Coco (2017) Parent Guide

Miguel (voice of Anthony Gonzalez) comes from a cursed family. It all began when his great-great-grandfather decided to pursue a career as a songwriter and abandoned his wife Imelda and their young daughter Coco. To support herself and child, the deserted woman began making shoes – and that has been the Rivera clan’s occupation ever since. She also banned her descendants from having anything to do with music. Even though that was four generations ago, Miguel is still suffering the effects of her edict – because all he wants to do is become a musician.

It doesn’t help that his small village is also the birth and resting place of one of Mexico’s most famous entertainers, Ernesto De La Cruz (voice of Benjamin Bratt). Miguel has watched all his old movies and even learned to play his songs on a dilapidated guitar he has stashed away in a hiding place at home.

Then comes Dia de los Muertos - the Day of the Dead. While his parents, Abuelita (grandmother) and great grandmother Coco (voices of Jaime Camil, Sofía Espinosa, Renee Victor and Ana Ofelia Murguía) are preparing for the celebration that honors deceased ancestors, the twelve-year-old attempts to sneak out with the hope of entering a talent contest being held in the town square. But thanks to a meddling stray dog, everyone’s plans are disrupted. An angry confrontation ensues and the stringed instrument is destroyed.

The unfortunate incident does have one fortunate result – it provides a clue to Miguel’s heritage. Armed with this information, the boy breaks into the mausoleum of Ernesto De La Cruz to steal his famous guitar that is on display there. Although his intentions are just to show his closed-minded relatives that they should let him play music, the theft has unexpected and supernatural results.

Suddenly Miguel becomes ghost-like, and he can see the deceased who have come to attend their big party on the only day of the year they are permitted to crossover from the afterlife. He is quickly spotted by his own family members, who take him to the Land of the Dead to figure out how to send him back to the living before the change in his status becomes permanent. The strange circumstances also allow Miguel to confront his great, great grandmother Imelda (voice of Alanna Ubach) and he takes the opportunity to protest her moratorium on musical pursuits. Yet she unrelenting. When he realizes that he needs a blessing to return home, Miguel decides to seek it from a kindred soul that will be more sympathetic to his personal passions. So he turns his back on his relatives and sets off to find his idol Ernesto De La Cruz.

Much of the story takes place in Land of the Dead. While it is depicted as colorful and lively, all the inhabitants are skeletons. This may be frightening for young viewers, especially when much of the comedy comes from literal portrayals of characters losing their heads, dropping their jaws, or having their eyes pop out. They also “arm” themselves during conflicts by pulling off limbs, and their bones scatter and are reassembled after falls.

Along with these somewhat ghoulish images, the plot features a dark villain with murderous intentions. The brief appearance of this bad guy increases the peril faced by the protagonist. Other scary moments include characters fading from memory and becoming dead forever, and large spirit animals that hunt down the runaway child.

Despite this, Coco offers a heartwarming tale that explores relationships in both the roots and branches of a family tree. It shows how the past and present shape a person’s future. Best shared with older children rather than the little tikes, this amazing animation emphasizes the joy that can come from generational ties and reminds viewers of the importance of remembering their ancestors.

About author

Donna Gustafson

Donna Gustafson has been involved with her husband Rod's work since the beginning. Handling many of the behind-the-scenes tasks, she also creates preview pages for up-coming movies, acts as managing editor and occasionally writes reviews.