Faiz Khwaja

Let me start out by admitting that I love animated movies. There’s so many elements about them that cannot be captured in a live action movie. On June 15th this year, you can expect to see me at the very first screening of The Incredibles 2. Despite criticism from several of my friends, I consistently include animated movies in my list for my favourite movies of all time. However, even I was skeptical of Pixar’s Coco and only ended up watching it because I was dragged by my sisters.

Coco tells the story of 12-year-old Miguel, who is in love with music. However, his family has a generations-old ban on music after his great-great-grandfather, a musician, deserted the family to pursue a musical career. I know what you’re thinking: it sounds pretty cheesy. I thought so too even after watching the trailer but believe me when I tell you that it’s not. Miguel seeks to prove to his family that he is a musician at heart like his hero Ernesto de la Cruz and not a shoemaker like the rest of his family.

The true beauty of Coco is that though predictable at times, it keeps the audience interested throughout and manages to incite emotion while doing so. Additionally, there are a couple of twists that keep you on your toes. I would strongly recommend that you see Coco if you haven’t already, no matter what age you are (but not alone cause that would be weird). It is one of the rare animated movies that perfectly achieves a balance of making a great movie for children and for adults as they relate to it in different ways. It’s funny, it’s sad, it has good music, and it’s brilliant. If you don’t want to take my word for it, the grown man crying next to me throughout the movie can attest to the fact that Coco hits you right in the feels.