In its early days, Pixar was the studio who could do no wrong, producing a string of classic animations such as Toy Story, The Incredibles, and Up, which set them apart from their competitors. Even their more middling fare such as A Bug’s Life and Cars had a warmth and inventiveness that stood out from the farting ogres and wisecracking animals that other, lesser studios regularly churned out.
In recent years, though, their reputation has been somewhat tarnished. They’ve alternated between wildly inventive classics like Inside Out with films like the Cars sequels and the likes of The Good Dinosaur – outings that were by no means bad but felt beneath them.
Happily, Coco sits firmly in the first category, easily up there with the studio’s finest. Set around Mexico’s Día de Muertos festival (that’s Day of the Dead for the non-Spanish-speaking), it tells the story of aspiring 12-year-old aspiring musician Miguel (Anthony Gonzalez). His only problem – his family hate music and have banned it from the house after Miguel’s great great grandfather ran out on his wife and daughter (the titular Coco) to pursue his musical dreams.
Idolising the late Ernesto de la Cruz – Mexico’s greatest musician (in the film, at least) – Miguel ignores his family’s wishes and pursues his dream.
So far, so conventional, but things take a twist during the Día de Muertos festival – where the dead visit their families, and the living celebrate their ancestors – which sees Miguel accidentally transported to the Land of the Dead.
And it’s here that Coco – somewhat ironically – really comes to life. The afterlife is beautifully realised as a gorgeous twist on Latin America, with talking skeletons and visual gags aplenty.
Miguel soon meets up with loveable loser Hector (Gael García Bernal), who is on the verge of being forgotten in the land of the living, and therefore disappearing from the afterlife. Along with Miguel’s loveable dog Dante (who surely deserves his own spin-off), they set off on a quest to find de la Cruz (Benjamin Bratt), and return Miguel to the real world.
If it all sounds a little trite, Coco never feels clichéd; in large part due to the glorious animation, winning characters, catchy songs (from the team behind Frozen) and the Trump-baiting deep exploration of Mexican culture. It’s a rich, vibrant culture rarely seen in mainstream cinema, and – Pixar being Pixar – something that the creative team immersed themselves in (more successfully than their fun but flawed delve into Scottish history with Brave).
It’s also got heart in abundance. Pixar’s ability to make even the most hardened of us cry (the last shot of Monsters Inc. – gets us every time) is again on display, with the company’s ability to make us feel for – let’s be honest – a bunch of pixels unmatched anywhere.
It’s not perfect – a few of the songs aren’t quite what you’d expect, and one major plot twist feels borrowed from Up. But on the whole, Coco is a stunning achievement from the most consistently impressive animation studio in the business. It bodes well for their next feature – the eagerly-awaited Incredibles 2.
The Blu-ray comes with a plethora of extras, including an entertaining commentary with director Lee Unkrich, and a host of fun, entertaining featurettes featuring Pixar’s by now familiar mix of kid-friendly content and a look at their dazzling artistry.
COCO / CERT: PG / DIRECTOR: LEE UNKRICH, ADRIAN MOLINA / SCREENPLAY: ADRIAN MOLINA, MATTHEW ALDRICH / STARRING: ANTHONY GONZALEZ, GAEL GARCIA BERNAL, BENJAMIN BRATT, ALANNA UBACH / RELEASE DATE: MAY 21ST
