The Book of Life

The Book of Life is a dazzling and vibrant animated film that deserves a lot more recognition than it gets. Especially when it appears that Pixar's Coco lifted quite a lot from this film. This film is fun for kids and families alike with its exuberant colors and witty dialogue.

The music was also really a highlight. They found a great mix between fun covers of existing songs and catchy original tunes. I found this to be a highly enjoyable film that carves out a nice niche in the animated film world.

This is a beautiful animated film. Very unique in comparison to other animated films out there. I loved that it had funny parts - for adults as well as kids - but it isn't a silly comedy. It is a gorgeous, epic folkloric tale of family, tradition and finding your own way. I laughed and cried, and my kids loved it as much as I did. My kids (ages 3.5 and 5.5) both were entranced and never got bored or scared watching this film. For families: it wasn't scary at all. I worried maybe the "skeleton" painted Day of the Dead characters may be creepy but they weren't at all. The sets and characters were all very beautiful and unique. The Land of the Remembered was especially visually stunning. I found it especially touching as a parent of young kids with numerous generations in "our village" helping raise my kids and help carry each other through life's highs and lows. I was reminded by this film of the importance of all the generations that came before us - how we are shaped by our families. How we learn from and must respect those who came before us. That was a nice message for me and my kids. But, it also shows that, while we respect, learn from and inherit gifts from our fore-bearers, we also have a responsibility to be true to ourselves, to make our own way and find our true calling. It was also touchingly romantic. It felt very genuine and warm throughout but the sweet romantic story was especially touching. You could tell a lot of love went into making this film. I hope it does well - it should on its own merit!

One of the best animated films of 2014 along with The Lego Movie and How to Train Your Dragon 2 and much better than the trailer suggested it to be. It's not perfect but it is very good not only as an animated film but as a film in general and it is great for children and adults alike. The best thing about The Book of Life is the animation, which is never less than outstanding and even spellbinding at its best, consisting of vivid warm colours, smooth imaginatively done background art and beautifully drawn character designs that look real. The brilliantly colourful and psychedelic imagery of Land of the Forgotten and the character designs of the two supernatural lead characters are particularly well done, the whole film is a stunner to look at and has so much depth and rich detail. The music is good and fits well, the score is robust and authentically orchestrated and the songs are a lot of fun- in the cinema you have difficulty resisting the temptation to sing along and tap your feet-, are catchy and of many moods. If there was any complaint about the soundtrack, it's that I wish there was more of a Mexican vibe to it. The script was sharp and funny, even managing to liven the darker elements a little without jarring or being over-reliant on postmodern gags, it has a good flow and is always easy to understand. The story isn't perfect but is a winner overall. does it have clichés? Of course it does. Does it handle them well? Yes. It does have its overstuffed and contrived spots but it's warm-hearted, entertaining from the get go right up to the last second and you always feel like you're being immersed in all these different worlds in the film, which aside from the animation was what was the most remarkable thing about The Book of Life. There's also some good, relevant messaging that makes its point but in a subtle way rather than preachy. The characters are engaging and most of the voice acting is great, especially from Christina Applegate, Zoe Saldana(both playing with endearing sass and spunk), Kate del Castillo and Ron Perlman. The only exceptions for me were Channing Tatum whose line delivery was awkward at times and Ice Cube who felt and sounded out of place, sounding like he was playing himself rather than the character he was voicing. All in all, hugely entertaining and visually wondrous, a very good film animated and otherwise and definitely recommended. 8/10 Bethany Cox

Musical Manolo, scrappy Joaquin and smart Maria are three close childhood pals. Maria gets sent to Europe to study. Joaquin gets seriously into training as a military officer. Manolo is discouraged by his father from his musical aspirations, forcing him instead to take up bullfighting, which is the traditional Sanchez family occupation. When Maria returns to town after several years, Joaquin and Manolo vie for her heart.

Meanwhile, the two lords of the underworld, La Muerta (mistress of the Land of the Remembered) and Xibalba (master of the Land of the Forgotten) take a bet as to who Maria will end up with. On the Day of the Dead, the deities interfere with the outcome, leading to an adventure which will bring the characters from the land of the living to the land of the dead and back.

The most striking feature of this film is the animation style. The human characters are made to look like wooden puppets. This artworks were so ingeniously crafted such that each character is distinct from each other. The three main human characters all look very good and noble. The supporting characters are rather on the ugly, distorted side in their rendition, and these may need getting used to.

The background artwork is no less spectacular. The highlight of the whole film are those scenes in the Land of the Remembered, showing it as a happy bustling and festive place. The colors were so vibrant and rich. The multi-layered designs were so intricate and meticulous in their endemically Mexican-inspired details.

Another wonderful feature of this film is the musical score, written by Argentine composer Gustavo Santaolalla. This musician has been awarded the Oscar two times before for films "Babel" and "Brokeback Mountain." The soundtrack also employs the most unexpected pop songs, sung Mexican style of course. Hearing a familiar song being sung makes me smile and even sing along. The sensitive singing voice of Diego Luna (as Manolo) makes songs as diverse as Radiohead's "Creep" to Elvis' "Can't Help Falling in Love" sound so good.

