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Mar 19, 2018TheBibliopossum rated this title 4.5 out of 5 stars
Coco received a small bit of controversy before its theatrical release. A boy who wants to be a musician despite his family's disapproval? And he has a journey in the Land of the Dead? It was quick to accuse Coco of being too similar to The Book of Life, another movie about the Day of the Dead and one I've sung high praises about in the past. But you can't be too quick to judge these things, and it's foolish to claim that there can only be one definitive movie that celebrates a holiday. Just look at the ridiculous amount of Christmas films that have been made and cherished. But is Coco the same as The Book of Life? To keep it short--no. It shares similar themes about connecting with loved ones and remembering those who have passed on, but aside from the two similarities mentioned above, Coco is its own movie. It's less comical, less mythological, has an entirely original score (no jukebox numbers), and it touches on bits of Mexican culture that weren't present in The Book of Life--like ofrendas and alebrijes. It also succeeded in making me tear up, the second Oscar winner this year to do so. Either I'm growing softer, or these movies are getting better at pushing my emotional buttons. Would I recommend one movie over the other? Absolutely not! Go watch them both. They're excellent.