Disney Pixar
“Coco” was released in 2017 detailing the fictional story of young Miguel Rivera.
While Gen Z gets older and we reminisce on our own Pixar landmark movies, “Coco” marked the start of the new generation’s nostalgia.
To date, the movie has amassed 814 million dollars worldwide. It’s a no-brainer as to why, because in all the movie has an amazing storyline that illustrates the strength of family bonds and how culture keeps them alive.
It’s a tribute to traditional Mexican culture, and the strong themes of how power is found in the connection of family keeps you drawn into the storyline, if the music wasn’t already enough.
The themes of remembrance are potent, as well. The idea that the dead become forgotten and lost without an ofrenda symbolizes the importance of remembering your loved ones and the memory you have of them. It’s as they say, you die twice – the first when you are buried and the last time someone says your name.
Visually, the movie is stunning. The colors are vibrant and welcoming, and it’s so full of textures as if you can feel the flower petals that pad the path from the living world to the dead. The lighting is warm, inviting and accentuates the world around Miguel to illustrate the mood of the scene.
The music was and will always be iconic to the movie. “Remember Me” will likely last generations, and when those children who watched “Coco” grow up more I believe it will be on the roster of throwbacks for them to look back on.
It is as a children’s movie should be. It walks you through the cultural story of a boy, highlights the conflict and resolution that expresses the idea that not everyone is as they seem, and encourages you to realize who you will always have by your side. Even if it’s an ancient Aztec Xoloitzcuintli, Dante, who is Miguel’s spirit guide.