User reviews

I'm no critic, but Coco is close to movie perfection. It definitely deserved the Oscar for Best Animated Feature, no doubt, and is by far the best animated movie ever created. The visuals are stunning, the characters are fantastic, the twist is somewhat predictable but still great, and the story is so touching. This is the best film I have ever seen, over Shawshank, over The Godfather, over The Matrix; this film is a godlike creation from the very, very best of cinema. Do not be fooled by the haters who say it is a poor portrayal of a tradition; the tradition is likely far more beautiful in Coco than in real life. Fantastic, I am blown away.

Coco tells the story of young boy named Miguel living in Mexico (Coco is his great grandmother). Miguel loves music and must keep his love a secret from his family who has forbidden music of any kind since the days of his great great grandmother. On Día de Muertos, Miguel wants to enter a contest to showcase his musical talent, but his grandmother intervenes, reiterating the family's ban on music.

In his hunt for a suitable guitar to play, Miguel finds himself in the land of dead, meeting the spirits of those who have passed on. On his adventure he meets his musical hero, much of his deceased family, and a strange man who asks for his help and quickly becomes a close friend. Along the way, Miguel helps his new friend and his friend helps him understand the true significance of Día de Muertos.

Of course, the title character (Coco) turns out to play a vital role before the movie is over. When the moment arrives, she delivers something powerful, and it's beautiful. It moved me in a very satisfying way that felt well-earned and authentic, rather than manipulative, the way many movie moments of this sort feel.

Quick sidebar: when I took Spanish in high school, my teachers would occasionally incorporate culture from Spanish-speaking countries (usually Mexico) into the lessons. In some of these lessons, I learned about Día de Muertos. Sort of. I'm not sure if the lessons were lacking or if I just wasn't paying much attention to them. Regardless, I learned more about Día de Muertos from Coco than I did in four years of high school Spanish classes.

In high school, my understanding of Día de Muertos was that it was basically a Mexican Halloween. They raised spirits from the dead and played music or something, as I understood it. It seemed silly to me. After watching Coco I realized that the tradition is anything but silly.

It's not about the dressing up or the food or the music. It's about family and remembering those that came before us. Leave it to Pixar to not only entertain me, but also educate me about a rich and wonderful tradition of another culture. Bravo!

Pixar has done it AGAIN! 'Coco' is a yet another delightful ride from the prolific animation studio, who's winning streak seems to never end. And that's good for all, since 'Coco' is all heart & soul, rewarding the moviegoer wholeheartedly.

'Coco' Synopsis: Aspiring musician Miguel, confronted with his family's ancestral ban on music, enters the Land of the Dead to find his great-great-grandfather, a legendary singer.

'Coco' captures the themes of Life & Death, with genuine feeling. Themes of family, passion, defeat & redemption also are explored here, but with humor & real emotion. While I laughed for a good share of this winning story, I also found myself weeping in the film's final-act. This is a true fantasy-adventure, that gives life & death true meaning.

Adrian Molina & Matthew Aldrich's Screenplay is excellent. Lee Unkrich's Direction is colorful. And of course, the Animation is extraordinary. 'Coco' unfolds gorgeously & not for a second, does the pace drop.

Vocal-Performances are top-notch! Anthony Gonzalez as Miguel, the protagonist, is a joy, Gael García Bernal s Héctor Rivera, a charming trickster in the Land of the Dead, Benjamin Bratt as Ernesto de la Cruz, the most famous musician in the history of Mexico and Miguel's idol & Ana Ofelia Murguía as Mamá Socorro "Coco" Rivera, Miguel's great-grandmother, stand out. And yes, this is a Film made in America about Mexicans & their tradition. Take That, Mr. President!

On the whole, 'Coco' deserves all your time & money. Don't Miss It. Oscars, are you ready?

Im Mexican and all i can say is Thanks you Pizax,I just saw this movie and i just remembered all my childhood with my grandparents, Mexico was represented beautifully,the music, the colors. This movie touched me in my soul and i cried a lot, i created an account just to say how good pixar made everything, again gracias pixar por tan hermosa pelicula.

I knew absolutely nothing about this movie walking in, the only reason I was there was to take my daughter to see it is strictly because my wife said there was a short Frozen film that played along with the movie and my daughter just so happens to be the biggest Frozen fan on the face of the planet.

