Pixar Coco Review and Coco Red Carpet Premiere Experience

Disney•Pixar’s COCO is a celebration of life, family, and those who came before us. You don’t have to be Latino to appreciate and enjoy this film. However, as a Latina, Coco is the movie I never knew I needed. Check out my Coco spoiler free review and Coco red carpet experience. Here are 4 reasons why you need to take your family to see Coco in theaters this Thanksgiving.

Thank you, Disney, for inviting me to the Pixar Coco Event and providing airfare and accommodations. All opinions are my own.

Coco Spoiler Free Review

COCO is in theaters November 22nd. I remember another film that opened around Thanksgiving last year – Moana. Moana did for the Polynesian culture what I believe, Coco, is for Latinos. When I first heard about Coco, I was excited about a movie that celebrated Latino culture, however, we didn’t celebrate Dia de Los Muertos traditionally growing up. It’s more of a Mexican holiday, so I wasn’t expecting to love Coco as much as I did.

The Music in Coco

Ever since I saw COCO, I have been singing songs from the movie nonstop. Ask my friends, I’ll randomly break out in song. The music truly touched my soul, and I was singing and dancing in my seat. I even had the urge to wave my tissues in the air. All the talented voices in COCO left me speechless. Here’s a little clip of when I asked Anthony Gonzalez, who plays Miguel, to sing a little bit at our interview. He’s such a joyful person, and that resonates with his character in the movie.

Side note: After the premiere when guests were leaving the theater, we could hear Alanna Ubach’s husband (Alanna voice Mama Imelda) gushing over his wife and how impressed he was with her song in Coco. It was adorable.

The Story

What is Coco about? Despite his family’s baffling generations-old ban on music, Miguel (voice of Anthony Gonzalez) dreams of becoming an accomplished musician like his idol, Ernesto de la Cruz (voice of Benjamin Bratt). 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 (voice of Gael García Bernal), and together, they set off on an extraordinary journey to unlock the real story behind Miguel’s family history.

The story is relatable to all families. This is one of the things I love most about Coco! It doesn’t matter where you come from, we all come from somewhere. This is a film that doesn’t just connect all Latinos, it connect all humans. If you’re Latino, you’ll catch on to the funny cultural traditions like abuelitas who tell you what’s up and la chancleta.

And I’m just going to say it, Coco is not The Book of Life 2. They are completely different. I’m sure you can guess which I prefer, and that’s all I’m going to say about that. Be prepared for twists and shockers.

The Characters in Coco

Each character in Coco fits a piece of the puzzle of the story and will quickly win you over. I felt like a part of Miguel’s family. Pixar worked very hard so that the skeletons looked friendly. Miguel does find himself in the Land of the Dead after all.

With tios, tias, abuelos, y primos, I could relate to the big family aspect, especially the protective nature of family. From Dante, Miguel’s humorous dog sidekick, to Mama Coco, the sweet abuela everyone wants in their lives, the characters in Coco will melt your heart.

Visual Beauty

Coco is full of vibrant colors, incredible graphics, beautiful imagery, and costuming to make you cheer. I was constantly smiling and full of hope.

Coco Red Carpet Premiere

What an experience! I attended the Cars 3 red carpet premiere, but it was at the Anaheim Convention Center, so it had a different vibe. This was at the world famous El Capitan Theatre! We were greeted with Mariachis and Folklorico dancers on an orange/marigold carpet! It was beautiful. The mood was electrifying and festive! Also, there was a bonus pre-party before the premiere, so they set up a tent over Hollywood Boulevard with food, photo ops, activities, and entertainment. I had a permagrin the whole time except for the amount of pain my heels were causing me. Next time, I’ll choose better shoes.

Walking down the carpet, you could see celebrities being interviewed by media, and then you were free to participate in all the festivities. I saw many Disney Channel stars, Guillermo from Jimmy Kimmel, Manny from Modern Family, and some of my friends saw voice talent from Olaf’s Frozen Adventure like Idina Menzel and Jonathan Groff.

Let’s be honest here, I was focused on the food. Because you know me and food.

The Coco red carpet premiere matched the positivity and joy that the film exudes. When Coco ended, the audience cheered, clapped, and eyes were full of tears, mine included. While there were a couple of sad moments, by the end I was crying happy tears. I was happy to be a part of the genius of Coco.

I know I’ve shared that as a little girl, I was the youngest in my family, and not often proud of my heritage. It is something I regret to this day, but I was young, unsure of myself, and wanted so desperately to not be different. After watching Coco, my heart leapt with pride to be a Latina. I can’t wait for my children and parents to watch with me. This film is about family, hope, and celebrating traditions. Día de los Muertos will now be celebrated in my family, ofrendas and all.

Coco is in theaters November 22. I can’t think of a better film to watch during the Thanksgiving holidays when we celebrate gratitude and the ones we love.