“Coco” Already a Family Favorite

 

 

 

 

Review by John Delia, Sr.

Winner of a Golden Globe award and nominated for an Academy Award for Best Animated Film, Coco comes to home video and it’s packed with special features and fun things to do. The movie is from Disney/PIXAR and the adventure comedy is filled with laughter, excitement, music and life lessons. The animated feature has already become a family favorite.

The story goes like this; Mama Coco’s (voice of Ana Ofelia Murguia) the great grandmother of an inquisitive boy named Miguel (voice of Anthony Gonzalez). Quite talented Miguel wants to be a great singer and guitar player like the greatest ever Ernesto de la Cruz (voice of Benjamin Bratt). In a small space in his attic with the street dog Dante, Miguel practices in secret in front of a shrine he has made to the famous musician.

But, there’s one huge problem, his family, all the way up to Mama Coco has banned music in the family forever. Ever since his great, great grandmother was deserted by her husband for a life on the stage. Even the sounds of the musicians were not welcome in the home. His grandmother Abuelita (voice of Renee Victor) is so adamant that no one, including Miguel, can ever play an instrument.

With the festival of the “Day of the Dead” approaching, Miguel yearns to be a part of it, especially the talent contest. But, he finds himself without his guitar. When he steals Ernesto de la Cruz’s guitar from a shrine in the graveyard, something strange starts to happen to him that leads the boy into the real land of the dead where his adventure begins.

The film sets up the audience for some life lessons, some big laughs, excellent Spanish musical entertainment and a journey filled with the beautiful backdrop of Mexican heritage. Co-directors Lee Unkrich and Adrian Molina put on an amazing display of animation and colorful CGI as their character Miguel travels through the land of the dead where skeletons abound as the remnants of their past lives. The dead come alive on the one day of the year that their former loved ones rejoice the festival of the dead. And they too celebrate with a concert by the great Ernesto de la Cruz. But, Miguel must return to the living before sunrise or stay in the land of the dead forever.

Along his journey, Miguel meets the skeleton of Hector (voice of Gael Garcia Bernal) who has to sneak into the festival since he has not been honored by his family with a photo on his grave. As Miguel’s confidant he tells the stories behind the division of life and death. Hector enlightens the audience on the importance for honoring loved ones who have passed away and why Miguel should respect his family’s wishes. It becomes a test of Miguel’s love of family and his responsibilities to them.

BONUS FEATURES: There is a lot bonus material, not all of which is directed toward kids and that’s a good thing as this film should have a strong adult audience as well. The Following is a list of the material on the Blu-ray and Digital.
Blu-ray & Digital:

“Deleted Scenes with Introductions” – Director Lee Unkrich and co-director Adrian Molina talk about the deleted scenes and the part they played in the development of “Coco.”

“Día de los Muertos” – In this musical extravaganza, the colors and excitement of Día de los Muertos come to life as we meet superstar Ernesto de la Cruz.

“The Way of the Riveras” – A musical number in which Abuelita and Miguel prepare their Día de los Muertos celebration while she teaches him Rivera family history and traditions.

“Celebrity Tour” – Héctor, a Land of the Dead tour bus guide, agrees to help Miguel, revealed to be a living boy, on his quest to find de la Cruz.

“The Bus Escape” – The Rivera family catches up to Miguel and Héctor and attempts to halt their mission to find de la Cruz.

“Alebrije Attack” – Miguel and Héctor are interrupted on their journey to find de la Cruz by a fierce alebrije.

“The Family Fix” – After de la Cruz reveals his true colors, the Rivera family puts their dismay aside and comes together to repair the smashed guitar needed to send Miguel home.

“To the Bridge” – As the Land of the Dead counts down to the end of Día de los Muertos, Miguel and de la Cruz come head-to-head on the marigold bridge.

“Filmmaker Commentary” – Presented by Lee Unkrich (director), Adrian Molina (co-director) and Darla K. Anderson (producer).

