ALSO SHOWING
COCO (PG)
After cruising along on sequel-fuelled autopilot for a few years, Pixar Animation finally kicks everything back into top gear with Coco. As a standalone work in the Pixar canon, it is a clear notch below their 2015 instant classic Inside Out, but a darn sight better than the studio’s most recent original work, The Good Dinosaur. The place and time we are vividly transported to by Coco is Mexico’s famous Day of the Dead Festival. It is here we meet aspiring mariachi Miguel (voiced by newcomer Anthony Gonzalez), a 12-year-old guitar prodigy straining against his family’s blanket ban on music. On the eve of festivities in his village, Miguel finds himself magically transported to the afterlife, where he will search high and low for his greatgreat-grandfather Ernesto de la Cruz (Benjamin Bratt). The netherworld into Miguel and his ultra-adorable canine sidekick Dante must journey is pure Pixar creativity at its visual best. Viewers of all ages will be engrossed, enchanted, and in a poignant final act, truly moved. Opens Boxing Day.
FERDINAND (PG)
It has been over 80 years since author Munro Leaf’s pacifist picture-book parable first became a favourite of children the world over. Surprisingly, the movies have never before given any feature-length love to the beautiful tale of a Spanish bull who would rather be exploring nature than goring matadors. Enter crowdpleasing animation specialist Carlos Saldanha (director of Ice Age and Rio) to correct that oversight in aptly accessible fashion. While this won’t considered the best animated production of the coming holiday season - that honour falls to Pixar’s Coco, releasing on Boxing Day - Ferdinand is a vibrant and engaging affair that doesn’t forget the timeless message about aggression and bullying Leaf intended to impart. The voice cast is exceptionally strong, with wellknown he-man and action hero John Cena making a remarkably fine fit for the shy and retiring title role. His chemistry with comic sidekick Kate McKinnon (as Lupe the goat) is a highlight of the film. Co-stars David Tennant, Gina Rodrigues, Anthony Anderson.