Jinan L.

I expected this to be another terrible remake, but I actually enjoyed it! Perhaps it was the very low expectations I had for it, but I found it surprisingly heartwarming. Tom Hanks was wonderful, of course, and Jiminy Cricket actually made me smile. Some songs/scenes were heavy handed, but the animation and storyline was overall good. Several of the original details, like Sophia and Sabine, were also quite nice. Well done! As far as Disney remakes go, this one is worth the time. Great for a family night.

This movie is all around pretty bad - but it is worth watching. Let me explain. Firstly, you need to know that this is a direct to TV sequel. Like most (cough) sequels Disney makes, it's a far, far drop in quality from the original, and honestly a big disappointment if you're watching it to relive the first. (You'll notice the painfully bad animation in the first 5 minutes - especially Esmeralda, man they did her wrong.) The plot is very basic; don't expect anything particularly touching, or intelligent really. I watched it expecting cringe, and ended up loving it. Why? It's classic expectation vs reality. We know it's going to suck, so we don't expect much - and that allows us to appreciate all the little points that sparkle. You get to see characters you know and love, as well as their development from the last movie. Plus, all the voice actors came back, which was nice to hear - even if Esmeralda looks like she went for a makeover done by a platypus bear. There were some seriously funny moments in there, and the songs were actually good - especially 'An Ordinary Miracle'. Make sure you hear the lyrics! While the plot is predictable from the start and can be very cringe sometimes, most of the cringe is more funny than painful. Ultimately, it's a budget version of Disney that still manages to pull off the trademark feel-good ending. Would I watch it again? Probably not. But in the end, do I regret that hour spent? Never. Just go in with really low expectations, get ready to laugh and roll your eyes, and enjoy the sequel! It'll be worth the watch.

Thoughtful world building, great acting, and beautiful visuals, but the storyline left more to be wanted. There were several instances where the problems and/or motives were not properly fleshed out - especially the rationale of sending son to father. Are there not other, less emotionally-implicated astronauts available? Also, where did the Mars lady get her info? And why would a man exit a spacecraft willingly only to want to go on a Jetpack Joyride on his lonesome? Reflective, but ultimately more convoluted than satisfying.

When I first saw the trailer, it seemed very kiddish but what caught my eye (ear?) was the music. After getting Disney+, I was able to watch it properly and let me tell you, the music is phenomenal. Frozen is obviously their magnum opus, but this was a close second; I'd even rank it above the Frozen 2 songs because these songs are brilliantly written, make sense, flow well and sound gorgeous. (Doesn't hurt that I have a soft spot for Christmasy music!) The music alone would make me rewatch it, but the plot itself was also more cute than cringe, and not as cliche as the trailer makes it out to be. I think a lot of the hate came from being forced to watch a 23 minute Frozen short in cinemas when people came for Coco. I'm lucky enough to have watched it on its own, and it's seriously not as bad as people have said. As a standalone short, it's 110% wholesomeness and a great (albeit long) special for indulging in whenever you want some warm Christmas cheer, with charming music that will actually stay with you.