Greetings, intrepid readers! M. H. Barton here with another blog entry. Today, we’ll be looking at two of Disney’s recent successful films, Coco and Encanto. Both are excellent films in their own right, and they do share a large number of similarities. That said, I firmly believe Coco is the superior film from a storytelling perspective. I realize this may be an unpopular position given the extreme popularity of Encanto, so I wanted to do a deep dive into why I believe this is the case. Again, this is only my opinion. Please, don’t flame me, all you Encanto fanatics out there! I’m happy to hear you out if you feel differently, and I encourage you to say so in the comments or reach out to me on my website. With that said, let’s get started, y’all!
First off, let’s go over the many similarities these films share. Both are coming-of-age stories set within Latin American culture, Mexico and Columbia, respectively. Each protagonist, Miguel and Mirabel, is young and likable, yet both are considered outcasts and oddballs within their own families. Their families are both very large, consisting of siblings, cousins, aunts, and uncles. At the head of each family is a strong-willed matriarch, Abuelita Elena Rivera and Abuela Alma Madrigal, respectively. Despite their attempts to be seen as kindly, each of these matriarchs runs their family with an iron fist (or shoe, in the case of the Riveras) and is highly resistant to anything upsetting the established order. Each protagonist attempts to gain the acceptance of their family and, in the process, befriends a member of the family long ostracized by the others, Héctor and Bruno, respectively. Ultimately, after all hope seems lost, each hero gains the approval of their family and finds a way to redeem the ostracized family member, leading to a better future for everyone. Whew…
With so many similarities, it’s no wonder these two films are often compared to each other. However, it’s in these similarities that I believe we can begin to discern the key differences in their stories. Let’s start with the main characters.
Characters
As mentioned, the protagonists of each film, Miguel and Mirabel, are quite similar. Both are young idealists who desire the acceptance of their families. I do feel they have some distinct differences, in particular, that Miguel grows as a character more than Mirabel. As well, the events of Coco largely occur due to Miguel's actions and choices. The events in Encanto, on the other hand, seem to happen around and to Mirabel, but not necessarily because of Mirabel’s choices. Regardless, the protagonists are similar enough that I only wanted to touch on them briefly. It’s in the other characters that we really start to see the differences in these stories.
One of the hallmarks of each film is the fact that the protagonists each have large extended families, which is common in many Latin American cultures. And while this makes for a unique and culturally appropriate setting for each story, the massive supporting cast ends up being a burden for Encanto in ways it isn’t for Coco. Each film uses the opening to introduce the audience to the large family, the general dynamics therein, and what is most important to each family. Later on, each protagonist spends a large amount of time learning about and finding an exiled member of their family. The relationship they build with this individual ultimately helps repair the damage from the sins of the past for each family. However, these things are executed in very different ways between the two movies.
For the Riveras, we quickly learn that the family is run by a matriarch, from Imelda, to Coco, to Elena, and every other family member quickly gets in line with both the shoemaking business and the taboo on music. We don’t know many specifics about Miguel’s extended family because we don’t need to. Exploring Miguel’s aunts, uncles, or cousins any further would just bog down the story, even if we, for example, learned that they secretly hated Elena’s rules. Interesting as that twist might be, it still wouldn’t further the story in any capacity. The plot moves forward because it’s tightly focused on Miguel, his goals, and the specific family members who conflict with said goals.
For the Madrigals, the opening song is perhaps the best extended introduction I’ve ever seen to a huge cast. It would have been all the audience really needed, but Encanto decides to go much farther. We meet each of these characters individually, and many of them get their own songs. Once each gets their scene, they often fade right back into the background, mentioned again in future conversations but rarely contributing directly to the story on their own. Luisa is probably the biggest offender in this regard. We meet her early and learn some compelling details about her strengths and fears, but after her big solo number? Nothing. Nothing but a few background shots of her struggling with her strength, especially when those background shots before and after her song would have been enough. While such details about secondary characters work well in a novel, a 90-minute movie suffers from this big time. The point is that the story plods for much of the movie because we spend so much time learning about an extended cast of characters we only see sporadically after their introductions.
