Coco (2017)

Pixars line of movies consists of this: What if Toys had feelings, What if Bugs had feelings, Cars, Feelings have feelings, and last: What if the dead had feelings? Pixars latest tackles the annual Mexican holiday Dia De Muertos aka "Day of the Dead". This festive celebration is when ancestors who have died go back to see their living relatives. Now if you ask me, this holiday sounds like it's a bunch of voodoo, but that's how I see it. Once I saw this film, I knew I'd get an education on this holiday, celebrated by millions.

This film may not have comedy, maybe a little, but, this film is a beautiful, colorful and detailed piece of work. Perhaps it is one of the most visually stunning films I have seen this year. What makes this film so colorful, is the detail and all that the film shows. It's truly something that is spectacular.

Director Lee Unkrich, works his way in this film gracefully and so authentically, that those who didn't know what this holiday is,  like I did before watching this, you will know. The nature of this film is dark, but it's presented in way that isn't too dark. only colorful. So colorful, that you 'll be wanting to go to the "Land of The Dead" just like our main character.

Veteran Pixar composer, Michael Giacchino, makes a festive, upbeat sound for the film. It goes hand-in-hand with the original songs in the film as well, which are also just as good as the score.

Our main character, Miguel, an aspiring musician, tries to participate in a show in his local town in Mexico, his family harps on his dreams to do so because the family is "cursed". His "great-great grandfather" a popular singer and musician Hector, has talents so big, that his double great grandson mistook him for another popular singer and musician. Anthony Gonzalez, plays Miguel. He does a really good job at capturing the essence of what the human experience yearns for. Goals. Dreams. Ambition. Destiny.

The only main problem I have with this film really, is that it seems to me that "Disney/Pixar" likes to include characters so dim witted that it's almost insulting to those real individuals who may have developmental disabilities. This all started with last years "Finding Dory"  with Gerald, a dim-witted sea lion who just wants to be accepted. This film, uses a dog, named Dante. It's one of the only beefs I have with this film, because of the recurring pattern here, and it needs to stop.

Are you ready for a cultural shock? Hang on, because you're about to experience an adventure unlike anything you've seen in cinema this year. The films mantra is "Seize Your Moment". This means you should take after anything you desire, even though others will try and stop you from being yourself and doing what you love. Pixars latest is a remarkable achievement, even if it suffers mildly for the mockery of the intellectually disabled. So, are you going to "Seize Your Moment"?

Rate: B+ 

Director: Lee Unkrich

Starring: Anthony Gonzalez, Benjamin Bratt, Gael Garcia-Bernal, with Renee Victor and Alanna Ubach

MPAA Rating: PG-(for thematic elements) 

Synopsis: The story follows a 12-year-old boy named Miguel Rivera who is accidentally transported to the land of the dead, where he seeks the help of his deceased musician great-great-grandfather to return him to his family among the living.

Runtime: 1 Hour & 50 Minutes 

Photo: Disney/Pixar

Malawski’s Movie Rating System

A+ = Exceptional, One of a Kind, Masterpiece. Definite award season contender
A= Pure enjoyment, happy feeling. Satisfaction
A- = One to remember. Unforgettable
B+ = Can get a little over the top. But, it makes out as a good film.
B= This film has the potential to be better. Lacks in consistency
B- = Watches occasionally
C+ = Guilty pleasure territory
C= Causes viewer frustration due to lack of depth in the story
C-= Meh
D+ = I hated this movie. Some parts were good. Overall, the film was garbage
D= Very few to no good parts about this movie
D- = Minimal qualities of excellence
F= Don’t even bother watching it. It’s that bad.