Family Movie Night: Coco!

Disclosure / Disclaimer: I received this DVDm free of charge,from Disney*Pizar and Movies Anywhere,, for review purposes on this blog. No other compensation, monetary or in kind, has been received or implied for this post. Nor was I told how to post about it

Coco is now available on 4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray, DVD and On Demand and can also be found digitally on HD and 4K Ultra HD as well as on Movies Anywhere

In Disney•Pixar’s “Coco,” Pixar Animation Studios’ 19th feature film, Miguel (voice of newcomer Anthony Gonzalez) dreams of becoming an accomplished musician like his idol Ernesto de la Cruz (voice of Benjamin Bratt)—despite his family’s baffling generations-old ban on music. 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 Héctor (voice of Gael García Bernal), and together, they set off on an extraordinary journey to unlock the real story behind Miguel's family history.

From the Land of the Dead, Gael García Bernal (Amazon’s “Mozart in the Jungle”) helps bring to life charming trickster Héctor, Benjamin Bratt (Fox’s “Star,” “Doctor Strange”) is the voice of Miguel’s idol Ernesto de la Cruz, and Alanna Ubach (“Meet the Fockers,” Bravo’s “Girlfriends’ Guide to Divorce”) provides the voice of Miguel’s great-great-grandmother Mamá Imelda. Alfonso Arau (“¡Three Amigos!” director/ producer “Like Water for Chocolate,” director “A Walk in the Clouds”) is the voice of Miguel’s late great-grandfather Papá Julio, Herbert Siguenza (“Larry Crowne,” “Ben 10: Alien Swarm”) lends his voice to both Tío Oscar and Tío Felipe, Miguel’s late identical twin uncles, and Gabriel Iglesias (“Planes,” “The Nut Job,” “The Nut Job 2: Nutty by Nature”) lends his voice to the Clerk. Natalia Cordova-Buckley (“Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D”) provides the voice of legendary artist Frida Kahlo, Selene Luna (“My Bloody Valentine,” “Celebrity Wife Swap”) voices Miguel’s aunt Tía Rosita, and Edward James Olmos (“Blade Runner,” “Stand and Deliver”) lends his voice to Chicharrón.

Also lending their voices are Carla Medina, Dyana Ortelli, Blanca Araceli, Salvador Reyes, Cheech Marin, Octavio Solis and John Ratzenberger.

Let's check out the trailer:

Directed by Lee Unkrich (“Toy Story 3”) and co-directed by Adrian Molina (story artist “Monsters University”) from a script by Molina and Matthew Aldrich (“Spinning Man”). Darla K. Anderson (“Toy Story 3”) produces, and John Lasseter is executive producer. “Coco” features an original score from Oscar®-winning composer Michael Giacchino (“Up,” “Rogue One”), a song by Oscar winners Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez (“Frozen”), and additional songs co-written by Germaine Franco (“Dope,” “Shovel Buddies”) and Molina. Also part of the team is musical consultant Camilo Lara of the music project Mexican Institute of Sound, as well as cultural consultants Lalo Alcaraz, Marcela Davison Avilés and Octavio Solis.

Coco is nominated for two Academy Awards - Best Animated Feature Film and Best Original Song “Remember Me,” and also won the 2018 Golden Globe Award for Best Animated Motion Picture. The movie became the highest grossing film of all time in Mexico and has earned widespread praise receiving 97 percent from critics and 95 percent from audiences on Rotten Tomatoes.

Be sure to check out the Coco website for some GREAT family activities, like makign paper marigolds, creating a family recipe book and fun coloring pages!

Included on the DVD:

Blu-ray & Digital:

