The newest Pixar film, this is one I had intended to see at the pictures, but failed miserably due to it being a bit too close to the Christmas/New Year period.
It tells the tale of Miguel, the youngest son of a family of cobblers, who wants nothing more than to take up a career in music, after his hero Ernesto de la Cruz. Alas, Miguel's great great grandfather abandoned his family to follow a musical career of his own, and so music is banned to the family, both listening and more importantly playing.
Which is why Miguel finds himself out one evening, attempting to perform a little graverobbing in order to acquire an instrument for the Day of the Dead musical competition. Unfortunately he becomes more than a little cursed due to his desecration of remains, becoming a living boy trapped in the world of the dead. So begins his quest to find a family member who can send him back to the living, and let him play music.
Pixar tend to be one of those companies I will watch every film of (except the Cars franchise - I seem to not be terribly enthused about those) and mostly I think they're astounding, being serious standouts in the film industry. (I even enjoyed The Good Dinosaur.) However, this is the second film they've produced now that I've not been too impressed by. Finding Dory was honestly a bit rubbish, feeling like an unnecessary rehash. And Coco is similar.
Part of the problem is probably that this is very reminiscent of The Book of Life, which I thought was excellent. That had the impressive visuals, good music and a plot that wasn't too sappy.
This, on the other hand, had the visuals, and a decent soundtrack, but the plot at the core of the film was pedestrian. It was painfully predictable, not in the manner in which you feel pleased with yourself for working it out, but such that you just want them to get on with it, because you've already watched it in your head.
To be fair, the visuals are brilliant. The skeletons are animated delightfully, and they play a lot of little optical tricks to add life and complexity to what could be a very drab movement. Miguel's dead family are a delight, with some fun dialogue and a nice range of characters. The animal spirit guides are always dazzling, though I found the dog occasionally trying.
It was a nice effort, but I wish there were a few more twists and turns in there to lead to a few unexpected moments. I may have to just go and watch the playthrough of Grim Fandango again.
Tagged: Film Animated comedy Gods and demons Fiction Cinema