There is a wager between the Mexican Lord of the Underworld, Xibalba (Ron Perlman), and La Muerte (Kate de Castillo) concerning which suitor is gonna win the heart of the general’s feisty daughter Maria (Zoe Saldana).
Joaquin (Channing Tatum) is handsome, strong and fearless while Manolo (Diego Luna) is sensitive, creative and musical.
When Manolo dies due to a snake bite, he travels to The Land of the Remembered, where Xibulba offers him the chance to return to the land of the living if he can defeat the combined ghosts of all the bulls his bullfighting family have killed.
We say, “The Book of Life is a fiesta of colour and spirit.”
TAYLOR: I don’t like musicals, especially for kids. The worst is when it gets sprung on you. The trailer didn’t feature any singing.
HOWE: It’s not what I would call a real musical. There is maybe two songs, three at the most that are sung and then the rest is just quietly playing in the background. And the music that they do play is great, mostly ‘80s hits. Let’s ask our little guest reviewer what he thought, seeing it’s aimed at his age group.
FENIN: I liked the three layers of lands: the Living, the Forgotten and the Remembered. Two of the levels were colourful but not the Forgotten Land. It was dark, green and white and looked pretty spooky.
HOWE: Is it a good family movie?
FENIN: Yes.
TAYLOR: Is it funny?
FENIN: Yes.
HOWE: But why?
FENIN: The pig was funny. I laughed and laughed at it.
TAYLOR: I say, if characters sing more than one song, it’s a musical. However, I really loved the song that Manolo sang to the bull, so maybe I’m getting turned around on this.
The Book of Life, although seemingly convoluted, is really about how if we remember our loved ones that have passed, they live on. Despite being set in the multiple rich worlds of Mexican death culture, the film is not too dark for little ones.
HOWE: The thing that gets me sometimes in animated movies is the cast they choose. I know they have to have some big names in them to draw the crowds in, but do kids know who Tatum or Ice Cube are? If they had used Joe Bloggs, who lives down the road, as one of the voices, I would have been none the wiser and wpuld have still enjoyed it.
TAYLOR: I agree. Where are the Mexican actors?
– Taylor gives The Book of Life 2.5 snake staffs out of 5.
– Howe gives it 3 magic pins out of 5.
– Fenin gives it 5 skeletons out of 5.
The film is currently is playing at the Galaxy Cinemas in Vernon.
– Brian Taylor and Peter Howe are film reviewers based in Vernon, B.C.
