Directed with obvious passion by Jorge Gutierrez, The Book of Life is
a smorgasbord for the eyes, bursting with colors and energy like an overstuffed
piñata. It's good to see a film that doesn't try to diminish its Latin
heritage, but embraces it in a universal story of love and friendship based on
the Mexican holiday Dia de los Muertos, the "Day of the Dead". The
story begins simply enough, both narratively and visually, with a museum tour
guide (Christina Applegate) introducing a group of kids to a very special
exhibit. The story she tells involves powerful gods, best friends, magical
realms, and lots of music. It follows the friendship of the passionate Manolo
(Diego Luna), the spirited Maria (Zoe Saldana), and heroic Joaquin (Channing
Tatum), all of whom are burdened by their families' expectations. Manolo has
the heart of a musician but comes from a long line of brave bullfighters, while
Joaquin was born to protect the town from a scourge of bandits. Once this part
of the story gets into gear, the animation switches to something unlike
anything we've seen before, with decorative wooden models reflecting the
characters' personalities, and worlds that are never less than festive. 
The boys may be pals but they both desire Maria's love, and that's when two
scheming gods see fit to make a gamble on the outcome. The villainous Xibalba
(voiced by Ron Perlman, confidante of producer Guillermo Del Toro) bets on the
brave Joaquin, while his wife La Muerte (Kate de Castillo) chooses Manolo, with
control over the "Land of the Remembered" the prize. Fearing he may
lose the wager, Xibalba gives Joaquin a special medal imbuing him with courage
and invulnerability, which he uses to become a greater hero than his legendary
father. Manolo becomes a bullfighter who refuses to kill the animals he faces,
bringing shame to the family. When a grown up Maria returns to town, they begin
competing for her heart once again, and the gods can't help themselves from
meddling. 
A fun selection Latin-flavored renditions of Mumford & Sons,
Radiohead, and Biz Markie hits give the film a distinct sound, and is a smart
way to embrace multiple cultures maximum appeal. You can sense Del Toro's
influence in every frame, especially when Manolo is forced to descend into the
"Land of the Remembered" and the "Land of the Forgotten";
one a carnivale of colors the other a gloomy wasteland. But the real find here
is Gutierrez in his feature debut, and in The
Book of Life he's created an animated film with so much passion and soul it
deserves to be mentioned in the same breath as The Lego Movie, and at least for me it's even better. You can feel
the love for his Mexican heritage in every character, from the luchadore-masked
priests to the goofy mariachi bands. There's so much to take in that it's impossible
to catch it all at once. Fortunately for us, The Book of Life is
destined to go the way of Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas as
an annual holiday classic.
Rating: 4 out of 5
