This is a Pixar film I can watch over and over because it’s that good! “Coco” is highly recommended!
Image courtesy of © Disney. All Rights Reserved.
DIGITAL HD TITLE: Coco
RUN TIME: 120 Minutes
COMPANY: Disney Pixar
RATED: PG
Release Date: February 27, 2017
Directed by Lee Unkrich, Adrian Molina
Written by Lee Unkrich, Jason Katz, Matthew Aldrich, Adrian Molina
Screenplay by Adrian Molina, Matthew Aldrich
Produced by Darla K. Anderson
Executive Producer: John Lasseter
Associate Producer: Mary Alice Drumm
Music by Michael Giacchino
Edited by Steve Bloom, Lee Unkrich
Casting by Carla Hool, Natalie Lyon, Kevin Reher
Production Design by Harley Jessup
Art Direction by Tim Evatt
Featuring the following voice talent:
Anthony Gonzalez as Miguel
Gale Garcia Bernal as Hector
Benjamin Bratt as Ernesto de la Cruz
Alanna Ubach as Mam Imelda
Renee Victor as Abuelita
Jaime Camil as Papa
Alfonso Arau as Papa Julio
Herbert Siguenza as Tio Oscar/Tio Felipe
Gabriel Iglesias as Clerk
Edward James Olmos as Chicharron
Cheech Marin as the Corrections Officer
John Ratzenberger as Juan Ortodoncia
In Disney/Pixar’s vibrant tale of family, fun and adventure, an aspiring young musician named Miguel (voice of newcomer Anthony Gonzalez) embarks on an extraordinary journey to the magical land of his ancestors. There, the charming trickster Héctor (voice of Gael Garci a Bernal) becomes an unexpected friend who helps Miguel uncover the mysteries behind his family s stories and traditions.
The following review is the Digital HD version that I have watched on Movies Anywhere and through Vudu
From Pixar Animation Studios and released by Walt Disney Pictures is the studios 19th film “Coco”.
Based on an idea from Lee Unkrich (“Toy Story 2”, “Toy Story 3”), “Coco” is directed by Unkrich and Adrian Molina (writer for “Monster University” and “The Good Dinosaur”).
The film would feature the voices provided by Anthony Gonzalez, Gael Garcia Bernal, Benjamin Bratt, Alanna Ubach, Renee Victor, Jaime Camil, Alfonso Arau, Herbert Siguenza, Gabriel Iglesias, Edward James Olmos, Cheech Marin, John Ratzenberger and more.
The film was successful and received critical acclaim, earning over $732 million worldwide and was chosen by the National Board of Review as “Best Animated Film of 2017”.
“Coco” is set in Santa Cecilia, Mexico and begins with an introduction of how Imelda Rivera was married to a musician who left her and her 3-year-old daughter Coco, to pursue a musical career. Since then, the family has banned music and focused on shoemaking.
Fastforward 96-years later and 12-year-old Miguel lives with his family and a 99-year-old Coco. Miguel is a big fan of a musician named Ernesto de la Cruz, a popular singer from the past (when Coco was younger), who was in the peak of his career but died when a bell fell and crushed him.
Miguel is not wanting to follow the family business of making shoes, as he would rather become a musician but he knows that the family will not accept that, especially Abuelita Elena River, Miguel’s grandmother who strictly enforces the ban of music within the family, following the legacy left behind by her grandmother Imelda.
When Miguel’s dog Dante accidentally breaks the picture frame featuring his great-grandmother Coco and her mother Imelda (which falls from the ofrenda), it unveils a photo of a man with a guitar, with his photo of his face ripped out. Seeing the guitar, Miguel believes that it’s Ernesto de la Cruz.
Believing that music was within his family, Miguel tells his entire family that he will follow Ernesto de la Cruz’ path of becoming a musician, but his grandmother Abuelita will not have any of that talk and takes his guitar and destroys it.
Miguel runs away, upset that his family will not let him follow his passion and he runs into a cemetery which has a mausoleum paying respects to Ernesto de la Cruz and where his famous white guitar is hung on the wall.
Needing a guitar in order to pursue his music career and show his talent, he needs to play guitar for the talent show for the “Day of the Dead” event and believing that Ernesto is part of his family and that he may be his great-great-grandfather, Miguel breaks in and steals the guitar.
But when everyone goes to see who broke into the mausoleum, Miguel tries to hide and a light envelops him.
Surprisingly, no one can see Miguel but his dog Dante and as Miguel runs off, he finds out that only one that can see him is the dead. And it happens that his family who have passed on, are in his land for the “Day of the Dead” (on holiday).
But they realize he should not be with the dead as he is alive and knowing that if he doesn’t return to the Land of the Living before sunrise, he will become one of the dead and the only way he can go back is receive a blessing from a member of his family. Also, they find out that Miguel has been cursed for stealing from the dead.
Meanwhile, Miguel encounters a man named Hector, a skeleton who has been prevented from going on holiday because no one has hung his photo on an ofrenda. And because only his daughter Coco is the only one alive, if she forgets him, he will disappear completely.
But what lessons will Miguel learn while being around Hector and his deceased family? And will he ever be able to get back home to the land of the living?
SPECIAL FEATURES:
“Coco†Digital HD comes with the following special features:
- A Thousand Pictures a Day
- Mi Familia
- Land of Our Ancestors
- Deleted Scenes
- Audio Commentary
- The Music of Coco
- Fashion Through the Ages
- Dante
- Paths to Pixar: Coco
- You Got the Part
- How to Make Papel Picado
- “REmember Me” Music Video
- The Real Guitar
- Welcome to the Fiesta with Commentary
- Welcome to the Fiesta
Pixar has a way of creating films that tug on your heartstrings as “Coco” is an animated film where family and tradition is a major theme of the film.
A Mexican family that has banned music for a certain reason and a 12-year-old boy named Miguel who doesn’t want to follow his family’s footsteps of shoemaking and would rather become a musician.
Of course, Miguel’s grandmother has followed the rule of family tradition passed on by her grandmother and that music is a no-no. No listening, no playing, no music at all.
But when Miguel tries to steal from the dead, he becomes a living boy stuck in the land of the dad, during the “Day of the Dead” (a Mexican holiday in which families and friends gather to pray for friends and family who have died and help support their spiritual journey).
Only Miguel’s deceased relatives can see him now and those living, are not (with the exception of Miguel’s dog, Dante).
The research done by the Pixar team involved with the film was well-done and creating a vibrant atmosphere instead of a dark and scary atmosphere involving the dead, was carefully planned and well-executed. It may feature the dead, but it’s actually a film full of life, full of music and a lot of laughs but most importantly, a lot of heart.
While I am watching a Digital HD review of this film, if you have the bandwidth to watch this film in HDX, the animation is vibrant. You can watch or change the film to standard definition, if you notice lag during your viewing.
But I absolutely love the fact that there are many special features included in the Digital HD release.
Overall, “Coco” is a story involving death and it’s really not easy to create for a general audience, especially for children. But Pixar nailed it. Pixar absolutely hits a grand slam in conveying emotion, creating a tribute to Mexican culture and creating a film with a lot of heart, awesome animation and creating a captivating story. And most importantly, making the film fun for all generations and for younger children.
This is a Pixar film I can watch over and over because it’s that good! “Coco” is highly recommended!
