Coco

MOVIE:

Coco

OUR RATING:

4/5 Stars

WHAT IT'S ABOUT:

Despite his family’s baffling generations-old ban on music, Miguel dreams of becoming an accomplished musician, just like his idol, Ernesto de la Cruz. Desperate to prove his talent, Miguel finds himself in the stunning and colourful Land of the Dead—following a mysterious chain of events. Along the way, he meets charming trickster Hector, and, together, they set off on an extraordinary journey to unlock the real story behind Miguel’s family history.

WHAT WE THOUGHT:

I’m just going to say it... Disney Pixar’s Coco is the animation of the year and everyone needs to go see it.

From the minute it starts all the way to the very last second, it will keep you totally captivated. From the characters to the colours to perfectly illustrating Mexican traditions, Coco just ticks all the right boxes.

And while the moral of the story beautifully captures a story often told - the importance of family and remembering loved ones after they die, no matter what - Coco manages to throw in plot twists and surprises that even adult viewers may not expect expect.

Besides loving absolutely everything, a firm favourite for me, as someone who is not entirely familiar with Mexican customs, is the way Lee Ukrich (Finding Nemo, Toy Story 3, Monsters, Inc.) has respected the Mexican culture, more so their strong traditions in celebrating  Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead).

From bringing on an entire Latino cast to staying true to Mexican music, colours and attire, and paying attention to even the tiniest detail, Coco felt like a beautiful love letter written with the intention of convincing the rest of the world to fall in love with the North American country – and it worked. I am in love.

This authentic story also comes at the perfect time - in which the President of the US has cast a shadow over US-Mexican relations with ambitions to build a border wall - to break barriers, share positivity and embed love into anyone and everyone willing to open their hearts.

I can honestly say no more, except to do yourself a favour and watch Coco.