‘Coco’ glorifying Mexican heritage deepens with Blu-ray extra features
Pixar’s Coco has earned over $700 million globally and the release of the Blu-ray, DVD, Digital version will expand the experience for many fans as they explore featurettes and behind-the-scenes footage revealing a powerful effort to capture the Mexican heritage presented in the film.
The film centers on Miguel, a young boy who dreams of becoming an accomplished musician like his idol, Ernesto de la Cruz. Desperate to prove his talent, Miguel finds himself in the stunning and colorful Land of the Dead following a mysterious chain of events. Along the way, he meets charming trickster Hector, and together, they set off on an extraordinary journey to unlock the real story behind Miguel’s family history.
Coco is an Oscar favorite for Best Animated Film, and rightfully so (full Coco review HERE) as director Lee Unkrich (co-director on Toy Story 2, director on Toy Story 3) has been public about the film’s depiction of “a real culture” which caused anxiety for Unkrich, who “felt an enormous responsibility on my shoulders to do it right.”
The film is beautiful and a 4K version will truly amaze fans, but the extras is where the magic can be found.
“Mi Familia” reveals the daunting efforts of the filmmakers to infuse their own families and rural Mexican families into the creation of Miguel’s family. While it is fun, it is also moving to see the footage of the families they visited, the rough drawings and basic animations to include their core character ideas into an animated “reality.”
There is a six-minute look at the silly canine Dante, which will enlighten viewers on the cultural significance of dogs to Mexican culture and focus on research footage and early drawings/animations.
Add in a great audio commentary and the backstory of Coco may be better than the film itself. Like Black Panther in the African-American community, Coco brings meaning to Mexican youths, giving them value and focus on family.
Coco is about to be another Oscar winning picture for Pixar and audiences should devour the extras to truly get the full Coco experience.