As for the exiled family member, Miguel spends most of Coco navigating the Land of the Dead with Héctor. Their relationship really is one of the strengths of the story, as they get off to a rocky start before bonding over their shared love of music. This sets the stage not only for the revelation that Héctor is Miguel’s ancestor, but also that Héctor was the genius songwriter Ernesto pretended to be. In his Hope is Lost moment, Miguel realizes that Héctor is who he should have idolized all along, rather than Ernesto. From that moment on, Miguel becomes a selfless hero, accepting Imelda’s condition that he not play music again for a chance to restore Héctor’s reputation to the family. Imelda eventually recants this condition, but Miguel had no reason to believe she ever would, making his decision all the more heroic.
Rather early in Encanto, Mirabel figures out Bruno Madrigal’s potential connection to her lack of a Gift and spends much of the first act trying to find out more about him. It is clear that the family and town don’t trust Bruno because he always prophesized doom and unhappiness. We soon learn, however, that Bruno is perhaps the most heroic character in the story. After Mirabel failed to receive a Gift, he conjures a vision to learn why. That vision shows him that Mirabel will either be the downfall of the family or their leader for the future. Knowing such a vision could cause Alma to cast Mirabel out from fear, Bruno destroys all evidence of his vision and hides within the house's walls. His later efforts to help Mirabel bring about the positive version of his vision make him one of the more compelling characters in the film. In spite of my complaints about the rest of the Madrigal family bogging down the story, Bruno is easily the strongest character in Encanto, a cursed prophet with a heart of gold who everyone fears due to a fundamental misunderstanding of his abilities. I feel the film would have been much better served to focus as much on Bruno as Coco did with Héctor.
Antagonists
At first glance, Coco and Encanto are very similar in that the primary antagonists to the main characters’ goals are the two matriarchs, Elena and Alma. Under the surface, however, things are quite different. In Coco, Elena serves as the primary antagonist to Miguel’s dream, but once he enters the Land of the Dead, Imelda becomes the immediate antagonist. She is willing to allow him to go home, but only if he agrees to never play music again. Later on, we meet the third antagonist and the film’s true villain: Ernesto de la Cruz. Rather than stand in the way of Miguel’s goals, Ernesto represents the shattering of Miguel’s entire worldview. He idolizes Ernesto as the singer he wants to eventually become, and seeing him for the selfish, greedy, murderous thief he truly is brings Miguel to his Hope is Lost moment. At that moment, we truly feel Miguel’s pain from the wringer he’s been through over the course of the story. Coco’s use of multiple antagonists to serve as obstacles to different things is very effective, as each one forces Miguel to grow in different ways.
Encanto, on the other hand, has no antagonist besides Alma, and even she isn’t a villain, just an obstacle. One could argue that Isabela is a secondary antagonist, but she’s more of an annoying bully than anything else. In addition, Mirabel’s big moment of reconciliation with Isabela is a big complaint of mine with Encanto. They reconcile and hug it out not because Mirabel shows Isabela that she can do other things with her Gift than what Alma wants her to do, but because Isabela realizes it herself. In her elation and experimentation following this realization, she is so pleased that she is willing to be kind to anyone, even her hated little sister Mirabel. As fun as it is to see Isabela grow as a character, her growth isn’t due to Mirabel’s heroic actions, leaving me to not classify Isabela as an antagonist.
This brings us back to Alma, Encanto’s only true antagonistic figure. From her condescending behavior towards Mirabel to her compulsive declarations that the magic is strong despite evidence to the contrary, Alma comes off as far more villainous than I think the movie intends. She’s just mean-spirited, even if she has a tragic past and supposedly noble reasons for obsessing over her family’s Gifts, and the audience never identifies with her until her redemption at the end. A strong redemption must be a slow burn, not a sudden flip of the switch.
