Disney Movie Review: Coco - A Lesson in the Day of the Dead
I'm a little behind the ball here with Coco having been released in 2017, but I enjoyed it so much that I just HAD to review it! There are some light spoilers in this review, so keep this in mind if you choose to keep reading.
Full disclosure: I was on the fence about this movie. I wasn't really sure that it was one I wanted to watch. Not to say that any Disney/Pixar movie is not worth watching, but the trailer just didn't inspire me the way some of the Disney classics did. My husband, however, was quite interested in seeing it. I went in with an open mind, and I'm glad that I did!
This movie takes place in Santa Cecilia, Mexico. Imelda Rivera, the wife of a musician, lives with her husband and young daughter, Coco. When her husband leaves to pursue his music career, he fails to return home to his family. Imelda, believing her husband to be a deadbeat who abandoned his family, bans music from the family's life and opens up a shoe-making business.
Many years later, a 12-year-old boy named Miguel lives with his family, who are still in the shoe-making business. Coco is his great-grandmother. Miguel secretly dreams of becoming a famous musician like his idol, Ernesto de la Cruz. Needless to say, that's going to be easier said than done when you have a family who despises music!
Miguel accidentally turns himself invisible to everyone but the dead with the magic of the Day of the Dead upon him. This happens when, in his quest to borrow de la Cruz's guitar for the Day of the Dead talent show, he steals the guitar from his grave. Bad idea.
Before we talk more about the movie, I believe the Day of the Dead requires more discussion. In the movie, individuals put out pictures of their dead loved ones on an ofrenda (Spanish for offering), which is essentially an offering that is a collection of items placed on an altar to welcome the relative to the altar setting. Dia de Muertos or Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) is an annual tradition celebrated by individuals living in southern Mexico, but more recently other areas of Mexico and some Mexican individuals living in other countries as well. It is a multi-day holiday where family and friends gather to pray for their deceased loved ones. A symbol commonly used for the holiday is the skull, usually represented in masks worn and chocolate or sugar skulls, ornately designed treats that can be given to both the living and the dead.
Back to Coco. Now that Miguel has accidentally placed himself on the 'other side', he must get the blessing of a family member to go back before sunrise or permanently join the land of the dead. As he had accidentally damaged the photo containing his great-great-grandmother Imelda on the ofrenda, she cannot go back to visit. Not a great way to get the blessing he's hoping for, that's for sure. When he examines the photo, he sees Ernesto de la Cruz's guitar, but his great-great grandfather has been ripped out of the picture in rage. Could it be that de la Cruz is his relative?!
Since Imelda's blessing is a no-go, Miguel joins forces with Hector, a down-on-his-luck skeleton. He says that he will help Miguel find Ernesto de la Cruz to get his blessing to return to the living on the condition that he puts up Hector's picture on the ofrenda.
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| "Let's have a good ol' Mexican fiesta. Salut, mi amigos!" |
There are a lot of ups and downs in the movie, with Miguel getting to know the good and bad side of the afterlife. This movie instills not only the value of remembering and honouring your family, but of following your heart and dreams. At its core, this is a true Disney movie, just presented in a different way than I'm used to.
This movie is one that can be enjoyed by all age groups. There is just enough adult humour in it to keep it interesting, but with the same family values Disney has been inspiring in us in full-length animated classics for over 80 years. Overall, I give this movie the thumbs up. I highly recommend it to anyone who wants to see a slightly atypical adventure with that same Disney whimsy we've come to know and love.
What did you think of Coco? Must-watch or skip? Comment and subscribe :)
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