Being told you are absolutely forbidden from doing something is the irresistible catnip of incentive to go do it.
For 12-year-old Miguel, the charming central figure in "Coco," being told that he must avoid music _ he cannot listen to it, sing it or play it _ is maddening.
Just as Kevin Bacon's Ren was incredulous that dancing was outlawed in a small town in "Footloose," Miguel (voiced by newcomer Anthony Gonzalez) longs for nothing more than to play guitar, sing and write songs like his hero, Ernesto de la Cruz (Benjamin Bratt).
Just why his family forbids music is somewhat dubious. Apparently, it started generations earlier when Miguel's great-great-grandfather, a musician, walked out on the family. His descendants are shoemakers and music-haters in a Mexican village.
But headstrong 12-year-olds aren't too keen on rules or ancient family lore. He practices his guitar-playing in secret while watching old movies of de la Cruz, who died decades earlier.
During Dia de los Muertos, or the Day of the Dead, when his family is busy honoring deceased relatives and friends, Miguel finds himself crossing over to the Land of the Dead, a magical place inhabited by funky skeleton people and spirit creatures.
It is an elaborate culture on the other side, with colorful cityscapes, celebrity hierarchy, even talent shows. Miguel encounters a hustler named Hector (Gael Garcia Bernal), who shows him the ropes and promises to connect him with de la Cruz, whom Miguel believes is his own great-great-grandfather. (The film's title refers to Miguel's great-grandmother, Coco, an elderly, wheelchair-bound woman with a lifetime of wrinkles.)
In the Land of the Dead, Miguel meets some of his other long-gone relatives, who are heading toward the living world. Legend holds that on the Day of the Dead, the deceased can visit their former world, where they are being celebrated by their descendants.
We also learn that dead people who are no longer remembered, fade away forever, vanishing from even their funky skeleton frames in the "final death." It's a page from the Inside Out playbook and the tearful fading of the fantasy friend Bing Bong.
"Coco" celebrates Mexico, its people and traditions, and flows easily between English and Spanish. The project was criticized early on for co-opting a culture and for even trying to trademark "Dia de los Muertos." (To compensate, Pixar brought in a slew of Latino advisers and musicians to work on the project.)
Co-directed by Lee Unkrich ("Toy Story 3") and Adrian Molina, "Coco" is sweet and touching, and also more melancholy than your average animated film. The Land of the Dead is fantastically realized and the Pixar animation team wows us with realistic lighting, shadows and facial features, not to mention spot-on guitar plucking and strumming.
In the end, Miguel learns about family and relationships, and how to realize his musical dreams.
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