Not only was I surprised by Coco, it might be the most in depth best story line I've ever seen in an animated movie. It was also educational and shed an entirely new light on the background of the Mexican holiday Dia De Los Muertos.

Wonderful movie, can't say enough good things about it!

There are no shortcomings in the picture, connotation and plot of animation, each of which touches the hearts of the people. The animation of "death is not the end, forgotten is", let us move, don't forget our dead relatives.

I have always been a fan of Pixar. They are really good at what they do. These guys set the bar for quality animated movies. Back then, animated movies were pretty much made for kids only. They were just your usual Sunday morning cartoons. Large eyeballs, goofy voice, exaggerated slapsticks. Disney had its classics like Bambi, Fox and The Hound, Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty. However, it felt more like fairy tales. Bedtime stories your parents give as they tuck you in. In this day and age, it wouldn't work that well. Then came Pixar with it's revolutionary debut, Toy Story. Funny, sweet, modern, relatable and plus, completely 3D animated, which marks the first time a feature film was completely 3D animated. And Pixar has been doing just this ever since.

Though the movies they released were still a quality entertainment, I haven't felt like this since Toy Story 3. Toy Story 3 made me bawl like a baby. And their newest feature film, Coco, finally made me weep like a baby again. Coco is a heart-warming experience, filled with outstanding animation, wonderful music, brilliant writing, and creative models which brings out the best of Mexican culture. The movie took on themes like family, aspirations, and music. And they merged it marvelously with the Day of the Dead culture in Mexico. I also feel that this movie sends a strong message towards those that had lost their loved ones at some point. The way this movie talks about possessions and the inevitable loss that comes will, I hope, comfort you.

Coco is a great movie. Definitely the best animated movie this year (The Emoji Movie? Yeah, don't think so). Could possibly be a nominee for Best Picture this year. The way it tugs our heartstrings and the emotionally satisfying end will definitely please everyone. And it's definitely up there among Pixar's finest. If Justice League annoys you, just see this movie. I definitely recommend you. Bring your families, kids to grandparents, whoever you like. I'm sure they'll like it and I'm sure you'll hug 'em all as soon as the credits roll.

Coco is about Dias de las Muerte (Day of the Dead), family, family crises and musical passion. The posters have a boy and an adult skeleton capering through the afterlife. So you can know that upfront, Pixar is going to fully deal with the subject of death that it touched upon I UP and hinted at in the death of childhood innocence in Inside Out.

We were subtly forewarned that tissues would be needed. :)

It surpasses the other aforementioned masterpieces by being more relatable, drawing on family restrictions and prohibitions (e.g. "there will be no X in this family!" X being "instead whatever has caused pain to a family member in the past". Pick your poison my reader). It surpasses them in making death tolerable. It reminds us that we should be mindful and respectful of all those who went before us. Most of all it taps on the shoulder and whispers that the temporal, the world we live in, in just as important as the next one and we should strive to keep family bonds strong. For when we're at the end of our rope, who else is there to pull us up?

Did I mention bring Kleenex? A full box. Even hard core macho men are driven to quiet sobs and immediate phone calls to mothers and fathers telling them "mama, I miss you."

Beautiful.

An impeccable fusion of first-rate storytelling & jaw-dropping animation, Coco is an awe-inspiring, highly riveting & endlessly entertaining delight that's crafted with passion, precision & perseverance, and is practically flawless. Arguably the best film of its year, this exquisite ode to remembrance & heartfelt tribute to Mexican culture isn't just Pixar's most culturally-defined work to date but is impressive enough to rank amongst the revered studio's finest efforts.

If you agree with the 'family comes first" motto, but are tired of it being linked solely to the muscular bald guys and fast cars, then Coco will become a pleasant refreshment for you. A lush and lovingly made animation film based on the Dia de los Muertos theme from the Mexican culture, it is a touching experience and a joy to watch.

However, after all the praise Coco received from all around, the actual viewing experience has left me slightly disappointed. Maybe because I did watch The Book of Life, another animation inspired by the Dia de los Muertos lore and featuring the similar "family wishes vs personal destination" conflict, a film some consider Coco to be a rip-off of. Or maybe it's because, despite all its pretty visuals, cute characters and singing solid enough, Coco clearly doesn't invest too much into having more than a single layer of meaning.

