Noah & Daren were enthralled by Coco, with both the story and the animation, and how immersive and integral the music was to the story. They muse further about how this beautiful the combination of good story and high production values could have lifted a few other recent films to higher states of enjoyment.

Given the runaway success of this film when it opened in Mexico last week, and the enthusiastic responses so far in the US, could we start seeing more animated features with international flavor in the near future? Time will tell.

Despite his family’s baffling generations-old ban on music, Miguel (voice of newcomer 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. Directed by Lee Unkrich (“Toy Story 3”), co-directed by Adrian Molina (story artist “Monsters University”) and produced by Darla K. Anderson (“Toy Story 3”), Disney•Pixar’s “Coco” opens in U.S. theaters on Nov. 22, 2017.

Voice Cast: Gael García Bernal, Anthony Gonzalez, Benjamin Bratt, Alanna Ubach, Renée Victor, Jaime Camil, Alfonso Arau, Herbert Siguenza, Gabriel Iglesias, Lombardo Boyar, Ana Ofelia Murguía, Natalia Cordova-Buckley, Selene Luna, Edward James Olmos, Sofía Espinosa, Carla Medina, Dyana Ortelli, Luis Valdez, Blanca Araceli, Salvador Reyes, Cheech Marin, Octavio Solis, John Ratzenberger
Director: Lee Unkrich
Co-director: Adrian Molina
Screenplay by: Adrian Molina, Matthew Aldrich
Story by: Lee Unkrich, Adrian Molina, Jason Katz, Matthew Aldrich