On Saturday during Thanksgiving weekend, we went to see Coco, Pixar’s latest animated film release. The film is unique in terms of theme, cast, and that it started active production in 2011 (Trivia alert!), setting the record for being the Pixar animated film with the longest production schedule. The commercials looked good, and I had heard some of the drama around the making of the film. I also heard that the filmmakers listened to the critics, made changes, and received accolades for not appropriating Mexican culture in an adverse way. I’ll say the end result was worth it. During the film, I wondered if the kids would like the film. As soon as the film ended, Lily loudly declared “Well, we are definitely buying this film.”
Here’s the synopsis from IMDB.com:
Aspiring musician Miguel, confronted with his family’s ancestral ban on music, enters the Land of the Dead to find his great-great-grandfather, a legendary singer.
I thought I this film’s plot figured out before I sat down, but I had to say it surprised me. I enjoyed the animation style, the colors, the all Latino cast, and the respect the filmmakers gave to Mexican culture and values.
It’s a great family film, and Lily & I certainly recommend it. However, we don’t recommend the 20 minute travesty “Olaf’s Frozen Adventure” which was awful and dumb. I expected another good short film before Coco started, but this Frozen-themed was no short. It was 20 mins of dumb. I heard that it won’t be playing anymore before Coco. That’s a good thing.
Coco (2017)