Koati is a Mexican animated film, directed by Rodrigo Péres-Castro and released in October 15, 2021.
The film tells the story of a a Koati named Nachi. He sees his home jungle known as the Land of Xo threatened by natural disasters and its inhabitants threatened by an evil coral snake named Zaina.
A trailer for the film can be viewed here.
, and the film is currently on the streaming service Vix in its original Mexican Spanish dub, and on Dailymotion for its English dub.
Koati provides examples of:
- Armor-Piercing Question: Amaya insists on going with Nachi and Pako to protect them, but Nachi asks who will take care of the other animals if she leaves. She agrees to let Nachi and Pako go on their own.
- AstroTurf: When Zaina proposes that everyone leave Xo, Jithu (Zaina's sidekick) pretends to be a random audience member who enjoys the idea.
- Big Good: Balam. He cares about the welfare of every animal in the jungle.
- Convection, Schmonvection: Calli (a bird) is able to fly Pako and Nachi over the mouth of a volcano and doesn't even get an Ash Face from it.
- Dinner Deformation: Zaina eats two tree seeds and looks in an obsidian mirror, pretending she has large breasts and a large butt.
- Earthquakes Cause Fissures: In one of the first scenes, the ground shakes and a fissure opens up right in the center of Xo. After just a minute, it closes back up, nearly crushing a jaguar cub.
- Evil Is Petty: Zaina has no sympathy for the other animals she is leading. She drinks a puddle of water when many of the other animals are dehydrated (and is quickly called out on it) and is fully willing to leave exhausted animals behind.
- Fatal Forced March: Since the land of Xo is experiencing unusually frequent natural disasters, Zaina convinces all the animals to leave the land of Xo and walk to "not Xo" south of Xo. Many of the animals get exhausted and dehydrated from the march.
- Gratuitous Foreign Language: Most of the character names are in indigenous Mesoamerican languages. Balam for example is Mayan for "jaguar". By far the most common language used is actually Zapotec; this includes Xo (earth) and the names of most of the main characters.
- Good Colors, Evil Colors: Zaina has mainly red scales, while her henchsnake Jithu has green scales. Guess which one of them changes their ways at the end of the film?
- Heel–Face Turn: Jithu starts out fully aligned with the main villain Zaina, and agrees to hunt down Nachi to prevent him from learning new information and undermining Zaina's authority. By the end, he helps push down a pillar to prevent lava from entering the Mouth that Does Not Speak, where the animals are taking refuge.
- Inevitable Waterfall: In one of the first scenes, Nachi tries swinging on a vine to save Xochi from endangering herself, but falls in a river leading to sharp rocks at the top of a waterfall.
- Lampshade Hanging: Nachi can't help but acknowledge that Cocopa's prophecy seems vague and unhelpful. Nachi comments that he is told to find a "lake of fire" and "the mouth that does not speak", but isn't told where. He follows the prophecy anyway.
- Large Ham: Pako can't help but make boisterous statements anything he sees as positive happens. After escaping Jithu, he pretends to be a wrestling announcer introducing his own "super tongue" Nachi's "super tail".
- Last of His Kind: Nachi is the only Koati, and it's acknowledged that he doesn't know any other Koati. Later, sees a painting in an ancient ruin that suggests to him that he has a family of other Koati somewhere.
- Leitmotif: Whenever Zaina would appear, a sitar-sounding theme would be heard in the background.
- Overly Narrow Superlative: Pako says that Nachi is "the coolest Koati this side of the river", and Nachi clarifies he is "the only Koati this side of the river".
- Panthera Awesome: Balam's a jaguar with a strong moral code and tenacity to do what he knows is right.
- Rake Take: In one of the first scenes, Pako steps on a stick, which hits him right in face.
- Rule of Symbolism: When the main villain Zaina (a coal snake) is dropped on a cactus after her defeat, an eagle comes to fight her instead of joining the other animals in the Mouth that Does Not Speak. This reassembles the eagle fighting a snake on a cactus, seen on the flag of Mexico. This symbolizes the fact that the rest of the animals have found a home in the Mouth that Does Not Speak. She is also awfully close to the lava.
- Sequel Hook Zaina is revealed to survive her fate and is shown spying on the heroes when they celebrate.
- Snakes Are Sexy: Zaina certainly calls herself attractive, but none of the other characters share an opinion on her looks.
- Snakes Are Sinister:
- Played straight with Zaina, a coral snake who takes over after Balam's death. She leads the residents of Xo on a Fatal Forced March to "not Xo".
- Jithu is an anaconda who is fully aligned with Zaina's plans, and does what she tells him. This changes at the end of the movie, where he helps push down a pillar to prevent lava from entering the Mouth that Does Not Speak, where the animals are taking refuge.
- The Social Darwinist: The main villain Zaina is leading all the animals on a Fatal Forced March south of Xo, and is unwilling to help any animals who run out of stamina. Contrast that with most of the residents of Xo, who immediately help others if they see a need.
- Toilet Humor: Early on, Pako makes jokes about the fact that his organs are visible from under his skin, which grosses out the younger animals. Later, a bird poops on him, and he interprets it as a good omen from Cocopa, which just makes Nachi feel nauseous.
- Too Important to Walk: While Zaina leads a caravan of animals on a Fatal Forced March, some alligators carry Zaina on top of a large leaf. When she is called out on this, she claims it is exhausting giving orders.
- Toon Physics: Nachi's tail is stretchy and durable enough to be used as a slingshot.
- Verbal Backspace: Zaina says "I have come here to take advantage of- um, help you!"
- Villain with Good Publicity: Zaina is able to convince the animals to leave their homeland towards an uncertain "not Xo" land south of Xo.