You see, here we have a painted prettily and with lots of fizzy buoyant quirks, but still a rather simplistic take on the eternal topic of love's duality and generations' conflict. A kid who loves music, but hatred for it is a family trait for several generations, so he embarks on an unexpected journey through the world of the dead to find a way to unite again what has once been separated and to mend what was once broken. And to sing a few songs and to battle some personal fears while he's at it. There are some nice and emotional scenes along the way, and some lessons learned for some characters, but it's still more or less a linear journey from A to B where good is mostly good (although not without a typical feminine touch of a raging maelstrom of emotionality), and bad is, well, at least clearly selfish from the get-go, and then it's plain outright evil.

What is missing in my opinion is the multi-facet delivery, or at least a deeper morals of the story. Sure, "love your relatives and do what you believe in" is cool, but ain't it what every single animated film is eventually about? And you could reach the ending inevitable for such genre with some more convoluted and morally difficult effort than just being a boisterous music prodigy with tons of luck to his aid.

It's not a good idea to criticize art for not meeting your expectations. After all, nobody does it just for you, so why what you think must matter at all? Still, if you are not too fond of stories being rather straightforward, then Coco might feel somewhat shallow. And if you're not a kid who loves everything shiny and moving, then the second half of the film might feel kinda random, slapstick'y and, at times, on seriously heavy drugs (the color-changing monkey burping blue flames or multiple Frida Kahlos crawling out of a giant papaya to drink an even more giant cactus' tears being some examples). For you, I might recommend watching The Book of Life instead, which, albeit arguably less glossy and vibrant visually, has a story much more complex and not stamping "good" and "evil" labels on things, thus showing the duality of people and of the life itself.

For everyone else, go ahead and watch this film. For its loving care for the Mexican traditions, sharing not just the language but also the passion for something outside the typical Western outlook. And clearly for the multiple Frida Kahlos crawling out of a giant papaya - that was hilarious beyond all sane measure!

I am very glad I saw "Coco" and understand exactly why it won the Oscar for Best Animated Feature, as it's terrifically entertaining, fun to watch...and quite touching as well.

The story is set around Día de Muertos, the Mexican Day of the Dead. Miguel is a nice little boy whose family, inexplicably, HATE music and insist he never can grow up to become a musician. And, wouldn't you know it, but that's EXACTLY what the boy wants to become one day. But after destroying his homemade guitar, he is unable to enter a music contest...so he decides to take one from the local cemetery. Not surprisingly, this creates all sorts of problems...and Miguel is transported to the land of the dead. What's next? Just see the film!

The CGI for this film is simply the best you'll currently find...putting it well above the quality of competing studios, such as Universal and Fox. In addition, the scope of the images is just breathtaking....and a treat to see on the big screen. Additionally, the songs, story and characters are all lovely. One warning, however, is that this film will very likely start you crying now and again...be sure to have some tissues nearby, just in case. A must-see film.

Coco (2017) is an animated film co-directed by Lee Unkrich and Adrian Molina. It is a story set in the fictitious Mexican town of Santa Cecilia, where young Miguel (Anthony Gonzalez) embarks on a journey when his passion in life and dreams are called into question by his family. All Miguel wants from this life is emulating the great and famous singer Ernesto de la Cruz (Benjamin Bratt) but his abuela and relatives oppose. Miguel must come to terms with his family and return back home after he disrespects the "dia de los muertos" tradition and a curse falls upon him, trapping him with the dead. He finds help from the deceased Hector (Gael Garcia) and members of his family like Mama Imelda (Alana Ubach) as he finds a way to express his talents and learns family history.

At its core Coco is a story about passion, memory and family. Miguel follows a story arch where he must learn self value, bravery and the value of being true to one's self while remaining loyal to family, respecting tradition and remembering one's past in the form of family history. With a reputation for great storytelling, juggernauts Disney and Pixar have found a way to tell a story with such a worn arch with a new and authentic style. A lesson is learned by almost every main character as they grow and develop. Passion is pitted against tradition (and perhaps stubborn customs) and the outcome produces strong emotions on the viewer. At times the story felt carried itself with the drama and flair of a Mexican "Telenovela". These are some rich themes for what may be considered a "kid's film" but they develop organically and are never forced. However the film doesn't lack that slapstick humour or easy and quirky kid's comedy (Especially present in the playfulness of the dead characters' bones).

