Featuring the voices of Anthony Gonzalez, Gael García Bernal, Benjamin Bratt, Alanna Ubach, Renée Victor, Ana Ofelia Murguía, and Edward James Olmos

Directed by Lee Unkrich

Pixar, out now

Aspiring musician Miguel is transported to the Land of the Dead after playing on his idol’s guitar, and must find his way home before sunrise or be doomed to stay there forever.

The problem with Pixar movies is that the bar for their top tier is just so darned high (Toy Story, Wall-E, Inside Out, Up, Finding Nero) that even a very good release can’t reach those heights. Coco, is a case in point, a beautifully designed movie that follows Miguel as he makes his way from one colourful encounter to another. The level of detail is outstanding, with the city vistas and an illuminated graveyard taking your breath away. There’s also a very clear moral in here about following your dreams and not letting others tell you what to do.

As with most families, Miguel’s has a flashpoint, with music being banned as a result of some poor behaviour by a family member in the past. Will it all be resolved by daylight, and is there more to this tale than meets the eye? What do you think?! Anthony Gonzalez leads the Latino cast, and this is a lovely introduction to Día de los Muertos, a tradition I had little knowledge of.

As you’d anticipate, there’s a comedy animal sidekick, the boss-eyed hound Dante – who has a long, rubbery tongue slapping round his gormless face – as well as a number of other luminescent animal spirit guides. While some scenes might be a little scary for the very young, the skeletons are played matter-of-factly, with the live human being seen as the monster. Mentions also to Michael Giacchino’s mariachi-infused score and the Oscar-nominated song Remember Me, which appropriately sticks in your head as an ear worm.

Verdict: White not quite in the Pixar A-list, Coco is an engaging cultural journey to a phantasmagorical world, bursting with ideas and vibrant design. 8/10

Nick Joy