On paper it makes sense that a film celebrating Mexican music and culture would get a concert film/ special. Then you remember that part of what makes the examination of these themes in the film so effective is that despite the bright colours and visually stunning animation it’s a very down beat story about the importance of family and never losing the sense of connection across generations. The creative team that put this special together are shown to understand these themes in the pointless talking head sections between performances but have only been able to translate the pretty colours and gorgeous costume design. The big bombastic presentation (even down to the choice of the Hollywood Bowl as a venue) feel at odds with the message of the film they are attempting to celebrate. Some of the performances are OK and the visual presentation is stunning in 4K but it feels massively overstretched at 48 minutes. In days gone by this would have being an extra on one of the classic Pixar 2-disc collector’s edition DVDs . This special should be treated like a lot of DVD extras in that it’s for die-hard fans only.
4/10
A Little Bit Of Everything 