Coco 3D Movie Review

Coco

3D Movie Review Written By: Adolph Vega

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3D

I actually watched this movie twice in the theaters for the sake of this review. My first viewing was in 2D in English , and the second viewing was in 3D in Spanish. I don’t regret watching this movie twice because my second viewing was a different experience compared to the first viewing, and I enjoyed the movie enough to want to watch it again. Unfortunately the 3D visuals for this movie are a nice but minor addition to the movie. During some scenes with large crowds you can clearly distinguish between individuals within the crowd because of the depth based 3D. Pop out 3D is rarely used within this movie and is largely a non-factor. One example of pop out 3D was during one scene a specific character points their finger outward toward the camera and the finger pops out of the screen. This happens for a split second and you can easily blink during this scene and miss it . The viewing experience is not dramatically different or enhanced because of the 3D, and I literally forgot the movie was in 3D for many scenes. You can call me little crazy, but I didn’t find anything memorable about the 3D element of this movie. The 3D visuals are pleasant and done with care but ultimately I just don’t care about it. Simply put the 3D is not worthwhile and I cannot recommend it.

Final Verdict:

Weak 3D 2D Recommended

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Movie

Coco is the newest animated movie from Disney / Pixar. The movie is about a young boy named Miguel who lives in Mexico and wants to be a musician but his family disapproves. Miguel accidentally travels to the land of the dead and needs to find his way back to the land of the living. Can Miguel find his way home? Will Miguel be able achieve his dreams and become a musician?

The first thing I want to mention in this review is that I am Hispanic. I am mentioning this out of pure transparency. My parents are from Mexico and I am comfortable and familiar with Mexican culture, so I can relate to this movie. I do not believe my upbringing will influence or detract my critique for this movie. That being said, I did feel that this movie does a fantastic job of showcasing the Mexican heritage without abruptly pandering to it. The movie feels authentic and respectful to the norms and customs of Mexican culture and never seems to play up to any stereotypes or gross over simplifications. I especially enjoyed the Spanish dub for this movie. If you don’t understand Spanish I don’t recommend watching the movie in Spanish, the English version of this movie is perfectly fine. That being said the English version of this movie does occasionally mix Spanish words into the dialog. Don’t worry if you don’t understand Spanish because those words are not integral to the plot. I feel like watching this movie in Spanish is the superior way to watch the movie. The best analogy to explain why I feel the Spanish version is superior is this is to discuss the difference between bottled Coca-Cola from Mexico and the typical Coca-Cola from the US. The Coca-Cola from Mexico is made with real sugar and presented in a glass bottle. In contrast the US Coca-Cola is made from high-fructose corn syrup and usually presented in plastic bottles or aluminum cans. Both Coca-Cola from Mexico and American are essentially the same recipe, but I can taste the subtle difference in the flavor and prefer the Mexican version. In a similar fashion Coco is the same movie in Spanish and English but I was able to enjoy Coco more in Spanish because of the subtle cultural differences. The various songs within the movie are great in english, but sound wonderful in Spanish. Regardless if you watch the movie in Spanish or English I think the filmmakers managed to make an excellent movie that anyone can enjoy regardless of their own life experience. 

Spanish version of the Song "Remember Me" 

English version of the song "Remember Me"

Coco succeeds as a movie because of its fantastic storytelling and touching character moments. The story has a warm heart that is well presented . The several emotional moments feel earned and are not forced in any way.  The voice acting and dialogue are excellent and feel natural and is well written. Miguel has legitimate talent to play the guitar, but his grandmother is justified to not allow him to become a musician because of the family history. I really appreciate that both sides of this argument are valid. The movie is highly entertaining and just a joy to watch. This is partially because of the beautiful and vivid visuals. The movie has a distinct look that appears realistic yet stylized. The musical aspect of this movie is also well done with several original songs that are fun and make sense within the context of the movie. The dynamic between the major characters feels very genuine and real. Coco is an animated movie but in many ways it feels like an exaggerated live action movie, because the characters and story feel fantastical yet are grounded and relatable.

