Everything That Went Through My Head When I Watched "Coco"

I was very skeptical when I sat down in the movie theater over Thanksgiving break with my family to see Coco.  It wasn't that I didn't have faith in Disney—I did.  I was sure they would pull off another great movie.  The thing is, I didn't know exactly how.

My initial impressions of the film weren't that great.  Instantly after seeing the trailer, I was reminded of The Book of Life, a 20th Century Fox film that my high school Spanish teacher made us watch at least 3 times.  The movie wasn't bad—I was bound to like it since it meant a class period watching a movie instead of taking a test—but the concept seemed so overdone.

Instantly after watching the Coco trailer, I saw the similarities: boy wants to play the guitar, movie takes place in a Spanish-speaking country, Day of the Dead is somehow involved.  It seemed like every Hispanic trope crushed into one movie.

The similarities seemed rampant.  No studio had a boycott on a Hispanic movie (obviously), but the boy + guitar + Day of the Dead plot seemed a little too familiar.

These stills are a little too alike for comfort.

Still, because I'm a Disney super-fan, I went to the theater on opening day (arriving only in time to catch the last five minutes of the Frozen animated short because traffic), bought a ticket, and sat right in the middle of the audience, prepared to run an interior monologue of critique the entire time.  The rest of my family didn't share my doubts; I was the only one who had suffered through The Book of Life viewings, so the concept of Coco seemed fresh to them.

Yes, the premise of both films was pretty much the same, with a few notable differences including age gaps and love triangles and whatnot.  But Coco, of course, had its own Disney spin which made it all that much more *magical*, and which solidified its place in my heart.  In summary, it earned my Stamp of Approval.

Why?  Coco was the perfect blend of funny, bittersweet, tender, and powerful.  Without including spoilers (and boy, are there spoilers), I can safely say that the film did an amazing job of representing Hispanic culture—at least as far as I can tell.  The Day of the Dead, which was treated lightheartedly in The Book of Life, was given the respect and care it deserved in Coco, with all the emphasis being placed on the importance of family.  No detail seemed left unfinished for Disney, from an all-star (Hispanic!) cast to care being placed on the traditions and daily life of the Mexican culture.  10/10, Disney.

Dante was my favorite character by far.

By the end of the movie, I was the only one not sobbing my eyes out (both my parents and my sister were all crying profusely) which made me wonder if I had lost heartstrings but also rendered me able to study the film more analytically.  No matter which way you look at it—emotionally or logically— this movie was a home run.  Did it make it into my list of top 10 Disney films?  No.  But did it earn a place of respect in my mind as a true Disney movie?  Absolutely.  While I'm not going to go see it again in theaters, I'll definitely be watching it again after it comes out on DVD (or is released on Netflix).