“The Book of Life” amazes
your eyes and maintains your spirits as it depends on themes most commonly
associated with the chilling universe of Tim Burton. However, instead of being
crazy for ghost-like stuff, this Mexican fiesta of animated amazement is filled
with visual enjoyment far more interesting than evil as they come forward as if
thrown from an over-packed piñata.
Susan Wloszczyna said
in her review, “A collaboration between fledgling Reel FX Creative Studios and
20th Century Fox, “The Book of Life” is a rare cartoon feature that doesn’t
just deserve to be seen in 3-D, but practically demands it. Complementing the
eye candy is a quirkily eclectic soundtrack, including catchy new songs by
award-winning score writer Gustavo Santaolalla and Paul Williams of “The
Rainbow Connection” fame, and a wide-ranging voice cast. If you always wanted
to hear opera great Placido Domingo sing “Cielto Lindo” and its
“ay-yai-yai-yai” refrain as if it were Verdi, here is your chance.”
That said, the
essentials of this fantasy story, that has the great puppet-like character
designs made on the familiar wooden folk-art figures that are related to the
annual celebration of The Day of the Dead, are kind of really familiar despite
all the vast cultural references that enlighten the celebration.
There is the famous
love triangle that is related to the three childhood friends. Our protagonist,
the kind-hearted Manola, voiced by Diego Luna, whose masculine vocals are a
continuous source of nostalgic delight, comes from a family of legendary
bullfighters and is a master in the ring himself. Wloszczyna said, “But his
true calling is that of a guitar-strumming troubadour.” The arrogant Joaquin,
voiced by Channing Tatum, who channels into his rich store of hilarious parade,
is a man of action, as Wloszczyna describes, “A mucho-macho mustachioed
bandit-rustler with a broad chest crammed with medals.”
They both want Maria,
the smart and determined daughter of the general who is in charge of the
village of San Angel. She has all the usual traits of the typical allowed
animated female protagonist – a book reader with martial-arts fighting skills
and everything – but is lucky enough to be blessed with the lively voice of Zoe
Saldana.
“The Book of Life’s”
multi-layered story also deals with a fight of married gods who rule over
separate lands in the afterlife and decide to make a bed. La Muerte, played by
the famous telenovela actress Kate del Castillo, who overlooks the happy Land of
the Remembered and believes in the courtesy of the living, bets the sensitive
Manolo will win Maria’s hand. Xiabalba, voiced by the main actor of the film’s
producer, Guillermo del Toro, the great Ron Perlman, a tricky person who rules
the grim Land of the Forgotten, bets on the futile Joaquin.
Wloszczyna said, “Xiabalba
fools Manolo into entering The Land of the Remembered to seek Maria, when it
turns out she has only fallen into a “Sleeping Beauty”-style slumber.” So that
he can return to The Land of the Living himself, Manolo must take on a series
of challenges with his polychromatic ancestors. Meanwhile, San Angel is being
threatened by the deadly gangster Chakal, voiced by Dan Navarro (Wloszczyna
said, “Whose metallic monster form feels like a del Toro invention”) and his
team of heartless thieves.
A three-way romance,
many worlds, countless fights, combative gods, a deadly enemy – all of these
traits make for a complete thick confection. Wloszczyna said, “But first-time
feature director and co-writer Jorge R. Gutierrez (co-creator of Nickelodeon’s
“El Tigre: The Adventures of Manny Rivera”) smartly tames his somewhat unwieldy
story by cleverly having a modern-day museum guide, voiced by Christina
Applegate, transfix a group of rowdy school kids by relating the tale we are
watching as if it were a fable of old.”
Where this device
becomes useful is when the subject of death is raised and the children think
Maria has really passed away. As one distressed boy says, “Maria died? What
kind of story is this? We’re just kids.” Gutierrez smartly redirects any
parental worries about dealing with a likely dark subject with a refreshing honesty
that goes beyond famous animated tragedies as the deaths of Bambi’s mother and
Simba’s father, Mufasa, in “The Lion King.”
There is intelligence
to be thought up in the smaller details, something that Gutierrez masters at as
he nicely combines mythology both real and invented with pop-art standards. Wloszczyna
said, “From a chorus of angelic singing nuns and hirsute town elders whose
protruding snouts recall the hippie era’s Fabulous Furry Freak Brothers to
pigs-gone-wild mayhem and a tipsy mariachi trio who slur their way through Rod
Stewart’s “Do Ya Think I’m Sexy” and Biz Markie’s “I’m Just a Friend,” “The
Book of Life” isn’t afraid to catch us off guard. When a forlorn Manolo,
abandoned by the townsfolk after refusing to kill a bull in the ring, starts to
wail Radiohead’s “Creep,” you could hear teen girls at my screening yelp in
joyful recognition.”
However, Guiterrez even
goes further, as “The Book of Life” characterizes the philosophy the helps The
Day of the Dead and encourages a good way to celebrate for the ones we’ve lost.
As he says, “As long as you remember those who came before you, and as long as
you tell their stories, cook their dishes, and sing their songs…they’re with
you. They live inside your heart.”
This filmmaker’s heart
sure does beat inside this amazing debut.
If you haven’t seen
this film, stop reading the review and go out and watch it. This is one of the
most fascinating animated movies that have been released in this past decade.
It’s definitely a must and you have to see it. You will absolutely love it, I
promise you. Especially with the new Pixar movie that revolves around the Day
of the Dead, it makes it right for today. Make it a yearly tradition to watch
this on the Day of the Dead.
Look out tomorrow when
to see what I will review every Friday in November.
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