It has been a few years since Pixar has released an original film; they gave us "Finding Dory" in 2016 and "Cars 3" last year. Since the studio's first release in 1995, Pixar has had a stellar reputation. Recently though, some critics would argue that their original films, such as "Brave" and "The Good Dinosaur" are a stark contrast to the studio's greater affair. Up until now, "Inside Out" is their only original film of the 2010s that has received universal acclaim.  Fortunately, "Coco" joins the league of Pixar's greats. Although it is not my favourite film the studio has released, "Coco" is original, authentic and charming; all of which are qualities audiences have come to expect from a Pixar film. 

Visually, "Coco" is one of Pixar's most ambitious and colourful features yet. The scenes that take place in Mexico could have easily appeared mundane and dull, but the animators infuse shades of orange, adhering to the colour palette of the entire film. The land of the dead is one of the most aesthetically pleasing and visually complex worlds ever created for an animated flick. 2014's "The Book of Life" centred on the 'Day of the Dead' too and to its credit used a unique visual style but for those who were concerned that Pixar would be unable to realise the Mexican holiday originally, "Coco" is a visually beautiful and mesmerising film. Like "Antz" was soon forgotten after "A Bug's Life", audiences will now think of Pixar's interpretation of 'Day of the Dead' first before "The Book of Life". I liked how the film was able to represent a land full of dead people as a positive, bright and welcoming place. Pixar proves with "Coco" once again that they are the leaders in their field as the humans, skeletons, animals and spirit animals are all incredibly and creatively realised, even if it took me some time to warm to spirit animals' bold visuals. "Coco" deserves to win Best Animated Feature for its animation alone. 

The voice cast may lack star power, but it is great to finally see the casting of people from appropriate backgrounds take priority over anything else; this is how it should be, and hopefully, other films will follow suit. As many of the cast are unknown to audiences, their impressive work here could open up more opportunities in Hollywood. Anthony Gonzalez voices Miguel and is brilliant. He has quite a good singing voice too. Miguel is a dreamer but is constrained from chasing after his dreams by his family. Like many young people, he has a celebrity idol who he aspires to be. Miguel's determination and ambition is very likeable. Gonzalez captures all of these emotions perfectly with his voice, yet again defying the negative stereotype associated with child actors. Disney could utilise Gonzalez further, whether that be on the Disney Channel or in a future film. Gael Garcia Beral is excellent as the voice of Hector. Arguably the film's most complex and challenging character, Beral's performance conveys precisely what the script intends and more. Beral does have a Golden Globe, but I do hope Hollywood utilises this cast in live action projects. Emmy nominee Benjamin Bratt delivers a strong performance as Ernesto de la Cruz. Bratt successfully conveys the power and confidence of the character. Alanna Ubach and Renee Victor play two firey, strong women well. Sometimes an animated film needs star power, but for a movie like "Coco", all of the actors became their respective characters; there were no distractions from recognising a particular voice. The only problem I have with the cast and characters is that women are underrepresented in central roles. Mama Imelda and Abuelita are certainly two strong women, but they only have maternal purposes. This is not a huge issue though as many female-centric films completely disregard men; this is not the case for women in "Coco". 

"Coco" may not be directed or written by Latin American individuals but the creators carried out thorough research as the film feels incredibly authentic. "Coco" was a box office juggernaut in Mexico which is enough proof for me that Mexican culture is both respectfully and accurately represented. 'Day of the Dead' is portrayed positively; the Mexican holiday celebrates death and remembers deceased loved ones; Pixar's "Coco" portrays this in a compelling, warm and magical manner. The film also represents other values and beliefs of Mexican culture well: Miguel belongs to a large yet close-knit family, his family are still shoe-makers, a tradition set by Imelda (Miguel's great-great-grandmother) and the family are banned from listening to music, another of Imelda's traditions.  I walked out of the cinema feeling educated, "Coco" is a rare example of a Hollywood film that is accurately insightful.  From Mexican values to Mexican traditions, "Coco" represents the culture faithfully.

