'Coco' Review: A Beautiful Pixar Gem

There's no denying that Pixar has had better days; the studio may still be the reigning king of animation in North America but in recent years (post The Incredibles) the majority of their films have been satisfactory yet have lived in the shadow of the golden era (Toy Story-The Incredibles). Every once in a while, the studio releases a gem that fits on the shelves with their early efforts; Coco — along with Inside Out, Toy Story 3, Up, WALL-E and Ratatouille — is one of said standouts. Pixar’s external brand is still an image of a vibrant bubble of creativity and originality, but it is clear that internally, their business model has shifted since Disney’s acquisition in 2006.

While the studio has never admitted this publicly, it is apparent by looking at the films put out since 2006 that their filmmaking strategy is no longer about striving for excellence and originality in every feature. Nowadays, the studio is okay with releasing a few films that are merely satisfying to audiences yet profitable and merchandise-friendly. But if films like Cars 3 and Finding Dory (both of which fall short of greatness yet remain thoroughly enjoyable), are the price I have to pay for films like Coco, then that’s a price I am more than happy to pay.

Directed by Lee Unkrich (Toy Story 3) Coco tells the story of Miguel Rivera (voiced by Anthony Gonzalez) a young boy who lives in a lively Mexican village and secretly dreams of becoming a musician. However, his family of shoemakers has hated music for generations; ever since Miguel’s great-great-grandfather abandoned his wife decades earlier to follow his own dreams of performing, music has been banned from their household.

But Miguel is overcome by his dream of being a musician, inspired by his favourite singer of all time, the late Ernesto de la Cruz (Benjamin Bratt). It isn't until Miguel discovers a connection between himself and De la Cruz that he begins to pursue his musical ambitions. While taking action to emulate the singer he idolizes, Miguel accidentally enters the land of the dead. In this beautiful yet enormous world, Miguel must find Ernesto De la Cruz, receive his family’s blessing in order to perform, and return to the Land of the Living before time runs out.

Coco is, for the most part, an incredibly well-crafted movie. It is a breathtaking combination of visuals, music, and story that makes this film so extraordinary. This film would easily sit on shelves with the likes of Inside Out and Ratatouille, had it not been for a brief yet significant period of the film, midway through the second act where the magic isn't there. During this phase, the movie feels overwhelmingly fast-paced and mildly predictable. The visuals are very busy at this point, almost irritatingly so. Fortunately, the movie redeems itself with a genuinely unpredictable revelation just in time for a third act that truly feels like Pixar at it's best.

I wish I could say this is a sign of Pixar returning to its state of pure originality and brilliance. Unfortunately, this is not the case. The next two movies are both sequels: The Incredibles 2 (which I admit I am over-the-moon excited for) and the blatantly unnecessary Toy Story 4. Even with Coco it is worth noting that the expected additional treat of a Pixar animated short film is missing and replaced with the 21-minute Disney Animation featurette Olaf's Frozen Adventure. It wasn't as unbearable as I thought it would be. Heck, had I watched it on a TV Screen as an ABC Holiday Special instead of a movie theatre. I probably would have given it a favourable review, but it is defiantly not a worthy substitute for a creative and experimental Pixar short. Still, I guess if that's what it takes to get audiences to experience a gem like Coco, so be it.

While no other North American studio can make as good of an animated movie as Pixar can, the studio has some work to do if they want to return to the standards of innovation and creativity that they once set for themselves. But that's another problem to tackle at another time. For now, I recommend getting together with people you love and experiencing this incredibly emotional, powerful, and entertaining Pixar treat.