Pixar Animation studios and Walt Disney Pictures released their newest computer animated film, Coco, this past November. It was a phenomenal film and had a great performance from the voice actors and brilliant editing job by the animators.

Although it aims to target a younger audience, people of all ages are excited about the film, which is based on the Mexican holiday, Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead).

The film starts out by introducing a young boy named Miguel who dreams of becoming a musician inspired by his idol Ernesto de la Cruz. Unfortunately, music had been banned from Miguel’s family ever since his great-great-grandmother’s husband abandoned her and her daughter to pursue his music career.

The film was beautifully edited; there was so much detail in the animations and especially the scene where Miguel sees the Land of the Dead for the first time. Over seven million lights were used in a single still in the movie.

 Coco was praised for having Latino actors play the characters and not white-washing the roles. It was a big step in the Hollywood community to have real representation of the Hispanic community.

The film really touched home with its strong family theme and Mexican culture that was implemented into the story line. It was such a relatable film for many people who have gone through the same dilemma as Miguel: being able to pursue your dreams, in this case as a musician, but not having the support from the ones you love. When it comes to following your passion and trying to maintain a close relationship with your family, the audience could definitely connect to that.

There will be many laughs and even some tears but Coco is a must see.

4.5/5