Pixar is the most talented and prestigious animated filmmaker in the world. “Coco,” their newest film, is not as good as some of Pixar’s other work, but it is still a good time and a worthy addition to their catalogue of films. The premise is very interesting, the characters have a lot of heart and the visuals are colorful and creative. I enjoyed the musical aspects of the film, as most of the songs are good. “Coco” was a good film from a studio that I expect to make great films every time.
The premise of “Coco” is the main character, Miguel, has somehow traveled to the land of the dead and needs to find his family to get back to the land of the living. It seems like a simple plot, but I liked where it allowed the story to go. By not overcomplicating what the movie wanted to be, the plot helped the story’s ability to expand in other areas. The story of the film is predictable in the beginning, with Miguel not wanting what his family expects from him. However, there was another part I thought I had figured out almost immediately, but because the film fooled me, I enjoyed it.
The movie’s simple premise made it predictable, but also helped set up some good twists in the story. These twists are not huge and don’t change up much of the movie but, they do make the movie better as a whole. They change the expectations of the viewer and, looking back on it, I’m really happy with the majority of the story. I also liked the way the movie sets up the potential peril that all of the characters could become accustomed to in the afterlife, which I won’t spoil it here as it is a pretty big part in the movie. The sum of the story is very fun and interesting, and I liked the places where it took the characters.
The characters in “Coco” are my favorite parts of the movie. Only a handful of them are important to the actual story, but even those who are not important to it are fun to watch. The focus of the film is Miguel, and I loved his plight in the story. His conflict is how the story is able to go to all the places it does, as well as get the characters to all interact with each other. These interactions are what make the movie good, and I was looking forward to any time a character would be around Miguel to talk with him.
The characters are also how the twists are able to work so well. Because I enjoyed the characters so much, I wanted them to succeed, which led me to thinking one way, which the movie could then pull right out from under me. Without my love for each of the characters and their well-beings, I wouldn’t have liked the twists as much. It is a testament to the character development in the movie that both these parts work so well.
The movie’s visuals are also amazing. Every single scene, there were multiple things in the background and foreground that I looked at and took my breath away. It felt like the world in “Coco” was an actual place, with people who have real lives. The two cities in the film feel real, but for very different reasons. In the land of the living, the city feels real because I can compare it to other cities I have actually seen. The land of the dead however, feels real because it is something that I have always imagined could be real. It feels like Pixar reached right into my brain, pulled out what I thought an afterlife could look like and put it in a movie.
I loved both of the settings in the movie, but I liked the land of the dead more just because of how unique it is. I don’t want to say that the land of the living is boring, but because it feels like a real city you feel like you’ve seen it before, it is a bit less interesting. Both of the settings are great, though, and were highlights of the film.
“Coco” is a very good film from a studio that makes the best animated films in the world. When a movie from Pixar isn’t amazing, it feels like it hasn’t lived up to expectations for the viewers. It is very good thought, and one of the better films that Pixar has made in the last couple years. Try and make some time in the next couple weeks to go and see “Coco,” whether you have to go by yourself or with others, because it is a good time.
