Many components contribute to a good show or movie such as the characters, storyline, cinematography, and soundtrack. Each of these elements are vital to the quality of the film, and if one is lacking, then the whole movie could be unpleasant to watch. In a good film, characters are dynamic rather than flat, and the storyline is full of conflicts with unpredictable solutions. A good film can be difficult to find; however, Coco is an excellent film that viewers should consider watching because of its fantastic visual effects, message, and the characters.
The movie focuses on a young boy named Miguel. Miguel was born into a family who hates music. Despite the hatred of and the generations-old ban of music, Miguel dreamed of one day becoming a famous musician like his idol Ernesto de La Cruz. Through desperation, Miguel found himself in a world of the dead where he would soon find out about his family’s history and truths. After meeting Hector, a man with a secret and a desperate desire to visit the Land of the Living, the two find themselves on a trip to discover the past.
A portion of what makes Coco a great film is its fantastic visual effects. When Miguel crosses the bridge to get to the land of the dead, a wide view of the city is shown. There are many colors each complimenting on another which one can only describe as beautiful. It highly reflects the amount of work illustrators spent working on the cinematography. The bridge where Miguel crosses through is amazing itself and well thought out by the illustrators. The bridge is made up of marigold petals which, in Mexican culture, are known as the flower of the dead. Marigold flowers represent the fragility of life and their vibrant color and sent are used to guide spirits to their altars during Día de Los Muertos. The attention to detail on these scenes compliments the film on a visual aspect.
Another great aspect of the film is the message. Miguel wants to become a famous musician; However, his family believes that keeping Miguel from pursuing that dream will protect him and themselves from abandoning his family just like his great-great-grandfather did. At the beginning of the film, all Miguel wants is to become a famous musician, but as the film progresses, Miguel finds out truths that lead him to value his family. He discovers that family is the most important thing and a priority. Part of being in a family is that family members are always there to help. Many people can relate to this message and understand the importance of it which makes this film great.
Lastly, the relationships between the characters is another component that contributes to the overall greatness of the overall greatness of the film. Miguel’s relationship with his family impacts the film greatly as he struggles to try to pursue his dream as a musician. His family hates music and wants to restrict him from pursuing his dreams as a musician. The tension in this relationship gives the audience a sense of reinforcement towards Miguel. Miguel’s relationships with his great-great-grandmother also make the film great; She will only allow him to go back to the land of the living if he agrees to quit music for the rest of his life. From her personal experience, by keeping him from pursuing his dream as a musician, he will never abandon his family as his great-great-grandfather did. These character relationships make Coco a great film because they add tension to the storyline and create a rollercoaster of emotions for the audience.
In essence, the visual effects, the message, and the relationships of each of these characters make Coco a great film. The visual effects made the movie appealing to watch with all the bright colors. The color choice also has meaning behind them which add more value to the overall effect of the film. Second, the message of the film appealed to the audience’s emotions and made them feel connected. Finally, the relationships of each character generated a love-hate emotion from the audience. The Mexican culture integrated into the film makes it unique from other films which is great for viewers who want to watch something non-generic. These elements served to produce the great film, Coco.