As much as I enjoyed Coco the movie is not perfect. The movie is very fast paced and hurries itself to the next plot point and feels rushed. The movie has a huge cast of characters, not all of which are given a proper introduction or sufficient screen time. Many characters are superfluous and entirely one dimensional. Why even bother to have so many characters only to give them one line or no lines at all? Many secondary characters could have been eliminated without any loss to the story. The movie introduces the idea of spirit animals but it never explains what they are in detail. Miguel never takes in the spectacle or grandiose nature that is the afterlife. I understand this is meant to be a children's movie but I felt like the elements of life and death are glossed over within the movie. I wanted Miguel to soak in what the afterlife has to offer and consider the deeper elements of what living is. Once the movie goes to the afterlife it rarely if ever goes back to the land of the living, and that aspect of the story is almost entirely forgotten. I also found several elements of the story to be predictable. I also had problems with the dog named Dante. The dog is cute but annoying and is given too much time on screen. The movie is very enjoyable, but the small issues I had with it keep it from cinematic perfection.

Overall Coco is an excellent movie. I cried, I laughed, and I was immensely entertained with this movie. Coco is not a perfect movie but it is easily one of the best movies of 2017. I won’t forget this movie, and I can easily recommend it to everyone. 

Final Verdict : 9/10

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© 2017 Disney, All Rights Reserved, Disney Lifestyle

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Sing

Sing

3D Movie Review Written By: James Tate

3D

The 3D of the film was visually appealing, and was not an eye sore . The animation is very colorful and there is plenty of things popping out of the screen throughout the film. I am a fan of this more classic “popping out at the audience 3D” even if it appears gimmicky or cheesy. The characters are colorful in how they dance and sing on screen and it looks better 3D than if it were in 2D. While this movies shouldn't be considered top tier 3D, it’s certainly was a good 3D presentation that I can recommend.

Final Verdict: Good 3D

Movie

As an "Illumination Entertainment" production I went into this movie with fairly low expectations. The company is fairly new,  and in my opinion not even on the same level of Dreamworks. Their movies usually deliver a few laughs here and there, but generally speaking they make mediocre movies . So when I took my younger brothers to see this movie I walked out pleasantly surprised . Sing is a humorous, colorful, creative movie, that is better than I expected it to be.

The movie takes place in a world populated entirely by anthropomorphic animals. The film’s primary focus Is a koala bear named Buster Moon who is the owner of a music theater. Buster's theater is now in financial trouble due to showing numerous failed productions. Buster is told by the bank that the theater will be repossessed in the near future. Buster Moon discusses this with his friend a sheep named Eddie Noodleman. They discuss a plan to try and save the theater from closure by hosting a singing competition, with the grand prize being $1,000. As he prints flyers for the competition a huge misprint occurs, suddenly  a gust of wind scatters the posters all around the town. Now  everyone in town thinks the prize money is actually $100,000 instead of $1,000, which causes every one in town to immediately want to try out for the show.

As the movie begins it is very similar to the TV show American Idol. They showcase the auditions in unique and hilarious way. You see several different animals singing many different kinds of songs. The songs the animals sing vary greatly and it includes, but isn't limited to: modern Pop, hard rock, and even Japanese bubblegum. I really enjoyed the various song covers they had, and felt that the musical selection was a very diverse list of songs from almost of every genre and era. If the film was 100% modern music it just wouldn't have been the same.

Without spoilers, I would have to say the best aspects of the film are its colorful animation and its crisp sounding voice acting. My only grips with the movie includes its plot, which can be cliche and sappy at times. Other then that I was never bored or annoyed by this movie . I can easily recommend this movie, specifically to anyone who enjoys movies like Zootopia,  great music and voice work of Seth Macfarlane.

Final Verdict: 7/10

© 2016 NBCUNIVERSAL MEDIA, LLC.

