The Book of Life (2014)

Sorry, this movie sucks

Best movie ever!

A Major Disappointment

It's an amazing and heartbreaking story.

I personally love this film. It was really good. Not only does it capture the Day of the Dead very well, but it is both funny AND emotional. No wonder Reel FX learned after the disaster they caused with Free Birds.I think Jorge R. Gutierrez must've been influenced by Don Bluth and/or even John R. Dilworth when it comes to making this film, and that is awesome.I love the animation, the characters, the humor, the acting, a lot of things in this movie are really good.I even enjoyed the song "No Matter Where You Are". Even my mom loved this film. I find Manolo a very likable character.I highly recommend this film if you're looking for an animated Day of the Dead film, other than Disney and Pixar's Coco.

"Book of Life" spins an animated fable through three worlds, ours, a fantasy world of wooden characters, and the lands of the dead, both remembered and forgotten (a great concept). The colour-soaked animation is mesmerising in places, especially the joyful world of the remembered dead. The story is a bit simple, given the complexity of the visuals, but still watchable and the characters are entertaining. Given the Latino themes, I found some of the voices in my English version a bit out of place (especially Zoe Saldana's) - I can't say why I'd have preferred everyone speak in Spanish-accented English but I would have. All-in-all, a fun movie that's worth watching if only for the aesthetic experience.

This is one of the greatest animated films I have ever seen and with 5 kids, I see a lot of them! Our whole family enjoys it - there's a little something for everyone. It's visually captivating and very funny. The music is another winning aspect. There are some old favorites, Mexican style, and some very touching love ballads as well. It's just an all around great story. Do yourself a favor and watch it!

The Book of Life (2014): Dir: Jorge Gutierrez / Voices: Diego Luna, Channing Tatum, Zoe Saldana, Ron Perlman, Christina Applegate: A diverse animation about one's true potential. It regards two competing males for the love of one female in the back drop of the Mexican Day of the Dead festival. Manolo Sanchez grew up in a family history of bull fighters. His father urges him to continue the tradition but he really desires being a musician. Joaquin is touted as the town hero and applauded by everyone. Maria is the romantic interest whom they both compete for since childhood. A bet is waged between the spirits of two worlds that seem to represent Heaven and Hell. A female spirit of the Land of the Remembered bets that Manolo will marry Maria. The spirit of the Land of the Forgotten bets that Joaquin will marry her and he cheats by equipping him with a magic medal as well as have Manolo bitten by a snake thus spiralling him into the Land of the Remembered. He must get back to the surface to life so to stop Maria from marrying Joaquin. The screenplay is creative until its pathetically corny action climax. The animation is terrible with horribly distorted faces and necks. The themes throughout with the festival may be too intense for young children. The three principal characters are appealing with voices by Diego Luna, Channing Tatum and Zoe Saldana. Other characters are not very broad, or are too overly corny to even identify with. The theme seems to be hitting one's highest potential but unfortunately this film doesn't hit its highest potential in terms of its target audience. Score: 6 ½ / 10