Coco: A Vibrant Journey Through the Land of the Dead
Not the best, but a noteworthy animated blockbuster from Pixar, about a Mexican boy’s journey through the afterlife.
Miguel, a young Mexican boy, secretly loves to play the guitar. His family has banned music ever since Miguel’s great-great-grandfather abandoned his wife and daughter for a career in music. Miguel decides to reveal his passion and participate in a music competition for the Day of the Dead – an annual Mexican holiday where people visit cemeteries to honor deceased relatives. However, his strict grandmother discovers his guitar and destroys it. Miguel then finds a torn family photo and believes his great-great-grandfather was the famous musician and actor Ernesto de la Cruz, Miguel’s idol who died young. Miguel decides to borrow Ernesto’s guitar from his crypt for the competition. But stealing the instrument curses him, transporting him to the Land of the Dead. To return, Miguel must find his great-great-grandfather and receive his blessing.
Pixar has often been criticized for focusing on white characters, unlike Walt Disney Animation, unless they’re making movies about robots, fish, or toys. To address this, Pixar created “Coco,” a film deeply rooted in Mexican culture.
“Coco” premiered in Mexico before other countries and set a national box office record.
“Coco” was created with the help of American-Mexican screenwriter, artist, and director Adrian Molina. The original voice cast is primarily Mexican and American-Mexican actors, and the plot incorporates almost everything Mexico is known for. It would be easier to list what “Coco” doesn’t include – tacos and drug cartels. The Day of the Dead, Frida Kahlo, masked wrestling, tequila, folk and original music, colorful flying jaguars, massive sinkholes, immigration control, grotesque humor, authoritarian grandmothers, hairless Xoloitzcuintli dogs… If “Eugene Onegin” is an encyclopedia of Russian life, “Coco” is an encyclopedia of Mexican life, both everyday and mythological.
As is typical of Pixar, “Coco” is visually stunning and grand. Much of the story takes place in the Land of the Dead, which is so captivating that you might wonder if Miguel should stay there, among the amazing creatures and cityscapes inspired by ancient and modern Mexican architecture. The Land of the Dead seems more carefree and picturesque than Miguel’s small-town Mexico, where he has to go to school and work in the family shoe shop. However, Miguel isn’t one to back down from challenges or take the easy way out. He doesn’t even consider not lifting the curse and joining his deceased relatives early.
The character Ernesto de la Cruz is based on the Mexican film legend Pedro Infante, who died in 1957 at age 39, after starring in over 60 films and recording over 350 songs. He remains well-known and popular.
Family vs. Ambition: The Heart of the Story
Some have described “Coco” as a mix of “Ratatouille” and “Spirited Away,” but that’s not quite right. While it shares some plot ideas with those films, “Coco” tells a different story – less about growing up and finding your place, and more about the conflict between personal ambition and family love. Miguel’s great-great-grandfather abandoned his family for music, and Miguel is on the verge of doing the same. The film insists that this is wrong. Passion is important, but family is more important, both for the living and the dead. In the world of “Coco,” the memory of loved ones sustains relatives after death. Once the deceased are no longer honored on the Day of the Dead, they disappear from the Land of the Dead, possibly into nothingness. Therefore, Miguel must not only stand his ground, like Remy in “Ratatouille,” but also fulfill his dream while reconciling his family. He must restore the harmony that was broken when his great-great-grandfather left his wife and daughter.
A Mexican Soap Opera with Hollywood Flair
The family drama and adventure plot make “Coco” feel like a Mexican soap opera in a fairy-tale setting with Hollywood pacing. This is both a strength and a weakness. It gives the film “Latin” passion and sentimentality (some moments are tear-jerking), but also makes it somewhat superficial – not as deep and nuanced as Pixar’s best works. Of course, it would be strange if a film so steeped in Mexican culture avoided a “soapy” approach to storytelling. However, Pixar’s films are strongest when they delve into emotional depth and demonstrate wisdom and originality, rather than relying on stereotypical caricatures, common morals, and implausible plot twists.
Final Thoughts
“Coco” is slightly disappointing – but only as a Pixar film, which is always held to a higher standard. For the overall level of global animation, it’s a wonderful film – dynamic, lively, witty, touching, musical, with superb animation… And, again, exceptionally beautiful and grand. If you and your children have any interest in Mexico and Mexican passions (which are quite universal), you should see “Coco.” However, it’s worth reading about Frida Kahlo beforehand, as the film doesn’t explain her significance, but her life is important to the story.