The production team made a respectable effort preparing for the production of this film, and the results were worthwhile and evident. The film is brilliantly set in Mexico, showcasing a wide range of customs and cultural icons that made the film feel authentic. Everything from Mexican cuisine (Like tacos, tamales or "pan de muerto") to celebrities (Like Frida Kahlo, El Santo, Pedro Infante or Cantinflas) make an appearance. Traditional "Mariachi" or "Charro" suits and elaborate woman hairstyles are accurately represented. Mexican family culture is accurately represented from the respect towards our loving, stern and kiss filling abuelas, to that spicy and sassy personality characteristic of Mexican and Latin women. Even the idolization of popular musical icons, similar to Ernesto de la Cruz in the film, resembles the decades old fascination with the likes of actual celebrities like Pedro Infante or Jose Alfredo Jimenez. I authentically felt the story was set in a real, picturesque Mexican pueblo. Every small detail felt in place and that enhanced the story. The film understands and respects the traditions of "dia de los muertos" while giving it a modern twist. Despite the difficulties, and risks, that come with portraying such a rich and complex culture the film makes a much appreciated effort in introducing a side of Mexican culture that is at times neglected in favour of easy-to-go stereotypes.

The film felt beautifully animated with intricate finger movements while playing a worn-out guitar or the miniscule pores and imperfections of the bones. Visually gorgeous and impressive the film makes use of a brightly coloured pallet, like with the rich orange used for the "cempazuchitl" flowers or the "papel picado" banners. The music fit perfectly with the tone used for the story and never stopped having a particularly Mexican flavour from the use of the guitar or trumpets to the "marimba". The score continued to set the story appropriately.

Coco is carried by memorable fun moments, like Miguel's encounter with exotic Frida Kahlo, and beautiful and emotionally filled ones, such as that of the last act which grounded the story's themes of love for music and family during a scene that is sure to invoke a tear or two. Despite a few moments where it felt that the plot was driven by the oversimplified and unexplained mechanics of the curse, the film in general doesn't stop being the memorable and enjoyable experience of a familiar story executed with fresh and authentic style.

Leaving a review because I'm blown away at the amount of 9's and 10's I'm seeing for this movie, do you all have kids movies on a different scale? To me a movie is a movie and this was good for a kids movie but still incredibly formulaic with an obvious ending. I guess we'll have to see how much lower the score goes for this movie as at the time of this review its a 9/10, but its still just shocking to me to see it that high even though it's early. It truly is Pixar's 8th best movie at most and it's an alright idea but at the end of the day it's just a check all the boxes average movie. And that's okay; it's an alright kids movie but it doesn't deserve the praise people are showering it with.

As a Mexican born child I cried when I saw this movie and my son who is American born with Mexican parents loves it too.. love to teach him about our roots

"Coco" is the best animated film from Pixar and the best animated film of the present time. The script full of Mexican traditions and customs is rich in story, which is deep and emotional. The animation is impressive capturing the magic of Mexico and día de muertos, with colorful cinematography and tremendous characters. The voice work of the Mexican and Mexican-American actors is impressive, each voice full of emotions and with a great talent for singing that excels in each musical theme. "Coco" is the best film based on a Latin American country, a masterpiece!

I'm a 24 year old student who sometimes tends to overthink about the values of life and how one, including myself, expresses these kinds of thoughts through every form of art that tells a story. So as a person that really puts his soul to a movie he watches I have to say that this film is one of the most beautiful things I've ever had the pleasure of witnessing.