• Deleted Scenes with Introductions - Director Lee Unkrich and co-director Adrian Molina talk about the deleted scenes and the part they played in the development of “Coco.”
  • Día de los Muertos - In this musical extravaganza, the colors and excitement of Día de los Muertos come to life as we meet superstar Ernesto de la Cruz.
  • The Way of the Riveras - A musical number in which Abuelita and Miguel prepare their Día de los Muertos celebration while she teaches him Rivera family history and traditions.
  • Celebrity Tour - Héctor, a Land of the Dead tour bus guide, agrees to help Miguel, revealed to be a living boy, on his quest to find de la Cruz.
  • The Bus Escape - The Rivera family catches up to Miguel and Héctor and attempts to halt their mission to find de la Cruz.
  • Alebrije Attack - Miguel and Héctor are interrupted on their journey to find de la Cruz by a fierce alebrije.
  • The Family Fix - After de la Cruz reveals his true colors, the Rivera family puts their dismay aside and comes together to repair the smashed guitar needed to send Miguel home.
  • To the Bridge - As the Land of the Dead counts down to the end of Día de los Muertos, Miguel and de la Cruz come head-to-head on the marigold bridge.
• Filmmaker Commentary – Presented by Lee Unkrich (director), Adrian Molina (co-director) and Darla K. Anderson (producer).
• The Music of “Coco” - Collaborating with musicians of Mexico and some unique instrumentation, this documentary explores the beautiful fusion of music essential to the story of “Coco.”
• Paths to Pixar: “Coco” - Explore how the film crew’s personal stories resonate with the themes of the movie itself.
• Welcome to the Fiesta - A musical exploration of the skeletons that make the Land of the Dead in “Coco” so wondrous and intriguing.
• How to Draw a Skeleton - Pixar artist Daniel Arriaga gives a lesson on the quick and easy way to draw skeletons using simple shapes.
• A Thousand Pictures a Day - Join the “Coco” crew on an immersive travelogue through Mexico, visiting families, artisans, cemeteries, and small villages during the Día de los Muertos holiday.
• Mi Familia - Developing the Riveras was a labor of love that took the cast and crew on a deep dive into the meaning of family.
• Land of Our Ancestors – Watch Pixar artists lovingly construct layer upon layer of architecture from many eras of Mexican history, bringing the Land of the Dead to life.
• Fashion Through the Ages – The cast of characters in “Coco” are from many different eras, making for some magnificent costuming opportunities.
• The Real Guitar – The majestic guitar that spurs Miguel on his journey through the Land of the Dead is a unique creation. Watch as it is initially designed by a Pixar artist and ultimately realized as a real instrument by a master luthier in this poetic ode to craftsmanship.
• Dante - How the crew fell in love with the uniquely Mexican breed of Xoloitzcuintli (or “Xolo”) dogs that inspired Dante.
• How to Make Papel Picado - Join Pixar artist Ana Ramírez González as we learn how papel picado is made traditionally, and then try your own approach to this beautiful art form.
• Un Poco “Coco” - A montage of original animated pieces used to promote “Coco.”
• “Coco Trailers” - Trailers include “Feeling,” “Dante’s Lunch,” “Destiny,” “Journey” and “Belong.”

DVD:

• Filmmaker Commentary
• Dante

Review:

I was really interested to see what Miss Grace would make of this movie, as we had missed it at the theatre, and she ADORES The Book of Life, which deals with some of the same subject matter. I actually had to make her watch it twice, as she kept comparing it to that movie the first time, and findung fault. So I had her watch some of the extras, which showed HOW much care was taken to present an aute=hentic movie, and then had her watch it again. the second time she came away awed at HOW much the creators were able to get into a illustrated cartoon from real life! The under story of 'family first' also rang better for her, and she loved it for its simplicity, among the lies and misdeeds. Which is why this movie makes for a GREAT family movie night show! It really allows you to stop before, during and after and ask important questions about how we treasure our families, memories, and traditions. We are a family with lots of traditions, and more arrive as Miss Grace seeks out new experiences, so for her it was something she just assumed everyone had. The visuals are amazing and you can lots of discussions from the included extras as well. This is an amaing movie and everyone should see it!

ABOUT MOVIES  ANYWHERE (MA):

Movies Anywhere simplifies and enhances the digital movie collection and viewing experience by allowing consumers to access their favorite digital movies in one place when purchased or redeemed through participating digital retailers.  Movies Anywhere brings together the movies from Sony Pictures, Twentieth Century Fox Film, The Walt Disney Studios (including Disney, Pixar, Marvel Studios and Lucasfilm), Universal Pictures and Warner Bros. Participating digital retailers at launch are Amazon Video, Google Play, iTunes and Vudu. Movies Anywhere offers a library of over 7,300 digital movies at launch, including new releases, and will continue to expand the consumer experience as more content providers, digital retailers and platforms are added. Using the free Movies Anywhere app and website, consumers can connect their Movies Anywhere account with participating digital retailers and enjoy their favorite digital movies from the comfort of their living room and across multiple devices and platforms, including Amazon Fire devices; Android devices and Android TV; Apple TV; Chromecast; iPhone, iPad and iPod touch; Roku^® devices and popular browsers. Consumers can also redeem digital copy codes found in eligible Blu-ray and DVD disc packages from participating studios and enjoy them through Movies Anywhere.  

ABOUT THE WALT DISNEY STUDIOS:

For over 90 years, The Walt Disney Studios has been the foundation on which The Walt Disney Company was built. Today, the Studio brings quality movies, music and stage plays to consumers throughout the world. Feature films are released under the following banners: Disney, including Walt Disney Animation Studios and Pixar Animation Studios; Disneynature; Marvel Studios; and Lucasfilm. The Disney Music Group encompasses the Walt Disney Records and Hollywood Records labels, as well as Disney Music Publishing. The Disney Theatrical Group produces and licenses live events, including Disney on Broadway, Disney On Ice and Disney Live!.