There’s a rather unfortunate elephant in the room regarding Pixar movies at the moment. Recent revelations regarding John Lasseter – the animation genius behind much of both the studio’s and Disney’s output – have somewhat tainted the company’s work.
The Art of Coco is no exception. Produced before the accusations regarding Lasseter came to light, he contributes a forward here regarding their latest work. That aside, the book details the painstaking amount of detail the company put into each of their movies. As with everything they produce, the film is clearly a labour of love for director Lee Unkrich and the entire creative team.
For the uninitiated, Coco is one of Pixar’s increasingly rare original films (it comes sandwiched between Cars 3 and the upcoming Incredibles 2, which we’re not going to knock as that’s one superhero franchise we’re unlikely to ever tire of). As such, it’s allowed their imaginations to run wild, creating a whole world centred around the movie’s Dia de los Muertos-themed plot (that’s the Mexican Day of the Dead to those of us who don’t speak Spanish).
The book includes a wide range of computer generated and hand drawn concept art, sculptures and make-up tests, along with reference photos and brief explanations from members of the creative team about their work. These range from pages devoted to Miguel – the lead character – and the film’s colourful supporting characters, to Pixar’s gorgeous version of Mexico, to the frankly stunning Land of the Dead and its inhabitants.
While the artwork may be stunning (as apparently is the film itself), where it falls down slightly in comparison to some other art books are in its brevity (160) pages and in the overly-brief explanations provided. There’s little real insight into the creative process. For a company who put as much work into their films as Pixar, you get the impression we’re seeing just a tiny percentage of the work they did.
For example, with Miguel’s dog, Dante – a major character – we’re treated to a mere six concept drawings out of what must have been hundreds. And while releasing everything would doubtless be overkill, there’s little impression of Pixar’s legendary detailed development process on display (lest we forget, this is a company that are known for effectively scrapping films and starting over if they’re not working). And while Coco’s had a relatively straightforward production compared to, say Ratatouille, a little more insight would doubtless be appreciated by the studio’s many devotees of all ages.
This is by no means to say The Art of Coco is bad. When Pixar are on form, there’s no western animation studio that can touch them. What’s here is beautiful, and whets the appetite for what’s apparently the studio’s best film since Inside Out. It just leaves you wishing for a little more.
THE ART OF COCO / PUBLISHER: CHRONICLE BOOKS / RELEASE DATE: OUT NOW
