The Book of Life
Release Date: October 17th 2014
Studio: 20th Century Fox
Director: Jorge R. Gutierrez
Writers: Jorge R. Gutierrez, Doug Langdale
Main Cast: Zoë Saldana, Channing Tatum, Ron Perlman, Christina Applegate, Diego Luna, Ice Cube
Music By: Gustavo Santaolalla
Genres: Animation | Adventure | Comedy | Family | Fantasy | Romance
MPAA Rating: Rated PG for mild action, rude humor, some thematic elements and brief scary images
Storyline: From producer Guillermo del Toro and director Jorge Gutierrez comes an animated comedy with a unique visual style. THE BOOK OF LIFE is the journey of Manolo, a young man who is torn between fulfilling the expectations of his family and following his heart.
Before choosing which path to follow, he embarks on an incredible adventure that spans three fantastical worlds where he must face his greatest fears. Rich with a fresh take on pop music favorites, THE BOOK OF LIFE encourages us to celebrate the past while looking forward to the future.
This was one of the most colorful and entertaining children’s movies I have seen in a long time! The Book of Life begins with a group of misfits taking a field trip to a museum, they are led to a secret entrance to the museum by a beautiful lady. Once inside she proceeds to tell them the story of our three main characters, Manolo, Maria and Joaquin.
A wager has been made. A bet between La Muerte and Xibalba for who will win the heart of Maria (Zoë Saldana). If it is Joaquin (Channing Tatum) then Xibalba gets to rule the Land of the Remebered. If it is Manolo (Diego Luna) then Xibalba has to stay in the Land of the Forgotten.
I saw this movie as a preview with my kids and we just loved it, the characters were so funny and full of sass! The story of the Day of the Dead is not one that I have seen played out but it was shown for all its’ glory. The scenery, the music, the colors of celebration, the music. The very opinionated little abuelita sitting in the corner knitting in every other scene... hysterical!
Did I mention the music? Well music plays a big part in the movie but not enough that I would consider it a musical, but let me tell you when Joaquin busts out with Radiohead’s “Creep”, well that did it for me! The cast is rounded out with voice-overs from such a diverse group of actors and actresses including Ron Perlman, Christina Applegate, Danny Trejo, Hector Elizondo and Ice Cube.
I took my 12 and 23 year old daughters and my 9 year old grandson and we all laughed just about the whole way through. Refreshing and fun for kids of all ages.
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