The Academy Award-winning film Coco has taken over the spotlight as the biggest hit in Mexican history. The movie’s animations along with the visual effects of the scenery are enough to captivate you into the film. The music also has meaningful lyrics and is played beautifully, which highlights the overall message of the film and makes it more emotional. Coco tells the story of Miguel, a young and determined twelve-year-old boy, whose aspiration is to become the greatest musician of all time despite his family’s ban on music. He is passionate about his dream and wishes he could be around music all the time. However, Miguel finds himself trapped in the Land of the Dead and he must return home before sunrise with the help of a companion, Hector. 

Behind the making of the film, director Unkrich relied on several research trips to Mexico and personal stories of Latino team members, which grounded his fantasy realm with specific geographic and sociological roots. This helped Coco maintain an accurate portrayal of the Mexican Day of the Dead. Unkrich knew his film had the same potential for dazzling visuals and emotional catharsis that distinguished his other works, such as Toy Story 3 and other hits from the Disney-owned studio. The original idea for Coco struck Unkrich during a 2011 family vacation while visiting the Mexico pavilion at Disney’s Epcot theme park in Florida. In an interview, he recalls, "I was riding this boat and we passed a mariachi skeleton band, and that was my trigger moment." 

Coco brings astonishing cinematography, animations, scenery, and lighting. For example, the scene that reveals the Land of the Dead took six drawings that each animator drew individually on a computer screen. Each of the drawings was then layered on top of one another, creating the beautiful animation that makes all previous animated Pixar Movies seem mild in comparison. Furthermore, the bridge to the Land of the Dead comprised of golden petals that use “particle light,” which was also developed in The Good Dinosaur, another successful work from Pixar Animation Studios. This new effect illuminates the petals with every step and includes unique color tones that emit a rosy and warm feeling.              

Coco is all about the importance of family and the issue of having to choose between them or following your dreams. The film teaches us that those who leave the world physically are not certainly gone, for they are still living in our thoughts, stories, and sets of old photographs. As I watched the movie, I realized that all of the characters had their own distinct personalities and problems that are tied up perfectly toward the end of the film. The plot of the story and the characters’ problems were so realistic that I almost felt as if they were my own. 

Lastly, the music in Coco highlights the Mexican culture the most. All of the songs are sung in Spanish except for “Remember Me,” a song that Miguel’s great-great-grandfather sung to his daughter. There are some heartbreaking scenes in the film that definitely made me teary, so consider bringing a box of tissues. In conclusion, Coco is the perfect movie with stunning animations, lighting, scenery, characters, and music that will leave you feeling like you’re in Mexico.