Pixar films have a way of connecting with children and adults alike, and plenty of the studio's films have left parents crying even more than the kids.
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00:00Pixar did it again with the release of their 2017 film Coco.
00:05One of their best offerings to date, Coco tells the story of a young boy named Miguel
00:09who dreams of becoming a musician and helps his family heal from long-buried trauma along
00:14the way.
00:15Of course, no Pixar movie is complete without all of the fun stuff they pack in to keep
00:20parents amused, too.
00:21So here are the things in Coco only adults notice.
00:24What did I miss?"
00:30Pixar shout-outs
00:31Pixar is famous for putting lots of Easter eggs and nods to other Pixar films in their
00:36movies, and Coco is no different.
00:39For starters, Woody and Buzz Lightyear from Toy Story manifest in piñata form, along
00:44with Mike and Sully from Monsters, Inc.
00:46Additionally, Marlin, Dory, and other characters from Finding Nemo and Finding Dory can also
00:52be spotted on the table selling alebries that Miguel briefly drums.
00:56Sid's famous skull shirt from Toy Story is sported by the pouty synthesizer musician
01:01during the talent show, and Nemo himself graces the family ofrenda.
01:06And just like every Pixar movie, the Pizza Planet truck makes an appearance, only this
01:10time, it's Pizza Planeta.
01:14Old-school tech
01:16In the Land of the Dead, citizens rely on walkie-talkies for quick local communication.
01:21Agents at the Department of Family Reunions use typewriters or old Apple computers from
01:25the 1980s and 1990s.
01:28The clerk has piles of papers, a rotary phone, and an adding machine on his desk.
01:33When Miguel implores Hector to help him meet Ernesto de la Cruz, he pulls him into a phone
01:38booth for privacy.
01:40Little kids might recognize some of the older technology, but adults are sure to feel a
01:44slight pang of nostalgia.
01:47Dante
01:50Dante might be super silly, but there's more to him than it seems.
01:53He's not just a funny dog with a wagging tongue, he's Miguel's alebrije.
01:57In the world of Coco, that means he is his spirit guide and responsible for Miguel, which
02:02is an important mission for any creature.
02:05There's more to know about Dante that's not obvious to kids in the movie.
02:08For one, he's a Xoloitzcuintli, or Xolo for short, which is an iconic hairless dog breed
02:15famous in Mexico.
02:16In Aztec mythology, Xolo dogs were sacred creatures who could move between both the
02:21land of the living and the land of the dead.
02:24Additionally, Dante's name could very well be a nod to Italian poet Dante Alighieri.
02:29Dante penned the famous Divine Comedy, one of the most famous works of fiction ever to
02:34revolve around a journey through the afterlife.
02:37It's just Dante.
02:39Never name a street dog, they'll follow you forever.
02:43Pull one out
02:45One of the many emotional scenes in Coco is Hector's visit with Chicharron, a friend and
02:51neighbor of Hector's in the land of the dead.
02:54On the way there, Hector stops and grabs two shot glasses of tequila so he and Chicharron
02:59can share a drink.
03:01However, Chicharron's remains scatter into the breeze before they can imbibe together.
03:06In response, Hector drinks down his shot and places it upside down next to the untouched
03:11drink.
03:12It's a nod to a tradition in several cultures of pouring out alcohol for your deceased loved
03:17ones, honoring their memory.
03:20Frida Kahlo
03:21Arguably the most famous Mexican artist of all time, Frida Kahlo and her work are celebrated
03:28in Coco.
03:29The iconic painter, who's known for featuring a variety of creatures and objects in her
03:34work such as monkeys, Xolo dogs, and fruit of all kinds, has these things all around
03:39her in the film.
03:41Her alibrije is a monkey, for example, and she calls Dante the mighty Xolo dog.
03:46Even her unibrow gets several shout-outs in the film, such as when Hector is busted for
03:51falsifying a unibrow.
03:53Miguel's family also bristles when they rip off their unibrows later when they're all
03:57disguised as Fridas.
03:59It makes perfect sense that Kahlo is a famous celebrity in the land of the dead, since she's
04:04much more famous posthumously than she was when she was alive.
04:07Yes, it is I, Frida Kahlo.
04:10It is an honor, señora.
04:11Gracias.
04:17Fertile metaphors
04:19Kahlo is also well-known for depicting her face and body in her paintings, and some of
04:24the complicated issues that come with being a woman.
04:27Pixar somehow figured out a way to reference multiple explicit paintings throughout her
04:31performance scene in Coco in a child-safe way, while also making sure adults watching
04:37would immediately see the nod.
04:39Tiny Frida Kahlos crawl out of a papaya and nurse on a cactus, both metaphors for female
04:45anatomy, and both referencing specific paintings we can't exactly show here.
04:51Adult viewers will notice this right away, though, and so do the characters in the film.
04:55Is it too obvious?
04:57I think it's just the right amount of obvious.
05:02Cameos galore
05:04If you're not familiar with Mexican culture, you might miss it, but the El Santo character
05:08is based on a real person.
05:10El Santo was an extremely famous luchador whose wrestling career spanned decades, from
05:16the 1930s to the 1980s.
05:18He even starred in films, most notably 1970's The Land of the Dead, which showcased El Santo
05:24traveling to the underworld.
05:26There are also other nods to famous Mexican celebrities and legends which young kids won't
05:31pick up on.
05:33El Santo's red carpet date is María Félix, a famous Mexican actress.
05:39Actors Pedro Infante and Jorge Negrete, long famous in Mexico, get a hug from De La Cruz
05:45at his mansion blowout.
05:47You can also spot a nod to comedian Cantinflas, who was wearing his iconic paper hat in the
05:52same scene.