Disney Pixar’s Coco: Beautiful. Inspiring. Fun.

Disney Pixar started advertising Coco a zillion years ago. Okay, technically it was more like a year ago, but it seems like forever to me. Maybe all those skeletons in the previews distorted my concept of time? The animation looked beautiful but I wondered if the story could deliver. Short answer: it did. Disney Pixar’s Coco is lovely. It may even be the best movie I’ve seen this year.

Here’s why.  (with no spoilers!)

Coco is an inspiring film about a young boy named Miguel who is learning to appreciate his family while pursuing his dream. We follow Miguel’s adventures through beautiful animation, an interesting storyline and valuable life lessons. Oh, and the generous amount of uplifting music adds some fun too.

Photo Credit: Disney Pixar’s Coco

To say that the animation in Coco is beautiful is an understatement. It’s exquisite. The rich colors, glowing landscapes and well-crafted characters surpassed my high expectations. I caught myself smiling at the film and exploring every inch of the big screen to soak up the details. (I also started quietly hoping those early rumors about Disney transforming the Three Caballeros boat ride at Epcot into a Coco attraction are true.) At times the film reminded me of the memory bank scenes from Inside Out, or maybe even the conveyer belts of hanging doors from the much-older Monsters, Inc. The similarities are only in scale. The scenes from Coco somehow feel more dimensional and complete, effortlessly weaving characters and landscapes into beautiful frames.

Photo Credit: Disney Pixar’s Coco

Of course the landscapes aren’t the only highlights of the animation. The opening scene provides the back story for the plot through a series of linens hanging on clothes lines. It’s an unexpected, yet effective choice that sets the theme for the story that follows. The characters too are beautifully done, with the emotional depth we’ve come to expect from Pixar’s films. In this case the animators had the added challenge of evoking human emotions from skeletons. The result is warm and charming, without the fright.

Beyond the animation, I also thoroughly enjoyed the plot of Disney Pixar’s Coco. As you can tell from the film’s promotions, Coco takes place during the annual Day of the Dead festivities in Mexico. I confess I didn’t know much about these traditions prior to viewing the film, so I can’t really comment on how well the fictional film honors the real-life culture. Overall, the film felt respectful to its subject matter. I left the theater wanting to learn more about these family traditions. Perhaps others will too.

Photo Credit: Disney Pixar’s Coco

As the story progresses we learn that Miguel longs to be a musician. His family objects, for reasons explained in the film, and Miguel must choose between following his dream and abiding by his family’s wishes. It’s a common theme among Disney animated films, most recently in Disney’s Moana last November. Yet unlike Moana who temporarily abandons her family to pursue her calling, Miguel unexpectedly dives deeper into his gene pool.  He encounters his relatives in the land of the dead and seeks to understand where his passion for music began.

Fortunately Miguel’s family is full of interesting personalities that provide the necessary conflict and welcomed humor to keep the story interesting. There are so many fun details, particularly in the scenes within the land of the dead, that I suspect you could watch the film multiple times and still see something new. The story continued at an efficient pace with unexpected scenes that kept me entertained through its rewarding conclusion.

Photo credit: Disney Pixar’s Coco

The rewards of the film are really the lessons it shares. It couldn’t have been easy for the early fans of the project to sell the idea to Pixar corporate. Who wants to watch an animated film about death?  And yet, Coco is so well done it can open the door to positive discussions on the subject with your family.  The story touches familiar themes like learning from the past, respecting your elders and understanding your role within the family. It also encourages us to “seize our moment” while gently reminding us to consider how our individual pursuits effect those we love.

Coco also explores the sad reality of time fading our memories of those we’ve lost.  It’s a difficult topic, especially if you’ve lost a loved one recently, but the overriding message is celebrating the lives of those we loved rather than mourning their passing.

Alas, with all the good in the film there was one small thing I didn’t like. The movie includes spiritual guides that take the shape of animals at various parts of the film. The animation of the guides was confusing to me. They were so much brighter than the rest of the characters in the film that they were distracting. At times they looked like neon stickers on a painted masterpiece.  This is a small negative in the scheme of things, and maybe I just missed the point.

Despite my minor complaint, I thoroughly enjoyed Disney Pixar’s Coco. If you’re looking for a beautiful, inspiring and fun movie to enjoy with your family this holiday season, this is it.

Have thoughts you’d like to share? Please leave me a comment below.

Add some magic to your holidays!