still remembered the living. Within the Land Of The Dead, Miguel meets his great great grandfather, an aspiring musician whose songs were stolen by a world famous crooner, and Miguel tries to correct this injustice before returning to the land of the living.

Brilliant animation and all the politics aside, Coco is an enjoyable film, but it's really nothing special when compared with other films in Pixar's catalogue (Toy Story, etc) and much feels like virtue-signalling simply for the sake of it.

Still, it's one way to immerse youngsters into a culture which would perhaps be alien to them otherwise. Overhyped a little, but certainly not disappointing.

7/10


Coco
Coco