As for the story, it is full of surprising twists and turns. The 'Land of the Dead' is realised extensively; the audience gets a good scope of the world as the narrative visits different areas; World-building was not something I was expecting to be so strong in "Coco". Even though how Miguel ends up in the 'Land of the Dead' is only vaguely explained, everything else about the story unravels seamlessly. The first surprise is that Miguel's great-great-Grandfather is the famous musician, Ernesto de la Cruz. Though for me, this was not a surprise as I assumed this from the trailer. Later on, it is revealed that Hector is Miguel's great-great-Grandfather and that Ernesto murdered him; Ernesto stole Hector's song lyrics and turned them into big hits, convincing the world that they were his songs. This twist somewhat came as a surprise to me even though earlier scenes did suggest that this could be the case (I dismissed those thoughts). For example, when Miguel and Hector performed 'Un Poco Loco', the chemistry between them seemed much more than acquaintances; the shot types (close-ups of eye contact) also support this. It is also revealed that Dante is Miguel's spirit animal and can fly! "Coco" has many surprising twists that some audience members may be able to predict. However, even the most observant viewers will still enjoy Miguel's adventure and all of its 'unexpected' moments.

Being Pixar's first attempt at a musical, the music of "Coco" is not a poor effort. However, the music should be stronger than it is. The lyricists deserve credit for creating authentic Latin music; the songs were written by Germaine Franco, Adrian Molina, Robert Lopez and Kristen Anderson-Lopez; the latter two are best known for their Oscar-winning work in "Frozen". Unfortunately, I have not felt inclined to listen to the soundtrack since watching the film; I think it is missing a catchy, upbeat song.  The best and the most memorable song is by far, 'Remember Me' which is utilised exceptionally within the narrative. The song is Ernesto's biggest hit but also what Hector sang to Coco as a young child. Coco, Miguel's great-grandmother, appears to suffer from an illness that affects her memory such as Alzheimer's disease or dementia. The film reaches its climax when Hector is unable to visit the world of the living as the only person who remembers him, Coco, is starting to forget him; If Coco forgets Hector, he will be erased from the Land of the Dead forever. Miguel sings 'Remember Me' to Coco in one of Pixar's most touching and emotional moments. Coco begins to sing along and recalls her father; What is so special about this is that there are real-life examples where music has helped those with memory-loss illnesses to remember. This scene will be remembered for years to come. 'Remember Me' is the defining song of "Coco"; it is so crucial to the narrative and will move audiences everywhere. 

Once again, Pixar produces an animated film targeted at children that exudes complex and intellectual messages. Aforementioned, the film features a character who suffers from dementia/Alzheimer's disease, and I thought this character was handled tastefully. My own grandmother suffers from these illnesses which made it easier to connect to and relate to these characters. Unmistakably, one of the film's most prominent themes is death. Hopefully, "Coco" can help death become a less tabu topic. Death is not represented as the dark and dreaded thing that many fear but as something that has to be accepted and should be viewed with optimism. Both of these subjects are quite heavy, but I think Pixar handles them in a way where perceptive conversations can be had after leaving the cinema. 
There are also some political undertones that are not too blatant. The deceased loved ones have to pass through border control to visit their living loved ones, and in an early scene, Hector is denied the right to pass. Furthermore, Miguel is a young dreamer, the type of person that is dominating American politics at the moment. It was rewarding to see a dreamer chase after their goals. Hector, Ernesto, Imelda and arguably every character in the film could be interpreted as a dreamer too. "Coco" is never overly obvious in regards to its political viewpoint, it does not interfere with the plot, but I think the subtle messages will speak to many people. There are also messages about the importance of family, how idols are sometimes not-so-great and that we should follow our desires and seise every opportunity.

"Coco" is another terrific Pixar release. The story manages to be exciting and surprising while also tackling complex subjects. This may be a film about death, but "Coco" is brought to life by beautiful animation. The songs could be better but 'Remember Me' is a stand-out and is a vital part of what will likely become an iconic Pixar moment.  It is rare for Pixar to create engaging and likeable human characters, but in "Coco", they have successfully created an ensemble of them. The voice actors all give strong performances, and it was refreshing to see cast members of the appropriate ethnicity. "Coco" is authentic, representing Mexican culture accurately. The more I think about this film and what it stands for, the fonder I become. "Coco" may not be my favourite Pixar film but it is compelling in almost every area.