Coco does a fantastic job of capturing the viewer from the first moment. It cleverly captures the beauty of the "Day of the Dead" tradition, by unfolding one of the most heartwarming stories I've ever seen in a movie, around it. The film features a young Musician called Miguel and the pursuit of his dream of being a musician against his family's approval. Throughout the movie while Miguel engages in an adventurous journey through the land of the dead, he is caught between the love he has for music and the importance of family bonds. Quiet a simple and pretty well covered subject. Somehow, Coco manages to so simply and beatifully capture the essence of what it means to be human. What it means to love and what it means to have passion for the things and the people you love. The story was told in such an elegant way that it didn't make me think about the values it represented, but instead it made me feel them, without me even analysing what I was watching. It did it so gradually that at some point near the end I was so overwhelmed by a scene, which definetely goes to my "top 10 best movie scenes" list, that I caught myself crying. Not tearing up like I usually do when a scene touches me. Actually crying.

I could go on and on about Coco, but I'll leave with saying that this is a fantastic movie and I honestly feel grateful that I had the chance to watch it.

A must see!!!

I may be biased, since this movie portrayed perfectly what life is all about in a small Mexican town.

Or, perhaps I wanted to see Pixar really get back on the game. Go beyond Up, and make a complete movie that was as beautiful as the first 20 minutes of Wall-E.

I got my wish.

This is the movie I wanted Pixar to make, once again. A movie about what family means. A movie about the choices we make, and the roads not taken.

This is a stunning work of art. It'll move you from happiness to tears, from memories of the past to the joy of the future. To understanding, to remembrance. To the joys and pains of being alive.

I can't even begin to imagine how Pixar made a movie about life and death that is so colorful, so absorbing, so poignant, and so approachable for kids, and with so many layers upon layers upon layers of meaning and significance for adults.

To watch Coco is to love Coco, and to remember the Cocos in your life that are no longer among us.

Thank you, Pixar.

A few years ago I reviewed Coco and gave it the only 10 I have ever given. A story of love and family, it brought me a little joy in a very dark time.

Tonight I watched it again. I'm a 68 year old man and once again I find myself in tears at the ending.

Coco is an amazing movie that I would recommend to anyone who has a heart. I would give it a twelve if I could.

Despite the obvious following of the tear jerking formula, Pixar, makes you care every time. You can clearly see how they abuse same archetypes: family , children, dogs, death. Same plot twists of good guy turns out to be bad etc. You still totally lost in it and somehow care every time. Now they adopted "disney singing". you can see how they perfecting template of a weaponized tear jerking in a cartoon form. It is not nearly close to Wall-e or Up but as far away from Cars.

Like the culture of the dead embodied in the film, they worship the dead without sadness, and even sing and dance, singing and laughing, to commemorate the reunion with the deceased family members gathered together. Before I was afraid to hear and see and spirit, ghost related topics, those words in my impression is associated with terror, but let me after seeing this film has the different understanding to the dead, people become dead still have colorful life after death, have relatives, friends, there are joys and sorrows, is no longer so afraid of death. As long as the world remembers, it will still exist in this world, only when the world is completely forgotten, that is, when you no longer have anything to do with the world, will be turned into a golden powder, facing real death

Beautifully animated and entertaining but not as great as everyone is making it be. There were some beautiful songs and the voice acting was also pretty good but the concept or the execution was nothing new. As for an animated film that concerns about Day of the Dead I prefer The Book of Life. There were some obvious attempts at some political commentary that fell flat for me. The story was also quite predictable nonetheless a fun watch where they kept their respect for the culture.

Do not say this is Pixar's best movie. That's an offence to Pixar itself. Coco is a visually pleasing animated film, with stunning colors, nothing more. I was disappointed, I really thought a Pixar movie on the Day of the Dead could have great potential, but that potential was wasted.

Rather than a celebration of Mexican culture, what I have seen is a celebration of the American perception of Mexican culture (in a respectful way, at least). This was no surprise though. What made it impossible for me to enjoy this movie was the way the plot was sacrificed in order to deliver the "Be who you want to be" lesson. The first part of the movie focuses so much on this one idea, with so many clichés it even made me consider leaving the theater.

But as I said, the colors make it a pretty film and I was hoping I'd be enjoying some of Pixar's excellent humor at some point. That never came. This movie will make you chuckle a couple times, but that's it, it lack's Pixar's magical combination of plot, humor and feelings.

They came up with one or two good ideas and Death is depicted in a really nice way, but the plot was so scarcely developed some events remain unexplained. Completely useless elements are given a lot of importance within the story, while the truly interesting bits get very little space. Coco simply didn't "seize the moment".