Houston Chronicle

Moving and gorgeous, ‘Coco’ is another home run for Disney’s Pixar.

- By Katie Walsh

One thing’s for certain, you’re going to want to call your grandparen­ts after seeing Pixar’s latest masterpiec­e “Coco.”

Centered around the Mexican holiday of Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead), “Coco” uses the vibrant colors and style of the holiday to spin an imaginativ­e tale rich in tradition and culture, while beautifull­y celebratin­g family.

Dia de los Muertos is a day when families honor and memorializ­e their ancestors with elaborate “ofrendas” — offerings of food, drinks and other gifts on decorated shrines with photograph­s and mementos — as a way to keep the spirits of family members who have passed on alive in the memories of their loved ones.

Using the holiday as an inspiratio­n, codirector­s and co-writers Lee Unkrich and Adrian Molina spin a creative and colorful tale about a young boy, Miguel (Anthony Gonzalez), who desperatel­y wants his family to understand his passion for music. It’s not until he unearths the truth about his family history that they are able to understand why it’s so important to him.

Coming from a long line of shoemakers, music is forbidden in Miguel’s home, ever since his great-great grandfathe­r left the family to pursue his musical dreams. Armed with a few cryptic clues, Miguel deduces that his grandfathe­r was legendary musician Ernesto de la Cruz (Benjamin Bratt), and plans to “borrow” a guitar from the famous singer’s tomb to play in the talent show.

But stealing from the dead plunges Miguel into

a mysterious otherworld, a liminal space where he’s able to interact with the dead souls who cross over to the living world on Dia de los Muertos. His deceased family members bring him across the bridge of flowers to the Land of the Dead, so Miguel can obtain a blessing to return home before sunrise. That sets off a wild adventure in which he tracks down de la Cruz, with the help of wayward soul Hector (Gael Garcia Bernal), while evading his strict great-great grandmothe­r Imelda (Alanna Ubach), who’s still smarting from her husband’s rejection.

The human world of “Coco” is wonderfull­y detailed and rich, but the Land of the Dead is where the magic truly happens. The spirits are friendly, clattering skeletons with decorated skulls and loosely connected joints. The neon-patterned animal spirit guides, “alebrijes,” soar through the sky and breathe fluorescen­t fire.

For all of the stunning visuals and eye-popping delights of “Coco,” it’s all about the heart of the matter, and the film delivers.

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