When it comes to late ancestors in animation features, they’re usually painted as glowy or transparent souls, but Coco chose to present them in skeletal form instead. It’s likely related to the Mexican culture, though i did wonder if such figure would be too scary for little kids, especially given the many instances where the bones would break off from the main body. I can’t really call them cute, but Coco‘s presentation of the deceased isn’t as scary as i’d feared. If anything, the skulls look like a mask instead, with various motifs on it.
I came into the theater expecting to learn something new about another country’s culture, but it didn’t take me long to realize that The Day of the Dead tradition the film centers on also exists in my own culture, ergo it becoming an emotionally resonant story for me. Furthermore, the day of remembering and praying for those who passed on before us is surely present anywhere that it is something i believe non-Mexican viewers can relate to, even if we may miss some of the references or the Spanish words/phrases used throughout the movie.
Albeit titled “Coco”, the main character here is a boy named Miguel Rivera (voice by Anthony Gonzalez). And why the movie is named after Mama Coco, his great-grandmother as well as the oldest living Rivera, makes sense at the end.
Miguel is the fourth generation shoemaker who has a passion for music instead. Which isn’t that much of a big deal if the Riveras don’t have this one decades-long non-negotiable family rule: No Music. We know why — great-great-grandfather left his wife and daughter for his music career — but he doesn’t. He doesn’t get why his family is so adamant about it, especially after discovering that his great-great-grandfather owned the exact same guitar as his idol, Ernesto de la Cruz (Benjamin Bratt), and decides to seize the moment by performing at Mariachi Plaza, on the Day of the Dead.
When his guitar is destroyed, he moves to ‘borrow’ that of Ernesto (he’s his ancestor after all), transporting him to the Land of the Dead. And the only way he can return to the Land of the Living (which is connected to the afterlife via marigold bridges) is by obtaining a blessing from his ancestors by sunrise. That seems an easy mission; he bumps into his deceased relatives right away, and they are more than willing to send him back…on one condition: no more music. Not having it, Miguel sets off to seek the one kin that will surely grant him a return ticket together with a permission to become a musician.
I thought Coco would be more family than adventure, but alas. Maybe it’s more dynamic and exciting to watch that way? And to make the escapade more thrilling, a giant spirit animal enters to scene to help chase the runaway boy. Although a good companion, the winged tiger brings an imposing and menacing air with it and also feels out-of-place and rather unhelpful. With the sheer size and strong sense of smell, it’s weird that Miguel isn’t captured soon(er).
The adventure part isn’t exactly gripping either. Ernesto is also a diva in the Land of the Dead that it isn’t hard to locate him, and a tattered-clothed skeleton named Héctor (Gael García Bernal) readily offers to escort the living boy to his luxurious abode in exchange for having Miguel put his photo up on the altar so that he can finally cross over to the living world and visit his daughter. (All souls have to pass the immigration whose ‘passport’ is having their photo displayed on the family altar, and nobody does for Héctor, hence the request.)
Despite the vibrant visuals and heartfelt theme, i didn’t find myself enjoying the story or the humor. For one, i had little patience for Miguel’s brattiness or his cuckoo sidekick. It’s okay to want to pursue your dream; it’s not okay to be rude and defiant to your family. His aversion toward shoemaking isn’t justified either that he simply comes across as stubborn and rebellious, [spoilers ahead] who only learns his lesson after discovering Ernesto’s true nature. I saw it coming, and i honestly didn’t feel bad for him. Because only then will he listen. I actually found this twist interesting — when else do we have an evil family member? — and was intrigued to know how the movie would resolve the issue. Alas, another twist awaits just around the corner, and i was disappointed. This one was more shocking, but it also nullified the potentially unprecedented plot development i was anticipating.
There’s also some questionable logic. Like how being cherished by the livings enables the souls to survive in the underworld. “When there’s no one left in the living world who remembers you, you disappear from this world.” Yup, another reason for Héctor’s desperation is because his time is running out as his daughter is forgetting him. However, with or without the reveal, he has met another person who has come to know him and will thus remember him — Miguel — that as long as the brat makes it home alive, his life span is automatically extended. So, it’s arguably unnecessary to get Mama Coco to remember her Papa. Next, the deadline; he needs to return before sunrise, but the sun has already risen by the time he touches the marigold-shaped ‘portkey’ for the second time. Lastly, the disgrace of Ernesto in the Land of the Living. Albeit a satisfying sight, it’s quite a stretch to have people turn their back on the living legend. How do you expose his sins when the involved parties are all dead?
Nevertheless, there are positive takeaways to learn from, such as the importance of upholding traditions, respecting and honoring one’s family, and leading a good life (because your sins will catch up to you even in the underworld). However, it could also potentially send the wrong message, like how it is okay to misbehave since your parents will accede in the end, or to do anything to seize the moment if that will reward you with recognition and privileges in this world and the other.
That being said, Coco certainly does a good job in painting family ties and afterlife in a positive light. Land of the Dead never looks as colorful and lively, though it admittedly saddens me to see that social divide also exists there. Whether you enjoy a rich or poor afterlife depends on how loved and celebrated you are by the livings. And like possibly every animation movie out there, there’s a moment that shall invariably wring your tear ducts toward the end. While the main character is a male boy, it’s certainly refreshing to watch a matriarchal family, and to a larger extent a matriarchal society, for a change. Not gonna lie, though, if it weren’t for the family moments, i’d give this movie a skip.
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Rating: 3/5
Director: Lee Unkrich
Production: Walt Disney Pictures, Pixar Animation Studios, 2017
Cast/Voice talents: Anthony Gonzalez, Gael García Bernal, Alanna Ubach, Renée Victor, Benjamin Bratt
Genre: Family, Fantasy, Adventure, Animation, CGI
p.s.
Okay. Let me talk about Olaf’s Frozen Adventure that precedes the movie. I loved Frozen, and i love Olaf. He always amuses me although i can see how his denseness can annoy others. And one of the early reasons why i was interested to check Coco out was because of this featurette. It also has matching theme about family tradition and is pleasing to watch overall that i didn’t imagine it would garner this much hate. Yes, i thought its duration would be like any other Short, which is around 5-6-minute long, and did feel it went on for too long. It ran for approximately 20 minutes that i could understand the annoyance of those disliking Frozen. But again, for me, it was a cute and delightful watch featuring catchy Christmassy tunes that are more memorable than any of Coco‘s. There, i said it.
.BeansSpilled. 