Film Preview: Coco (2017)

Page Revisions:

(March 19, 2017) Original
(June 11, 2017) New Trailer (#2) / New Poster (#2)
(November 12, 2017) New Trailer (#3) / New Posters (#3-#16)

Release Date:

November 22, 2017

Synopsis:

From IMDb: “Coco follows a 12-year-old boy named Miguel who sets off a chain of events relating to a century-old mystery, leading to an extraordinary family reunion.”

Poster Rating: C / B / C+ / B / A- / B+ / B / B (4) / C / A- / B+ / B- / C-

SEE ALL POSTERS BELOW
Review: (#1) Having detail is important, being interesting is imperative. The former is evident, the latter is not.

(#2) It’s a simple design, not one that Pixar or Disney typically employs, especially with so much intricate and fascinating detail.

(#3) For those familiar with Dia de la Muerta, you’ll recognize the art style and it will fit well with the film. It’s not a great design, but one with meaning. (#4) A film about family would do well to highlight that and this poster design certainly envisions that with a lot of detail. (#5) This poster, featuring two worlds colliding, is a fascinating and visually compelling design with plenty of unique detail and tremendously satisfying balance. (#6) A lot of detail in this design, but it feels a bit too unbalanced. (#7) Another poster with far too much detail, but still looks solid. (#8-#11) These are an odd attempt at character posters that look fairly uninteresting with the background changes being non-existent.

(#12) A dull backdrop and a joyous, but inconsequential foreground. (#13) A foreign version of the fifth design, with a few notable and questionable changes, still largely works. (#14) On the streets of the dead, excitement is had in the most simplistic way possible. (#15) A very busy poster that doesn’t have a lot of excitement, which won’t make the film feel nearly as appealing as it should. (#16) In the realm of the dead, detail’s important, but clutter is a distraction.

Trailer Rating: C+ / C+ / B

SEE ALL TRAILERS BELOW
Review: (#1) The trailer established the boy character with great care and time, but the end result is a trailer that feels unfinished. There are some nice visuals, but the premise isn’t as straightforward as one would hope from a Pixar film.

(#2) The film continues to look like a mix of Monsters, Inc. and Inside Out without the nuance. The trailer conveys a sense of place and situation, but only excites in a couple of minor places, which makes the film difficult to champion. It will probably be much better than its trailer, but the early teasers and trailers just aren’t that great.

(#3) The trailers so far haven’t been nearly as exciting as they should be. This trailer aims to upend those expectations and the result is a sweet, endearing young boy’s adventure. It may not have all the excitement that prior Pixar films have conveyed well, but it has enough to make it seem like it could still impress.

Oscar Prospects:

Original Pixar films are, with one exception, guaranteed Oscar nominations. A victory depends entirely on whether the film is any good. It might also manage an Original Score nomination.