Coco **** / *****
Directed by: Lee Unkrich & Adrian Molina.
Written by: Adrian Molina & Matthew Aldrich and Lee Unkrich & Jason Katz.
Starring: Anthony Gonzalez (Miguel), Gael García Bernal (Héctor), Benjamin Bratt (Ernesto de la Cruz), Alanna Ubach (Mamá Imelda), Renee Victor (Abuelita), Jaime Camil (Papá), Alfonso Arau (Papá Julio), Herbert Siguenza (Tío Oscar / Tío Felipe), Gabriel Iglesias (Clerk), Lombardo Boyar (Plaza Mariachi / Gustavo), Ana Ofelia Murguía (Mamá Coco), Natalia Cordova-Buckley (Frida Kahlo), Selene Luna (Tía Rosita), Edward James Olmos (Chicharrón).
There’s no real secret that Pixar has been going through a transition period of sorts in the last decade or so. The studio was once the most consistent force in mainstream Hollywood – churning out one great film after another starting with 1995’s Toy Story and finishing with Toy Story 3 fifteen years later. That run of 11 films isn’t perfect (it includes the so-so A Bug’s Life and Cars, both of which to be honest would be among the best films of any other animation studio working at that time).The 8 films since then though have been more of a mixed bag. Like every other studio in Hollywood, Pixar seemingly has gotten more risk averse – planning more sequels and prequels, and less original content (the only 2 sequels in the original 11 films were Toy Story 2 & 3 – the last 8 films have included Cars 2 and 3, Finding Dory and Monsters University – with Incredibles 2 and Toy Story 4 next on tap). But that run also included Inside Out – which was my favorite film of 2015, and one of the best films Pixar has ever made. And even their “minor” films have mostly been good – well animated, intelligent and funny – putting most other animation studios to shame – even while, undeniably, they rarely live up to the best Pixar has given us over their run. Their new film Coco, then, is a welcome return to form for Pixar. It doesn’t quite reach the heights of their best work, but its close enough to still be considered a triumph. The film is smart, funny animated adventure – and one of the most visually stunning films Pixar has ever created. The film also packs an emotional wallop – and a surprising one this time, because about 2/3 of the way through the movie I thought to myself for once Pixar hasn’t made me cry – only to have the last third have me in tears more than once (yes, I’m a sap).
The film is about a smart, talented young boy of 11 named Miguel – living in Mexico and part of the “only Mexican family who hates music”. This is because his great, great grandfather was a musician – and selfishly abandoned his family to pursue his musical dream, never to be heard from again. So now, they make shoes. But Miguel doesn’t want to make shoes – he wants to play music, and has trained himself in private to be very good. He wants to be just like his idol – the late Ernesto de la Cruz – and is determined to enter a contest on the Day of the Dead to prove his skills. Through a complicated series of events though, he ends up cursed, and crossing over to the Land of the Dead. He has until sunrise to get his family’s blessing to return to the land of the living – something they will happily grant him, as long as he promises not to play music ever again. So, Miguel instead decides to track down his great-great grandfather – who he has deduced is Ernesto de las Cruz himself – to give his blessing instead.
Yes, the plot of Coco is perhaps a little too busy, and there are quite a few characters (I haven’t even mentioned Hector yet – and he’s basically a second lead, a lonely man who says he will help Miguel, as long as he’ll bring his portrait back with him – that will allow him to cross over to the land of the living once again). There are also spirit animals, and chase sequences, and any number of lively musical numbers.
The film looks amazing. The Land of the Dead is at once a dark, and somewhat scary place (my six year old was a little scared for a while when they first crossed over – although, to be fair, it didn’t faze my three year old at all), and also in other moments, a colorful and lively one. The film is steeped in Mexican folklore – and respectful of it – so even if this is a film about death, it’s still light hearted enough for children (it shows a world in which the dead are not gone, as long as they are remembered). Yes, everyone in the land of the dead are skeletons – but for the most part, they are amusing skeletons – and even when they bones fall apart, they are easily reassembled.
The film was directed by Lee Unkrich and Adrian Molina – Unkrich was responsible for Toy Story 3, and this Molina’s first time directing, although he’s been with Pixar for years. Over the years, I’ve started to believe more and more than who directs the Pixar films matters more than I first thought – and while Unkrich isn’t quite at the level of Brad Bird, Pete Docter – he’s getting there.
This has not been a good year for animation – especially from American studios making movies for children. There has been a whole lot of average films, and only a couple that are really good (The Lego Batman Movie, Cars 3 and Captain Underpants have been the highlights of a fairly meh block). Coco is so much fun, so colorful, so different, that it immediately becomes a highlight for this year. Yes, Pixar still needs to firmly re-establish itself as the powerhouse it was a decade ago (which, may be harder with John Lasseter taking a leave of absence because “mistakes were made”) – but Coco is a step in the right direction.
