For a long time Pixar was the animation studio that was the best in the field of computer animation and was known for its originality. The only film that initially got (two very good) sequels was Toy Story, but after the release of the very disappointing Cars it was no longer a given that every Pixar film was a must see. Although Inside Out reminded me of the “old” Pixar, other sequels like Monsters University, Finding Dory and Cars 3 did entertain, but didn’t manage to wow as much. The Good Dinosaur was a bit disappointing. In comparison, Disney has been able to score hit after hit in recent years with Big Hero 6, Frozen, Moana and Zootopia. So Pixar has something to prove and show that they still got it. Do they prove that with their latest film, Coco?
Miguel is the youngest of a family of cobblers and lives in Santa Cecilia, Mexico. Because of the family history, music is strictly forbidden, but secretly, Miguel dreams of singing and playing guitar. He is a big fan of musician De la Cruz and has a secret room where he practices and watches films starring one of the most successful musicians ever. He decides, despite being forbidden to do so, to participate in a music competition. The only problem is that he does not have a guitar. When he decides to remove one from De La Cruz’s tomb, something strange happens. It is Día de Muertos (the day of the dead) and he ends up in the world of the dead. The only way he can go back is to get the blessing of his dead family to go back. They only want to give their blessing if he will never play music again. He decides to look for another solution and only has one night to do so. If he does not succeed he will always stay in the land of the dead.
Pixar does what it should do more: bring original stories to the big screen. Coco creates a new world and brings it to life with verve. Despite the fact that death plays a big role, it is handled in such a way that it never gets scary for children (a big flying panther is perhaps the only thing which might scare them). It explains the Mexican tradition of the day of the dead and shows how important family ties are, even if members of your family have died. It is still important to honor them and not to forget them. Of course, that story is told with the necessary humor, but Pixar also succeeds in creating emotional moments which are sure to move you. That it visually looks impressive, with a lot of color and an eye for detail, is probably something you don’t even have to mention anymore with this studio. Pixar proves they still got it and with Coco has made one of the best films of the year.