I believe this film had a lot of educational value in it for the young audience it targets. There are a lot of Latino values being tackled here about friendship and family, the status of women, the respect for the dead, etc., which are likewise universal as well, more often than not. It also introduces us, both kids and adults alike, to the vibrant Mexican culture, especially about their Day of the Dead.

The pace of the film was slow at first, but once you get into its groove, you will surely enjoy the eventful ride. My two sons with me, as well as the much younger kids in the theater with us, all seemed to enjoy the film very much as you hear a lot of gleeful laughter at the some of the shallower jokes. This was despite the rather macabre subject matter and several grotesque-looking (albeit in a comical way) characters. It also had humorous moments that only adults would chuckle at.

Aside from Diego Luna, the line-up of voice actors surprisingly included Zoe Saldana as Maria and Channing Tatum as Joaquin. I would not have guessed. Other familiar names such as Ron Perlman and Christina Applegate are also on board. The most unexpected name I saw on the list though was that of Ice Cube as the sunshiny fluffy underworld character named Candlemaker. Some well-known Latino actors like Hector Elizondo, Danny Trejo and Placido Domingo voice the more mature characters, like Manolo's dad and ancestors.

Overall, "The Book of Life" is a very unique animated feature film. The basic story is based on Mexican folklore and traditions, so the animation style had the colors, designs and style of Mexico. The different look and unfamiliar references may turn off some less adventurous viewers, but really it should not. This is one very educational and very entertaining film for all ages. Writer and Director Jorge R. Gutierrez was able to successfully expand on his experience on Nickelodeon's frenetic award-winning animated series "El Tigre:The Adventures of Manny Rivera" (which he also created) and here proudly showcased his beloved Mexican roots on a much bigger platform. 8/10.

Many things could have gone wrong with The Book Of Life. This boisterous, big-hearted animated film is bursting with ideas and colour, stuffed to the brim with - one suspects - pretty much every idea that struck writer-director Jorge Gutierrez's fancy. Indeed, the final film plays very much like the charming but unpolished debut of a filmmaker who can't quite believe he was lucky enough to get the attention of producer Guillermo del Toro, and has no intention of wasting the opportunity in case it never comes around again. As a result, The Book Of Life practically trembles with too many ideas and influences, but remains so earnest and inventive that it's easy to forgive its predictable, overstuffed plot.

In a small Mexican town on the Day Of The Dead, we meet the protagonists of the story: steadfast, earnest Manolo (voiced by Diego Luna), who would rather strum a guitar than fight a bull in the tradition of his forefathers; brash, adventurous Joaquin (Channing Tatum), who becomes the town hero in trying to avenge the murder of his father by bandits; and spunky, intelligent Maria (Zoe Saldana), daughter of the mayor who inevitably wins the hearts of both young men. The stakes, however, are higher than they could ever imagine: the two godly rulers of the underworld, La Muerte (Kate del Castillo) and Xibalba (Ron Perlman), have gambled dominion over each other's lands on the outcome of the love triangle.

It would be an understatement to say that there's a lot going on in The Book Of Life. The film covers everything from a mystical medal that lends invulnerability to anyone who wears it, to a tantalising love-hate relationship between the two gods, while spiced up with musical interludes galore. (It's not often that the film's hero will pause to belt out a soul-searching rendition of Radiohead's Creep, but that kind of thing happens all the time in The Book Of Life.) Mix it all up with retellings of Mexican folklore, including visits to the joyously colourful Land of the Remembered and the ghostly grey Land of the Forgotten, and the film can be a somewhat frenetic viewing experience, to say the least.

But, for all that Gutierrez packs his film full of ideas and details, he also manages to make most of it work very well. The love triangle may be trite, but there's nevertheless enough heart and humour holding Manolo, Maria and Joaquin together. Manolo's relationships with his dad Carlos (Hector Elizondo) and his departed mom Carmen (Ana de la Reguera) are coloured in with surprising depth as well. It's also wonderful to see a love triangle centred around a girl who knows her own mind - and rest assured that Maria speaks it often enough to make a real impact.

The Book Of Life also doubles as a very welcome riot of imagination and tradition. Every frame of the film is beautifully and thoughtfully designed, down to the fact that Manolo seems to have been intricately crafted out of wood. Moreover, instead of shying away from its Mexican roots to increase its global marketability, the film firmly embraces them. This gives Gutierrez room to craft some delicately dark moments in a graveyard or two, reminding everyone that those who have died can still live as long as they're remembered by the ones who loved them. And yet, the film never descends into darkness, instead tapping into the giddying energy of a fiesta - most memorably in a journey through the Land of the Remembered - complete with heady bursts of colour and music.

There's no denying that Gutierrez's film can occasionally be too much to handle. It's loud and almost cheerfully silly, tossing pop songs and Mexican folklore into a mix that sometimes doesn't work. But, at its best, The Book Of Life is like a rambunctious puppy: messy, loud and insistent, but radiating so much life and charm that it becomes quite impossible to resist.