directed by Lee Unkrich and Adrian Molina
written by Adrian Molina, Matthew Aldrich, Jason Katz, and Lee Unkrich
After two mediocre sequels in a row, Pixar returns to the artistry that made it arguably the best animated studio in the business with the original animated film Coco, set in Mexico during the Day of the Dead.
The film tells the story of Miguel Rivera (Anthony Gonzalez) a young boy who dreams of becoming a musician like his idol Ernesto de la Cruz (Benjamin Bratt) but who, unfortunately for him, belongs to family in which music has been banned for several generations, owing to the fact that his great-great-grandfather, a musician, left his great-great-grandmother, never to return. Such is Miguel's passion, however, that he is willing to defy his grandmother (Renee Victor) to play during a Day of the Dead concert. His determination is further fueled when he sees evidence that suggests he might actually be related to de la Cruz. When he loses his guitar, though, he finds himself desperate for a new one for the concert, and is even willing to "borrow" de la Cruz's guitar, which is enshrined, along with his remains, in his mausoleum. Unfortunately, playing a dead man's stolen guitar on the Day of the Dead has dire consequences, and Miguel finds himself stuck in the Land of the Dead, discovered first by his family headed by his great-great grandmother Imelda (Alanna Ubach) who will only agree to send him back if he renounces music. Unable to give up his dream, Miguel seizes on a plan to have de la Cruz, whom he believes to be his great-great-grandfather, send him back instead, and he sets out to find him, with the help of the shifty Hector (Gael Garcia Bernal). Time is not on his side; if he does not return by sunrise the next day, he will remain in the Land of the Dead forever.
Visually, the film is a home run as only Pixar can deliver. From the lived-in, bustling barrio in Mexico to the vibrant, charmingly retro cityscape of the Land of the Dead, and its brightly-hued alebrijes ("spirit guides"), the film's visual presentation is sensational. While others may occasionally come close, when Pixar are in the zone, nobody can deliver eye-candy like they can, and with this film, they are absolutely hitting all the notes, firing on all cylinders, and whatever other metaphor for perfection there is. Even on the musical front, with a rich score by Michael Giacchino and stirring new songs by "Frozen" composers Kristen and Bob Lopez, the film is right up there with the studio's very best.
Given Pixar's track record with respect to its original work (as opposed to its sequels), I was fairly surprised, therefore, to find that it was in the story department that Coco proved to be a letdown. The narrative was surprisingly cliche-ridden and a lot more predictable than I would have imagined a Pixar movie actually being. I don't dare go into details lest I spoil plot points, but suffice it to say even if Coco does tug at the ol' heartstrings every now and again, it's still a far cry from their best work. In a day and age in which animated films can be so much more than ninety-minute diversions for kids or cloying tearjerkers, I found myself surprisingly disappointed with Pixar for playing it as safe as they did here.
The good news is that even with a surplus of story tropes, Pixar still works a good deal of its magic here, thanks to the aforementioned visual magic, the enchanting music score and songs, generous helpings of humor, heart and some sterling performances from its voice actors, including young Anthony Gonzalez, animation newbie Gael Garcia Bernal and seasoned voice actor Benjamin Bratt, among others.
Some reviewers have compared this movie to an older animated film about the Day of the Dead as well, the Guillermo-del-Toro-produced The Book of Life, and the comparison is not altogether unjustified, considering that, apart from the Mexican holiday and a hero who journeys to the Land of the Dead, the films also share a story involving a family that hates music. Truth be told Book felt a tad more iconoclastic in its storytelling, and less reliant on well-worn story tropes. It was nowhere near as successful as Coco, though, even if it was at least as good, or even better, and that's a pity.
Still, I'm glad we got this film before we got yet another Toy Story.
7.9/10
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