“The Music of “Coco” – Collaborating with musicians of Mexico and some unique instrumentation, this documentary explores the beautiful fusion of music essential to the story of “Coco.”

“Paths to Pixar: “Coco” – Explore how the film crew’s personal stories resonate with the themes of the movie itself.

“Welcome to the Fiesta” – A musical exploration of the skeletons that make the Land of the Dead in “Coco” so wondrous and intriguing.

“How to Draw a Skeleton” – Pixar artist Daniel Arriaga gives a lesson on the quick and easy way to draw skeletons using simple shapes.

“A Thousand Pictures a Day” – Join the “Coco” crew on an immersive travelogue through Mexico, visiting families, artisans, cemeteries, and small villages during the Día de los Muertos holiday.

“Mi Familia” – Developing the Riveras was a labor of love that took the cast and crew on a deep dive into the meaning of family.

“Land of Our Ancestors” – Watch Pixar artists lovingly construct layer upon layer of architecture from many eras of Mexican history, bringing the Land of the Dead to life.

“Fashion Through the Ages” – The cast of characters in “Coco” are from many different eras, making for some magnificent costuming opportunities.

“The Real Guitar” – The majestic guitar that spurs Miguel on his journey through the Land of the Dead is a unique creation. Watch as it is initially designed by a Pixar artist and ultimately realized as a real instrument by a master luthier in this poetic ode to craftsmanship.

“Dante” – How the crew fell in love with the uniquely Mexican breed of Xoloitzcuintli (or “Xolo”) dogs that inspired Dante.

“How to Make Papel Picado” – Join Pixar artist Ana Ramírez González as we learn how papel picado is made traditionally, and then try your own approach to this beautiful art form.

“Un Poco “Coco” – A montage of original animated pieces used to promote “Coco.”
“Coco Trailers” – Trailers include “Feeling,” “Dante’s Lunch,” “Destiny,” “Journey” and “Belong.”

DVD:
“Filmmaker Commentary”
“Dante”

Coco has been rated PG by the MPAA for thematic elements. My feeling on the rating is that it may take about 5 minutes for the very young to adjust to the skeletons, some of which do cast a deathly grimace now and then. In comparison, if your kids did see The Book of Life (2014) this movie is head and shoulders above that film and Coco is more family friendly. Now on Blu-ray.

“Coco” is packaged several ways to ensure viewers get the most out of their in-home viewing experience. The Multi-screen Edition (formerly the Blu-ray Combo Pack) includes Blu-ray, DVD and a Digital copy, giving viewers the flexibility to watch the film on different devices. Those with 4K Ultra HD capability may opt for Digital 4K Ultra HD or the 4K UHD Combo Pack, which includes 4K UHD, Blu-ray and a Digital copy. 4K Ultra HD provides four times the resolution of HD, bringing the rich color, textures and sounds to life and immersing viewers in two fantastically animated worlds. Dolby Atmos audio heightens the memorable score created by Oscar®-winning composer Michael Giacchino and his 83-piece orchestra, as well as original songs like “Remember Me” by the Oscar®-winning team behind “Frozen,” Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez.

FINAL ANALYSIS: Excellent video presentation and contents. (5 out of 5 Stars)

Additional Film Information
Cast: Gael Garcia Bernal, Anthony Gonzalez, Benjamin Bratt, Renee Victor
Directed by: Lee Unkrich and Adrian Molina
Genre: Family, Animation, Adventure, Comedy
MPAA Rating: PG for thematic element
Running Time: 1 hr. 49 Min.
Release Date: February 27, 2018
Original Theatrical Release Date: November 22, 2017
Language: English (changeable to Spanish or French)
Reviewed Format: Bl-ray
Audio: 7.1 Digital HD Master Audio and 2.0 Descriptive Audio
Video: 1080p HD, Widescreen
Subtitles: English SDH, Spanish, French
Distributed by:
Distributed by: Disney/PIXAR
Released in: DVD, Blu-ray, 4K UHD