Hot for Coco; Chilly For Olaf

So this post, I want to talk about the new Pixar film, Coco. But before we can do that, let’s address the elephant in the room. Or more to the point, the magic snowman in the room.

 

I speak thusly of Olaf’s Frozen Adventure.

 

As is normally the course, Pixar features are preceded by a short.  That short is usually produced by Pixar and for its brevity, it’s usually a quality production on par with the main presentation.

 

But not this time.

 

• The short is from Disney, not Pixar.
• It’s not really that good. 
• And the short is actually not short.

Olaf’s Frozen Adventure clocks in at about 21 minutes. 

The Olaf feature went on so long, a child sitting behind me asked their parent, “Are we in the wrong movie?” 

 

From the mouths of babes and all that, right?

 

Let me clarify that Olaf’s Frozen Adventure is not bad… for what it was supposed to be which was a half hour TV special.  It’s a light, somewhat amusing trifle with some goofy antics with Olaf and some tender moments with the Frozen sisters whose names elude me at the moment so let’s say Laverne & Shirley, maybe? 

 

But 21 minutes is a LONG time to spend with Olaf, Thelma and Louise before we can get to the main feature. And tonally, Olaf’s Frozen Adventure is a poor match with Coco.

 

OK, enough griping about Olaf, Cagney and Lacey. Let’s chat about Coco.

 

Coco is awesome!

 

Visually, the film has a unique vision that bursts forth on the screen with a plethora of colors and distinctive designs. But what truly drives a great Pixar feature is the story and the characters and here, Coco also excels. 

 

The story centers on a boy named Miguel from a large family of shoemakers who are really obsessed with making shoes and NOT making music. Seems a few generations back, a man done great grandma wrong by leaving the family to pursue a career in music. So music is forbidden! Which is a problem for Miguel who loves music and has a talent for it.

 

The story takes place during Día de los Muertos (note, in Spanish the holiday is properly called Día de Muertos) for  the Day of the Dead, a Mexican holiday when families commemorate family members who have died while those same family members can cross over to the land of the living to visit with their living relatives.  Events transpire to send Miguel to the Land of the Dead where he needs the blessing of a deceased family member to send him back to the land of the living before sunrise or else he’ll be trapped with the dead forever.  He finds his great grandmother who is prepared to help send Miguel back to the living but only on the condition that Miguel forsakes music forever.  Miguel does not want that deal so he goes in search of a family member he thinks will be more supportive of his dreams, the late great music sensation Ernesto de la Cruz who is Miguel’s great grandfather. Miguel’s only help among the dead is a ne’re do well hustler named Ernesto.

 

Except…

 

Even in death, people are not always what we assume them to be.

 

Miguel who was so angry with his family’s outright rejection of his dreams and gifts for music learns the value of family. And if that sounds like a sappy, trite lesson, it is anything but in Coco. It is a lesson for Miguel that hurts as much as it uplifts.  Coco has a genuine emotional power that can move you to tears.  

 

Well, it would for me if I wasn’t emotionally dead inside.

 

So I would highly recommend Coco.  As for Olaf’s Frozen Adventure, just grin and bear it. Go get some snacks, maybe. Or go to Mexico where some theaters are showing Coco without Olaf. 

Thanks for reading. Until next time, remember to be good to one another.