Disney's Pixar has been a big part of my childhood and I can guess it has been a part of yours too. From Finding Nemo to Inside Out, Pixar knows how to dish out movies that are entertaining for people of all ages. Many people are always anticipating the next movie to hit the theaters.
However, this fall Pixar is releasing a film that has garnered some controversy. On November 22nd, Pixar's Coco will be coming to theaters across the country. This movie centers around a boy named Miguel who loves music against his family's wishes. On the Day of the Dead, however, he finds himself in the Land of Dead to try and unlock the mysteries of his family.
This sounds like it has the potential to be a beautifully written and animated movie. From the trailers, the quality is definitely on par with a lot of other Pixar movies and I can honestly say that I am looking forward to seeing it. However, the bit of controversy comes it when you take into account there was another movie that focused on the Day of the Dead that came out a few years prior.
The Book of Life is an animated movie directed and written by Jorge R. Gutierrez who you may recognize from your childhood as the creator of the animated series El Tigre. This movie came out in 2014 and centered on a protagonist, Manolo, who loved playing music, but was forbidden to play by his family. In a series of events, Manolo finds himself in the Land of Dead and must find a way to escape and win the heart of the love of his life.
Now, I can definitely see where some of the outrage comes from when comparing the plots of the two movies. Two music loving protagonists who get transported to the Land of the Dead in a movie about the Day of the Dead is a little suspicious. This is especially so when these movies are just about three years apart as well. Those who adore the Book of Life feel like this new movie is cheating the system and it is unfair because the names Disney and Pixar carry a lot of weight in the animation industry. As a lover of the Book of Life movie, I can completely understand this viewpoint.
However, I am willing to give this new movie a chance. There will be a lot of similarities because both movies are focused on properly representing the culture and history behind the Day of the Dead, but I think both can stand alone and be their own creations. Both movies already have different styles to them with the Book of Life taking on an interesting "wooden" style for its main characters while Pixar will use its traditional style of animation that is also gorgeous to see. The designs of the skeletons are also vastly different and honestly I think that is a good thing.
A lot of people have to remember there are stories and ideas out there that have very similar themes and concepts, but that doesn't make them all the same. Every wizard and magic story isn't going to be a Harry Potter ripoff so this should be treated the same. I think perhaps it would be a good idea to not judge a book by its cover and give the movie a solid chance before crying out that it is a complete ripoff.
