written by David Steffen
Coco is the newest adventure/comedy animated film from the ever-popular moviemakers Disney/Pixar, released in November 2017. The movie tells the story of Miguel, a young Mexican boy who is an aspiring musician in a family where music has been forbidden since Miguel’s great-great-grandfather abandoned his family to pursue his music career. Miguel idolizes the legendary musician Ernesto de la Cruz.
Miguel is determined to enter the music competition on the Day of the Dead (the one day of the year when the dead are allowed to come back from the other side to visit their living relatives, as long as those relatives hang photographs of them in their honor), when his grandmother discovers his guitar and smashes it. Still determined, he breaks into the tomb of Ernesto de la Cruz to steal the guitar enshrined there. Stealing from the dead on the Day of the Dead curses him to be sent to the land of the dead (with his stray dog friend Dante tagging along) where only his dead relatives can free him back to the land of the living.
While there he meets all of the dead members of his family (all of the dead people are skeletons) and their animal spirit guides, seeks out Ernesto de la Cruz, as part of his quest to return home to his family.
Pixar is easily one of my favorite moviemakers, and Coco is in the upper end of Pixar’s movies. It’s a wonderful, enjoyable movie, lots of laughs, lots of fun action and dramatic moments, the main character and his doggy sidekick are very lovable, and his family are relatable as well, even when they’re also infuriating. And, true to Pixar form, it made me cry. Highly recommended!