Coco is animated brilliance that any age will enjoy

Coco is one of the rare animated films that my family saw before I did. When they got back from the sneak preview everyone was raving about Coco and how it was the best film they’d seen in a long time. That was high praise coming from my family, but at the time I was only concerned about me, being stuck in bed due to the flu. Now that Coco is on Blu-ray DVD I finally got up to speed on what my family was talking about and I agree with them on all fronts.

In many ways Coco is the perfect film.  It has all of the technical and production qualities that make Disney -PIXAR films great, but also has that extra something. For one, as much as I love and appreciate most Disney-PIXAR films they have a familiar rhythm to them. In Coco, the only familiar element to the film was Miguel’s dad, who looks suspiciously like the father in Inside Out.

Aside from that, every element in Coco is utterly brilliant. From its title, the genuine twist that happens near the end; to the way it makes those who don’t know anything about The Day of the Dead actually care about how it’s observed is remarkable. It’s possibly even more noteworthy that one of the main points of the film, death and the loss of loved ones is handled in a way that might make viewers sad, but is more likely to bring a smile to their face as they remember them.

Coco is about a young tween Mexican boy and his family. They don’t like music at all; as a matter of fact they forbid music in the house. But he has a fondness for music and feels a certain kindred spirit to Ernesto de la Cruz. De la Cruz is the most famous singer in all of Mexico who is known for many songs, but his most well known is Remember Me.

That’s the other major hat trick that Coco is able to do. The challenge is to make a movie whose main character is a musician with several fictional hit songs. However, the curve ball is that the songs in the film have to be great in order to be believable, but they can’t over power the film or feel out of place. I’m looking at you Frozen. This is ironic because the folks that did the music for Frozen also did the music for Coco. The fact that Coco becomes more than its music is a testament to its story and depth.

Remember Me is the hit song that De la Cruz is known for and Miguel, as well as several other characters sing it, or hum the melody to it a couple of times. It’s a great song that enhances the story of the film, especially given the Day of the Dead backdrop and the family twists that the movie provides.

For us the music was almost as good as the original songs from Music & Lyrics. That film portrayed an aging 80s pop band and their music to perfection to the case; where it’s almost a chicken or the egg argument about the music or the movie.

Coco moved beyond our enjoyment of that music/movie combination from that movie due to its story. It’s a Disney PIXAR film, but with a different jacket, one that allows it to move with more family and physical gags. The physical jokes are a byproduct of most of the characters being skeletons. The family part is one that anyone, any age can relate to and will identify with.

Shortly after I missed the film my wife heard an interview with Lee Unkrich and Adrian Molina, the Director, Co-Director, Screenplay and writers for Coco on Fresh Air. That interview is very loose and is entertaining for fans of Coco or for those that haven’t seen it. Coco is an entertaining and very smart film that leads with its heart and doesn’t rely on tricks. This is a big picture film that looks at the family from birth to death, with serious bits in between that doesn’t sacrifice story for simple laughs.

Coco is out on DVD now and is one of those films that you’ll want to see again.