Review of Coco (2017) by Chris H — 30 Jan 2018

COCO *****.

The latest animation by Disney is a modern day triumph showing that in ever changing climates that they still have the power to provide the heartwarming classic tales to new generations.

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Coco follows the story of a young Mexican boy banished from following his dream of music by his family and on the celebrated Day of The Dead he triggers a curse that sends him to the world of the Dead. Yes, yes I know not quite Bambi in fact the pitch raises the question as to whether Disney was taken over by a morbidly obsessed fan of the latest Mexican hating President but evidently that is not case.

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Coco is a beautifully crafted story that has to be one of the more original animations from Disney for some time.   The premise fresh playing on the traditions of the Mexican nation. The film highlights their diverse culture and celebrations in a glowing light instead of the hate filled rants coming from a certain White House Resident. The film makers have almost purposely taken the film as a climate orientated opportunity to ,  show the world that not everyone is painted with the same brush.

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The story flows in the rather standard way in the first act but is truly notched up there onwards to propel expectations and style of the modern day animations much like Frozen allowed the twist to freshens it's style.

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The animators are in no doubt of their audiences which accounts not only for children but the adults accompanying them with a story that in the third act  has borrowed a narrative that is almost Shakespearean in it's tragedy and unites the audience with it's common humanity. .

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Knowing full well that the prime audience is children the makers impose good morals and messages in a story that touches, amuses, entertains and surprises you with sweet tenderness.

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The jokes are funny, the songs are catchy and the effects are the standard spot on animations that just seem to fail to age.

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I was skeptical of how Disney would pull of a hard sell premise of a kid who spends the film hanging out with dead talking skeletons but hey it works and I can't wait to see what they do next.  .