Coco

COCO

Director : Lee Unkrich
Year : 2018
Genre : Animation
Rating : ****1/2

Full of colour, music, emotion and, ironically, life, 'Coco' is the latest masterpiece to come from the geniuses at PIXAR. Having been off the boil for a while thanks to such anadine fare as 'Cars 3' and 'The Good Dinosaur', the studio has bounced back with one of their best movies in years; a beautifully melancholic fable of family, destiny and memory that is sure to go down in history as one of PIXAR's greatest cinematic achievements.

Set around the Day of the Dead, 'Coco' tells the story of Miguel, a young Mexican boy who finds himself trapped in the Land of the Dead after playing the guitar of his deceased musical hero. With the help of his dim-witted dog Dante, his many dead ancestors and a friendly skeleton named Hector (Gael Garcia Vernal), Miguel must traverse the underworld, receive his idols blessing and return to his music-hating family among the living.  

As is to be expected from PIXAR, 'Coco' looks wonderful, with some of the most extraordinarily vibrant designs seen in an animated film since Laika's 2015 stop-motion gem 'Kubo & The Two Strings'. From the neon-lit streets of the Land of the Dead to an enormous bridge consisting entirely of petals, director Lee Unkrich (who also helmed the perfect 'Toy Story 3') and his talented team of animators have created a truly unique world and one that stands out as one of the strongest in the packed PIXAR portfolio. It is into this technicolor wonderland that Unkrich places his interesting, charming and (predominantly) likeable characters, all of whom are sufficiently developed and performed well by the refreshingly native cast. Newcomer Anthony Gonzalez does a particularly great job of bringing the rebellious Miguel to life, a sweet and relatable protagonist who despite his young age is asked to make difficult choice between his heart and his head. 

But beyond the stunning designs, enjoyable characters and catchy tunes (and boy, are they catchy!), what sets 'Coco' apart is its beautifully realised notion regarding the importance of legacy and remembrance, an aspect that not only lends the film a deeply moving core but also a thought-provoking one. For too long, children's cinema has been content to throw pretty colours at kids without providing them with any intellectual nourishment. 'Coco' on the other hand gives it young audience something to chew over, digest and contemplate. It is funny, it is charming and it comes complete with an ending that is sure to leave the most stone-hearted of audience members sobbing into their empty popcorn boxes. Finally after three long years, PIXAR have regained their place at the pinnacle of CGI animation and, in the process, have created a stunning work of art that is sure to be remembered and passed down from generation to generation.