If you went in like I did, with no expectations, you would initially think Coco was a movie about an angsty little child who wanted to follow his dreams against his family’s wishes. However ten minutes into the movie, Pixar’s latest hit proves to be so much more.Though I was initially confused with Miguel (the main character) turning into a ghost, I was quick to fall in love with the concept when realizing the intention was to allow Miguel to connect with his family’s past while visiting them in the Land of the Dead. When it’s time to go home after succeeding in his mission in the afterlife, his family asks him to give up on music; Miguel immediately runs from their disapproval. After running away from his family, due to their unreasonable demands in, he seeks the assistance of a con man by the name of Hector to return home. With the help of his new friend, he uncovers secrets about his family’s past and convinces his family to end their vendetta against music, and finally going home. However, he still has to convince his living family, which proves to be a little more difficult, as they have lived an entire life in hatred of the betrayal that music has represented to them.

The initial element which caused me to have such a passionate appreciation for the movie Coco was the style and intricacy of its animation. From the grandness of the Land of the Dead to the wisps of hair on great grandma Coco’s chin, the attention to detail was spot on. The way the colors danced across the screen in each and every shot and the fluid movement of the characters allowed for a visual masterpiece.

Beyond the animation, another obvious success was Coco’s wonderful soundtrack. Upbeat happy songs, such as “Un Poco Loco,” as well as inappropriate (yet hilarious) songs like “Everyone Knows Juanita,” a surprisingly heartfelt song, take Coco to the next level. However, despite how amazing these songs were, nothing came close to my personal favorite song in the movie, “Remember Me.” This song was initially introduced to the audience as a cheerful song that instinctively makes you want to tap your feet. Then, it is reintroduced as a parting lullaby for young Coco in scene which caused excessive blinking as people attempted not to shed a tear. The voice actors imbued such emotion in their voices for the musical numbers; they made every scene all the more stimulating.

The last reason I loved Coco was because it contained what every Adam Sandler movie lacks, an amazing thing called “character development.” In the the beginning it seems like Miguel’s family consists of antagonists who force the path of shoemaker on an aspiring musician (Miguel). Although it’s soon recognized that they’re just trying to do what they perceive as “best for him” as they were in the past betrayed by their great great grandfather who left them to pursue his career in music. Soon they give in to Miguel’s requests after realizing the positive effects of music. Another clear show of this character development is Hector’s transition from selfish con man, to caring person, as his intent to help Miguel stops being about getting his picture to the land of the living, but rather keeping Miguel safe. Every second of this movie was beautiful, and any review couldn’t do it justice.

Share on Facebook