Review of Coco (2017) by Felix M — 12 Dec 2017

**Slight disclaimer: My "reviews," are really just gut reactions that I can remember and jot down. Forgive the sloppy styling, grammatical errors and general upheaval of my writing. While I do try and write something cohesive and obeying film review etiquette, mostly, I say fuck that. What I love about theater going, is the surge of emotions I experience, especially during a particularly bad or a truly great film. I try (and likely fail) to translate that feeling into my writing but hey, I warned you. You can stop now, and I'll never know.

Coco.

Watched 12/3/2017.

I don't watch kid's movies, I don't review kids movies, I don't really like kids movies, because I am an idiot. That mentality is so dangerous and ignorant because, I just saw an amazing film. It also just so happened to be a film made for children.

Disney and Pixar studios, with directors Lee Unkrich, and Adrian Molina created the dazzling, Coco.

Let me backup. I just want to put it on front street just how lovely and charming and gorgeous this film is. Before Coco even started, I was already fatigued and tired. I was nearly ready to leave the theater, I just witnessed 30 minutes of various Disney trailers and commercials and then that mind numbing, 22 minute (felt more like 92 minutes) Frozen short played. So, I had already been in the theater for an hour before Coco even started.

But as soon as it did...

I was hooked. We are introduced to one of the most beautiful cinematic worlds I've ever been in. It was like what Guillermo Del Toro imagines when he gets gassed at the dentist. We bounce between two amazing environments. A very real Mexican village and a very un-real Land of the Dead, both are overflowing with color, culture, music, lights, boisterous characters, zany animals, and most of all music.

I knew nothing about this movie going in, so I'll return the favor.

Just know that it's not the most original or crazily unique story I've seen. A similar film The Book of Life was released just a few years ago. Yet Coco captured my imagination, it's asks universal questions that we want answers to. It's done so that, a six-year-old and a sixty-year-old can go into this film and both come out feeling uplifted and pleased. There is some heavy subject matter here that will go over the heads of kids, but sorta fucked me up. Dealing with the ever-increasing awareness of mortality, disappearing heritage, and our forgotten ancestors. Being of Mexican and Spanish descent myself, certain aspects of this movie hit me on unexpected levels. The resolution of the film closes nicely, yet the thoughts occupied my headspace for a while after exiting the theater. Anyways, on to something happier.

The voice acting is phenomenal, the film is largely music based and the range of voices unleashed on us is terrific. Our main character Miguel, played lovingly by new actor Anthony Gonzalez, the velvety, instantly recognizable voice of Gael Garcia Bernal, the boisterous bellow of Benjamin Bratt, the feisty Renee Victor and the numerous vocal cameos throughout the film. Collectively, it felt so alive and real that it may be the best voice cast I've heard from both studios.

I know the Disney/Pixar conglomerate does amazing work. I liked Toy Story, and Monsters Inc, and Nemo, I am human. I just don't go out of my way to see them. Coco along with many other films this year continue to remind me of the fact that films (kids or otherwise) shouldn't be judged, they should be experienced. Why judge a movie simply based on its targeted demographic? If it does what it's supposed to do and is seems interesting, go see it, give it the chance to surprise you. This is why I love film so much, I am always learning from them, I get life and inspiration from awesome movies and I am so lucky that I can share that love and enthusiasm with my friends and readers.

Unless it's that Frozen short...that totally sucked.