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Loco con Coco

Alondra Quinonez

Language & Literature Department, State College of Florida

ENC 1101: Written Communications I

Professor Anastasia Bojanowski

November 5, 2020
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Loco con Coco

Children’s animation is an eminent genre in the film industry. As the years have passed

by, common trends have been distinguished for the genre as a whole. In the production of a film,

the directors have to keep in mind the wants of a child and look at it the project through another

perspective. For this reason, they include magic; "Magic is an especially effective and appealing

motif for young viewers"(Booker, M. K., 2010, p.2). Many animations also include "Animated

animals (presented so as to appear friendly and unthreatening humans)” (p.2). The combination

of these two factors are vital in the production of a children’s animation for they create a sense.

of ease and Innocence, music is also essential for, “Children enjoy music, and strategically

inserted musical numbers help to hold the attention of young viewers"(p.2). In unfolding the plot

these all contribute to keeping the child entertained and helping them better understand the

message or theme of the movie. Towards the resolution of the movie "all threats must be

successfully banished, leading to a joyful, happy ending"(p.2) that is expected of a Disney or

Pixar film.

The film, Coco (2017), is an illustration of a children’s animation, it tells the tale of a

Mexican family built on the basis of musical taboo. Their youngest son Miguel builds an

infatuation with music and runs away after his family forbids the idea. Miguel steals his musical

idol, De la Cruz’s, guitar after believing he was a part of their family. This transcends Miguel

into an afterlife where he would meet past family members and undergo a journey where he

seeks a blessing in order to return to the regular world. This journey allows Miguel to find the

truth about his family and let their legacy live through the tradition of Día de los Muertos.

Lee Unkrich and Adrian Molina’s film, Coco arguably updates the genre of children’s

animation. The film follows known norms of children films and animations with its inclusion of
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magic, animated animals, a jubilant resolution and the strategical use of music. The film is

unique in the aspect that it incorporates Mexican culture and family values in a manner that has

not been seen previously in other films creating another feel for the genre as a whole.

Unkrich and Molina introduce the main character and setting of the film using a common

feature in Disney movies, the Integration Magic. In the beginning of the film, Miguel takes the

guitar from above De La Cruz’s casket. When he strums the strings of the guitar Miguel crosses

into another dimension called the land of the dead filled with alebrijes (spirit creatures) and all

those who’s spirits are kept alive by the people who reminisce them on Dia de los Muertos. The

situation is surreal, and the director’s inclusion of magic and interdimensional transport creates

that sense of thrill and amusement so commonly associated with Disney films. It keeps the

viewer intrigued and adds to the storyline. Though this is normal for Disney movies, it updates

the norm in the aspect that it incorporated Mexican culture which had not been previously

included in other films. The land of the dead symbolizes the afterlife envisioned in Mexican

culture and illustrates the principles celebrated on Día de los Muertos. This would clear up many

misconceptions behind the holiday and give children the opportunity to expand their knowledge

on other cultural traditions and beliefs.

Along with the integration of magic another characteristic typical in children’s animation

is the appearance of animals in a friendly manner. Coco was a film based around the Mexican

holiday, Dia de los Muertos which is commonly associated with death. Because the film is

intended for a younger audience, the many skulls, skeleton’s, and characters had to be presented

in a friendly and entertaining manner eliminating the fear factor behind them (Unkrich &

Anderson 2018). After Miguel is pushed off the ledge by De La Cruz his dog, Dante, flies down

and bites his shirt trying to catch Miguel’s fall being unable to hold onto his weight Dante loses
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his grip and Miguel continues to fall right before he hits the ground Pepito swoops beneath him

and saves Miguel. Pepita and Dante are both alebrijes depicted in the film characterized by their

vibrant colors and patterns. Although Pepita evoked intimidation for Miguel in the beginning of

the film, her saving him showed that she did not impose a threat but rather insured his safety.

Skeletons were also a major element that the directors spoke on and wanted to create a

welcoming image behind the Muertos, rather than a fearful one. Just like many other Disney

Films, Coco created a family friendly image behind an animal or character that could potentially

frighten children. This can be compared to that of animated crocodiles, bears, or snakes featured

in other Disney films such as The Jungle Book or Princess and the Frog. The inclusion of

alebrijes however does give a different meaning to the trend, for it introduces to children to

images that are commonly seen for Mexicans growing up.

Continuing to follow the same trends of other Disney films, Coco concludes the plot with

an ecstatic finale, where all Threats are banished resulting in a blissful finish. Towards the

end of the film, De la Cruz is exposed to the audience and Pepito approaches him while

growling he then picks De la Cruz up and sends him flying out of the Theatre. He flies into a

bell that will then fall on top of him; as the crowd watches this happen, they begin to cheer, and

Miguel then proceeds to get the blessing that will send him back to the land of the living. The

elimination of De La Cruz was major in the resolution in the plot for it showed his true colors

and expressed to the audience that De la Cruz was not what he made out to be. It also gave

Miguel the opportunity to get home safe and bring music back into his family. That same “happy

ending” is expected in most Disney movies, after following the main character through a

journey; There is a feeling of closure and content for the viewer after watching them experience

everything that they did.

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The film continues to uphold traditional elements of children’s animation through their

Strategic use of music. Throughout the movie, Coco incorporates a variety of songs that

advance the plot and contribute to the theme of the movie. To exemplify, the song “Remember

me” made a couple appearances in the film. In the finale, Miguel preforms the song for his

abuela, Coco, reminding her of her father and saving him from disappearing from the afterlife.

This song is important because its helps convey to the audience the principle behind Dia de los

Muertos and how the holiday is primarily used to remember and love on those who have passed

away. Coco gratifies music and the impact it has had on society, featuring number of songs in

relation to the movie and upholding primary components of traditional Mexican music (Flores

2017). Music plays a major role in the Latino lifestyle, dancing, singing, and playing instruments

are seen as a way to connect with others and bring joy to an event or household. Coco did not

only include music in the film but did it in a way that would respect and represent the music you

would hear on the streets of Mexico. For this reason, it renovates the typical use of music seen in

children’s animations that tend to narrate a journey or express a character’s feelings.

Coco’s incorporation of Mexican traditions was able to expand children’s animation to an

international audience. It would reinvent the children’s animation in a way that would educate

young children about Latino backgrounds and allow them to create connections with other

cultures on the premises of family and morals. The film had a major impact on not only young

audiences but the Latino community as a whole, the creation of a Disney production shed light

on the beauty of Hispanic culture and brought happiness to many families. The film is one that

comes with longevity, being it was the first film of its kind and would be remembered for many

generations to come. A project like this will update the standard of Children’s animation and
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inspire other future animators to create films surrounding culture in different regions of the

world.
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Reference page

Booker, M. K. (2010). Disney does America: A political history of children’s film. In Disney,

Pixar, and the hidden messages of children’s films (pp.1-37). Praeger.

Flores, M. M. (2017). Coco. Southwestern American Literature, 43(1), 85–86.

http://eds.a.ebscohost.com/eds/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?vid=1&sid=f0c9592c-b5d2-414c-

b5be-b66be26a5788%40sessionmgr4006

Lasseter, J. & Anderson, D.K. (Producers) & Molina, A. & Unkrich, L. (Directors). (2017).

Coco. Disney plus, https://www.disneyplus.com/movies/coco/db9orsI5O4gC

Unkrich, L. & Anderson, D.K. (2018 January 24). Coco interview: hmv.com talks to Lee

Unkrich & Darla K. Anderson [Interview by HMV]. YouTube.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zVREKbwR4H4

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