Alma’s ultimate problem as an antagonist is that she tries to fulfill every antagonistic role and ends up fulfilling none of them effectively. As a result of Alma’s attempts to fill so many roles at once, it’s impossible to nail down exactly what is intended for Alma’s character. She and the story could have benefited from a secondary antagonist or two, perhaps an actual seductive villain trying to push Mirabel down a more dangerous path and separate her from her family. That would have made for much more compelling tension in the story. Compared to Coco’s clever use of multiple antagonists that each challenge Miguel in different ways, Alma simply comes off as flat and boring, unfortunately. Now, I realize I haven’t delved into Alma’s redemption. We’ll get to that shortly, I promise.
Music
Music plays an important storytelling role in almost every Disney movie, but not quite as often in Pixar films. Though they all have wonderful soundtracks, Coco is unique in that it’s the only true musical in Pixar’s library. For a film based on Mexican culture and the Day of the Dead, great music is absolutely essential. Encanto, on the other hand, continues the Disney tradition of over-the-top Broadway-style musicals to great effect. The music is easily the strongest part of Encanto, though I do feel there are clear distinctions to be made between the two films.
While I have previously stated that the frequency of side characters in Encanto getting their own songs bogs the story down, the quality of said songs is admittedly very high. From the first song, the film plays up the music and choreography as one of its most vital storytelling elements. Disney sets a new high bar for grandeur and entertainment. Encanto refuses to apologize for this, and I respect it for that.
Where Encanto has songs where the family and even the surrounding town suddenly burst into song and dance, Coco is more subdued in its musical approach. Almost every song in the movie is an actual live performance within the story, while the roles of performer and audience are more nebulous in Encanto. Additionally, the songs in Coco are shorter, focusing on the traditional Mariachi style of music. There is also more time between songs on average, allowing for more character interaction outside of the music. Coco has taken a clear approach of going smaller and more intimate with its music.
So, we have two different musical approaches in these films, but which is better? That’s a hotly debated question and mostly a matter of opinion. The unapologetic Broadway-style music of Encanto has proven to be extremely popular over the years, and the film’s success further validates this concept. However, my personal preference is for the less-is-more approach of Coco. Every song is saved for vital emotional moments in the story, allowing the music to have a greater impact than in a movie chocked full of grandiose song-and-dance numbers. Again, only my personal opinion, but I think Coco strikes a balance that Encantodoesn’t even try to hit.
Magic
As is typical for Disney and Pixar, both films employ magic and supernatural elements to help further their stories. Both movies are often cited as examples of magical realism. To me, Coco and Encanto are actually wonderful illustrations of Hard Magic versus Soft Magic, respectively. Briefly, Hard Magic systems often have clearly defined rules, limitations, and sources. Their strength is immersing the audience in a complex and nuanced world, but at the risk of creating contradictions the more complicated it becomes. Soft Magic systems are usually less rigid and defined in their rules, limitations, and sources. Their strength is creating a sense of awe and wonder for the audience but at the risk of leaving them confused without much explanation as to how the magic works. Such differences are on full display in these films.
The magic of Coco is quite hard and clearly defined in the story. On the Day of the Dead, spirits may return from the Land of the Dead to visit their living relatives, but only if their photo is displayed on an ofrenda. The Land of the Dead is a place where spirits dwell for as long as they are remembered in the mortal world. Being remembered is not simply a matter of knowing about them but of families passing down intimate stories about said person. If a spirit is no longer remembered among the living, often by the last person remembering them dying or growing too old to remember them, they fade away into nothing, not even getting to see their last relative once that relative has died. Finally, since the Day of the Dead is a day for giving thanks to those past, stealing something meant for the dead on that day can curse a family, which is what strands Miguel in the Land of the Dead. A blessing of forgiveness from a deceased family member can break this curse, though the family member can place whatever conditions they wish on the blessing. These rules make frequent appearances throughout the film.
