Dir. Lee Unkrich, Adrian Molina (2017)
Rated PG Coco is a film about a little boy named Miguel and his struggle to find himself and the importance of family. Living in Mexico with a family of shoe makers, music is forbidden to be played or even talked about. This is because many many years ago, Miguel's great great grandma was married to a famous musician who left his family for his career. She was left to raise her child all alone, Miguel's great grandma Coco. On Dia de los Muertos, or Day of the Dead, Miguel's family puts up pictures of all of their family members who have passed away, except for the musician. All the while, Miguel is trying to pursue his love of music. His idol, famous Mexican singer Ernesto de la Cruz, told his fans to seize the moment, and Miguel was trying to do just that. He decorated his guitar to look just like de la Cruz's and sang his songs constantly. After accidentally shattering the picture of his great great grandmother, Miguel unfolds the rest of the picture to see the man who the family has exiled. While the face is torn out, de la Cruz's guitar is in the picture. After realizing de la Cruz must be his great great grandfather, Miguel knows he must pursue his dream of being a musician. This comes to a halt when his family finds out and destroys his guitar, causing Miguel to run away from home. He runs to the graveyard and breaks into de la Cruz's tomb to borrow his guitar to play in a talent show, knowing that he is his family. While in the tomb, something magical happens, and Miguel ends up on the side of the spirits. He is surrounded by the dead who are back on earth to visit their loved ones. While there, Miguel discovers shocking things, finds himself, and the meaning of family. I don't even know where to start with this movie. I loved it so much. First off: the visuals in this movie are breathtaking. It is so beautiful. I could go on and on about how beautiful this film was. The use of color was incredible, with vibrant oranges, greens, purples, yellows, etc etc. The most amazing shot in the film was when Miguel crossed the bridge and saw the city of the dead. (see third picture in slide show). That picture alone should make you want to go see this movie. It is that beautiful throughout the entire film. I am also loving that Disney is breaking into some movies with diversity. This movie gives a look into Mexican culture, which (I think) does it justice. It shows that Dir de los Muertos is not a scary holiday where the dead come back to life, but it is a holiday for loved ones who have passed away have a chance to visit with their living family. I used to think it was more about ghosts and spirits, but it is really a beautiful celebration in Mexican culture. I was grateful that a Disney movie taught me that, and I am really happy that little kids will be learning this as well by watching a kids movie. Go Disney. As for the plot, it is by no means basic, but I guess one could call it predictable. What do you expect from a Disney movie? People don't watch Disney films for a dark, twisted plot with an ambiguous ending. Disney movies aim to make you feel warm and happy inside, which this one successfully did. This movie did have a more complex plot than other Disney films (see: Moana), and had a lot of unexpected plot twists. At one point, everything looked like it was going to go wrong and have a melancholy ending, but SPOILERS (kind of): everything works out in the end. Miguel and his real great great grandfather are reunited and his picture is finally displayed on the family shelf, and Miguel's family accepts music again. It is the most heartwarming ending ever. I was so close to tears. Overall, this movie is so beautiful and touching. It is by far one of my all time favorite Disney movies. I recommend this to literally everyone. It is great for families. Or go by yourself. I am probably gonna go see it twice. It's amazing.
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AuthorCasey Land Archives
January 2018
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