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​Pixar’s Latest Masterpiece ‘Coco’ Is Disney’s Highest Rated Movie Ever

​Pixar’s Latest Masterpiece ‘Coco’ Is Disney’s Highest Rated Movie Ever

'Coco' is an animated musical that tells the story of a 12-year-old boy who accidentally gets trapped in the Land of the Dead

Mischa Pearlmen

Mischa Pearlmen

Ask someone what the best ever Disney film is and they'll probably say Robin Hood or Dumbo or The Jungle Book. Or, if they're a fan of later Disney stuff - which includes Pixar animations, remember - they might choose Aladdin or The Lion King, or even Finding Nemo or Wall-E.

Credit: Disney/Pixar

But that might soon change with the UK release of Coco next week. Released in the States back in November and in Mexico the month before that, it's already Disney's highest rated movie ever - and we have to say it sounds pretty damn cool.

Based on an original idea by Lee Unkrich - who co-directed Pixar's Monsters Inc. and Finding Nemo, and who also directed Toy Story 3 - Coco is an animated musical that tells the story of a music-loving 12-year-old boy called Miguel who accidentally gets trapped in the Land Of The Dead after stealing - with the best intentions - the guitar of a popular Mexican singer from a mausoleum.

And that's where the fun begins - Miguel has to return to the Land Of The Living by sunrise, or else he'll become one of the dead. Which sounds kind of grim, but thanks to the film's Mexican setting, it's also full of the bright colours and wonderfully painted skulls that you see during that country's Día de Muertos celebrations.

Disney/Pixar

And if you're wondering who Coco is - after all, that's the name of the film - it's Miguel's great-great-grandmother. Her mother had banned music from her household after her husband left her and Coco to pursue a career in music, and so Miguel, who lives with the elderly Coco, has to keep his desires of becoming a musician a secret.

It's a combination which audiences and critics alike seem to be lapping up. On IMDB's list of the highest-rated movies of all time, Coco sits at an impressive number 10 with a score of 8.8. It's the only Disney flick in the top 10, which is headed up by The Shawshank Redemption, The Godfather and The Dark Knight in first, second and third place respectively.

Interestingly, the idea was first pitched by Unkrich in 2010 after Toy Story 3 was released. He'd initially conceived Miguel as an American child who becomes interested in his Mexican ancestry while dealing with the death of his mother. After making the decision to make the film about a young Mexican boy, Unkrich reportedly went to Mexico with the Pixar team to fully explore the story.

Disney/Pixar

And it worked. The film has been raking it in at the box office. As of the beginning of this year, Coco has grossed a total of over $540 million (£398m) worldwide. The film has also been highly praised for its depiction of Mexican life and values and as a way of teaching kids about the scary topic of death.

In fact, The Wrap's review was positively glowing about that, saying: "If an animated movie is going to offer children a way to process death, it's hard to envision a more spirited, touching and breezily entertaining example than Coco."

Basically, then, it looks absolutely incredible. We really can't wait to see it when it's out.

Coco is released in UK cinemas on 19 January 2018.

Featured Image Credit: Disney/Pixar

Topics: Disney, TV and Film, Pixar