In Encanto, the magic is softer and much less defined. We know that every member of the Madrigal family is given a supernatural Gift on their fifth birthday, symbolized by a glowing door to their own personalized room. We know that this same magic allows their house, Casita, a level of sentience and the ability to rearrange itself at will. The source of the magic is a candle that Alma discovered many years ago as she and her family journeyed to the land that eventually became their home. As long as the candle burns strong, the magic will remain strong. Beyond these things, we are left with very few explanations as to how the candle came into existence and what could possibly weaken the magic.
In each film, the emotional climax of the story highlights these differences and proves the lynchpin of why I feel one movie is superior to the other. In Coco, everything comes to a head when Miguel finally returns from the Land of the Dead. Hector is on the verge of being forgotten, and we’ve already seen the tragic consequences of this once in the movie when the same thing happens to a friend of Héctor’s named Chicharrón. The scene where Miguel takes Héctor’s guitar to Coco and sings “Remember Me” for her is both simple and powerful all at once. Rather than the rousing showpiece he always thought it was, Miguel sings the song as the lullaby Héctor always intended it to be. At that moment, Coco remembers not only the song but also the loving father who always sang it to her. This is an especially powerful moment for anyone who has watched a loved one suffer from memory loss in their old age because memories of music are always the last to go. Coco uses this moment of clarity to tell her family intimate stories about Héctor and reveals that she kept his letters containing the lyrics to the songs supposedly written by Ernesto de la Cruz. Finally, she shows a picture of Héctor she had long kept hidden, allowing Héctor to take his place on the Rivera family ofrenda. Not only will Héctor now be remembered by future generations, but his honor as a great songwriter has also been restored. This scene is a beautiful culmination of everything the film has taught us about memories, family, and the Day of the Dead.
The climax of Encanto comes about rather abruptly, to be blunt. After Mirabel and Isabela strengthen the candle’s flame together by healing their relationship and expanding Isabela’s abilities, Alma becomes angry at how different Isabela now is. Her anger triggers a response in which Mirabel finally releases all her frustration and pain at how her family has treated her over the years. This schism finally causes the candle to extinguish and Casita to begin to fall apart, having been held together by the magic all these years. This is clearly Mirabel’s Hope is Lost moment, from which I expected her and Alma to have to work together on a final task through the third act to discover where the candle came from and reignite the source of their magic. Instead, Alma and Mirabel have a single conversation and song in which Alma explains that the candle magically appeared to her in the aftermath of her husband’s death. The song ends and, with no explanation, the magic is reborn in Maribel, allowing Mirabel and Alma to rebuild Casita and restore their family’s Gifts. It’s a third act that happens so fast that the resolution feels completely unearned. Because the audience doesn’t understand the origins of the magic to any degree, they are left scratching their heads at the end and asking, “Yeah, but HOW?” One could argue that love was the answer, but nothing of the sort is ever stated in the film, leaving the audience wanting.
Conclusion
To sum it up, Coco is a tightly woven story with an incredible world of magic that the audience can easily understand, making the emotional moments hit that much harder when they come. Encanto is a lively and vibrant musical with supernatural elements that, while fun, are not understood very well, taking away from the story. Please understand that my intent is not to hate on Encanto. I think it’s a very good movie, definitely one of Disney’s fifteen best of all time. It simply isn’t the incredible masterpiece that Coco is. Both movies tell roughly the same coming-of-age story of family acceptance, but Coco did it first and Coco did it best, in my opinion. In closing, please remember me, just as long as you don’t talk about Bruno.
And that’s going to do it for this film comparison. What did you think? Am I a total moron for my Encantomusings? Or is Coco truly the masterpiece I believe it to be? Please let me know in the comments. Feel free to mention if you have any ideas or requests for future entries. I’ve got an active running list of ideas, but I’m always open to more. I’d appreciate it if you’d leave a like and share this post on social media. And to stay up to date on future blog posts, you can sign up for my monthly newsletter on my website. Until the next story!
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