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Moana 3D Movie Review

Moana

3D Movie Review Written By Adolph Vega

3D

This movie was made for stereoscopic 3D and it looks fantastic in 3D from beginning to end. Clearly the cinematography and 3D were made hand in hand because it looks like 3D characters are interacting in 3D environments to showcase great stereoscopic 3D. The movie looks pretty , sharp and better because of the 3D . The movie occasionally uses two dimensional art style to present the narrative and during these scenes they use multiple layers of depth to make a richer tapestry of visuals that look outstanding in stereoscopic 3D. Sometimes objects will fly out or pop out and it's done within the context of  the storyline and what is needed for the scene and doesn't seem gimmicky or silly . The usage of 3D is clearly an intelligent design choice to make a more visually interesting and impressive movie . One example of this is how the movie handles sailing . Many different aspects of the ship will appear to pop out and retreat into the background depending on what is needed within the scene. The 3D element makes it look like your peering into a diorama and it looks impressive . Objects shown on screen seem tangible and help this animated movie come to life and seem authentic. Occasionally the movie goes in first person and gives the audience a true 3D visual treat that is trilling to see . The best word to describe the 3D element of this movie is smart . This movie has a wonderful 3D presentation that should be an example for other future 3D animated movies to learn from . This is easily one the best and smartest applications for 3D in a animated movie that I have seen in years. The 3D element is the complete package and is both fun and well executed and looks sharp and vivid . This movie deserves my highest accolades and earns my highest rating for its flawless amazing execution of stereoscopic 3D.  

Final Verdict: Great 3D, Editors Choice Award  

Movie

When I walked into the theater I had no idea what to expect from this movie. I know nothing about the culture and / or religion of the island people this movie is based upon . When I left the theater I was stunned because I felt like this movie perfectly introduced this setting into the mainstream and left me completely satisfied . Disney has achieved something truly spectacular with this movie and is unlike anything else that I have seen .

The movie perfectly executes an original and interesting story with fully developed and likeable characters. Moana is the story of a young woman (named Moana) who lives on an island with her family , friends and neighbors but yearns to travel.  A curse falls upon the island and Moana seeks the help of the demigod Maui to save the island.  Maui himself needs assistance from Moana because he has lost his special abilities. The story is focused on the dynamic of Moana and Maui working together to help save the island and her people . 

The movie is a musical and they perfectly incorporate musical storytelling elements into the narrative. I love all the musical songs presented within this film. My favorite song involved a giant glittery crab. I am tempted to buy that song off iTunes because it's the composition and flow are so much fun . The musical element feels natural and works well into the story. I found myself smiling and tapping my toes to the fantastic melodies and rhythm. Disney has done it again and made a wonderful musical animated movie. 

The characters are the aspect of the movie that I adore the most. The characters are well developed, complex and are rich in personality. The movie does a fantastic job establishing the characters and developing them . The characters have a  perfect chemistry with one another.  I understand the character motivations and I find them to be very relatable. The writing is sharp and dialogue seems natural and is perfectly deliverered. The voice acting in this movie is excellent and the characters come alive on screen and feel authentic. Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson portrays Maui as a cocky self absorbed demigod that is extremely charming, especially when he sings . Moana is a strong independent woman that is very interesting and likeable . I even enjoyed the comic relief chicken named Heihei who doesn't speak but steals many scenes with his foolishness. The comedic aspect of this movie feels natural and is never too silly. The giant glittery crab that I mentioned earlier is named Tamatoa and is totally fabulous and is a perfectly animated character. The grandmother character Tala has so much personality and is pure joy to watch on screen. The excellent characters give this movie a soul and make it something truly special. 

When it comes to negatives I found nothing major to report .  One character element felt a little sudden but I won't discuss the details of this because it's a huge spoiler. Overall I love this this movie because it has a wonderful story with rich interesting characters. I found the action scenes to be fun and well executed and the pacing to be smooth. The animation within this movie is gorgeous and distinct. I was enchanted by this movie and found it extremely entertaining , funny and heartwarming.  Disney has made something truly memorable and remarkable with this movie and I welcome more new original stories from different parts of the world. Moana feels new and different and yet familiar . Moana is favorite movie of the year and is the definition of cinematic excellence,  and I consider it to be an instant modern Disney classic. 

Final Verdict: 10/10, Editors Choice Award 

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