Stars (vocally) Diego Luna, Zoe Saldana, Channing Tatum, with Kate del Castillo, Hector Elizondo, Christina Applegate, Danny Trejo, Ice Cube and Ron Perlman Directed by Jorge R Gutierrez Taking a cue from the Walt Disney cartoons of old, The Book of Life plays out more like a fairy tale told to kids. It even begins with the titular book being opened and the words, “Once Upon A Time” appearing on the page, not that anyone actually quotes it. Instead, this particular tale is told to a bunch of kids (supposedly on detention or some school punishment) by unusual and mysterious museum guide, Mary Beth (Christina Applegate) who seems like a very old hand at handling such kids. The story itself plus out fairly simply. A long time ago in a little Mexican village, on the Day of the Dead, two rulers of the underworld - La Muerte (Kate del Castillo) and Xibalba (and excellent Ron Perlman) - make a bet revolving around the lives of three children; to see if Manolo, backed by La Muerte, or Joaquin, backed by Xibalba, would get the girl, Maria. As events play out during their childhood, Maria is soon sent away to study in Spain, while Joaquin joins the local soldiers and aspires to be like his hero father, and Manolo is trained to become the latest in his family’s line of bull fighters. While Joaquin fully embraces his position, thanks to a hidden medal given to him by Xibalba which bestows its wearer with increased strength and invulnerability, Manolo seems divided between his duty to family and following his passion in music. All that played out during an impressive montage that cuts between the two boys as the grow to adulthood. By the time Maria (Zoe Saldana) returns to the village, Joaquin (Channing Tatum) is a local hero and Manolo (Diego Luna) is about to have his first major bull-fight performance. The friendship between the three gets tested as both men begin to vie for Maria’s hand. The trailer does give away a little more as an obvious trip to the underworlds - The Land of The Remembered and The Land of The Forgotten and whatever else in between - is a highlight of the movie. While the overall designs of the worlds are quite spectacular, especially the very vibrant Land of The Remembered - a contrast to the world of the living previously envisioned in Tim Burton’s Corpse Bride - the choice of character design is… rather… wooden. Perhaps this is reflective of a more traditional Mexican aesthetic, that such tales are usually done as wooden puppet theatre (I think), and maybe there might have been some intention to try making the movie with stop-motion animation techniques. There are some allusions to that as well. In any case, the main cast of characters are very vibrant in colour even if the wooden effects, ranging from smooth and polished to weathered and cracked depending on the age of the character, might take some getting used to. Especially with the traditional squash-and-stretch animation techniques employed throughout, unlike with the more recent stop-motion extravaganza, The BoxTrolls. Still, the use of colour, design and world-building lends itself very well to the nature of the story on show here, and despite not being able to catch it in 3D, the overall design of the worlds and animation would show-off beautifully in 3D, especially within the Land of The Remembered. As to the story, it’s a familiar hero’s journey that may hold the attention of some kids. We do cut back to the school kids and their reaction to the events in the story - and perhaps, some kids watching the movie may react the same way with the same questions. There are some flashes of brilliance with adequate touches of humour as well as some quite some interesting homage, particularly with the music. I thought it was quite brilliant how Manolo’s first bullfight was done to an updated version of Ennio Morricone’s The Ecstasy of Gold (from The Good, The Bad and The Ugly), but then there are this mariachi trio and their choice of ‘romantic songs’ to help Manolo win Maria’s heart… you’ll either laugh hard or cringe. The vocal performances work well with Ron Perlman’s Xibalba being a major highlight. Channing Tatum is a surprise as Joaquin (occasionally shouting his name every time he bounces into action) while Diego Luna does very well including singing the songs for Manolo. The surprises are more in the supporting characters, such as Hector Elizondo as Manolo’s father, or Cheech Marin as one of the Mariachi trio, Danny Trejo as Manolo’s grandfather or even Placido Domingo piping in. Listen hard and you just may spot producer Guillermo del Toro as well. del Toro has had a few years assisting and producing alongside DreamWorks Animation, among them Megamind, Rise of The Guardians, Kung Fu Panda 2 and most significantly Puss in Boots which some may compare to this. His influences here are noticeable. Writer and directer, Jorge Gutierrez, does a commendable job on his first major feature although for some, there may be a sense that he’s squeezing too much into the story. There are numerous themes going on, but I don’t think it feels very forced, allowing the themes to emerge organically through each of the character’s journey. It would allow for numerous viewings, and having something different to take away each time, or you can also simply sit back and be entertained; the visual aspect being an ocular feast. Rating: ****/5 Barnes and Noble / Amazon / Book Depository / ISBNS Net (for best deals) E-Bookshop / Lybrary / aLibris / Blackwell
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