Most tears produced since Up
Miguel was born into a family of cobblers. His grandmother has had the deepest hate for music because her grandfather abandoned the family to pursue a career in it. Now, the family steers clear of any music, but the twist is, Miguel aspires to be a musician. Upon learning about his great great grandfather’s occupation, Miguel takes that as a cue to jumpstart his dream, even if it’s against his family’s wishes. Not too soon onto his new path, he is thrust into the Land of the Dead, where he is greeted by a few familiar faces.
Pixar, you’ve done it again! These wizards have created one of the most vibrant, imaginative, and expansive worlds that I have seen on the big screen. The Land of the Dead is an intriguing take on the afterlife. Based on Mexican traditions, this world is brought to life. Vast cityscapes filled with lights and color serve as a new home for the deceased. I appreciate the sneak peak into how it’s made prior to the movie, even though it sort of spoils the reveal within the movie itself.
Family is the central theme here. A lot of Miguel and his family’s motivations were fueled by family. Whether it’s celebrating Dia de los Muertos, or serving the family business, family comes first. The central conflict happens because Miguel goes against them for his dream. Even when running into his deceased relatives in the Land of the Dead, although detering him from his passion, it’s ultimately for his well-being.
The cast is great. From my understanding, the cast is all of latin descent and that is amazing. We’ve had problems with Hollywood whitewashing known cultural roles, but that’s no problem here. Frankly, I have never heard of the voice actor for Miguel, Anthony Gonzalez, but he did a wonderful job. And if I’m correct, he also sang for the role, and did great. This decision shows how casting diverse talent can benefit the film. This is similar to Moana’s great casting.
***Warning: Spoilers***
Although the afterlife looked like a fabulous place, it does have its drawbacks. With Dia de los Muertos and the idea of remembering your relatives, it brings in the concept of being forgotten. We are first introduced to this when Miguel and the sketchy Hector, the first character to help Miguel, are in need of a guitar to win a talent competition. It turns out that if there is no one to remember you in the world of the living, you cease to exist in the Land of the Dead. This concept plays a big part in the climax.
The plot took me for a ride. Most viewers, including me, thought that they had everything figured out. Just when you think, “Of course, when he gets to the famous musician dad, he’s going to be a jerk,” Pixar pulls the rug from underneath you and then punches you in the gut. It was such a good reveal, that I don’t even want to spoil here in the spoiler section. It’s so good, I don’t even want to mention the biggest plot device that is shown later on.
A bit of an anti-climactic review, but I do that because I really want people to experience it for themselves. This is a great movie that everyone should go out and watch.