The Book of Life

The Book of Life is an underrated, animated Día de los Muertos gem that was released in 2014, directed by Jorge R. Gutierrez, and produced by the legendary Guillermo del Toro. The story follows a young romantic named Manolo who must embark on a Herculean journey through the world of the dead to be reunited with is beloved Maria before she chooses someone else (all while saving the city from the terrifying bandit Chakal). With vibrant visuals, an intriguing cast of characters, and a unique animation style that is somewhere between stop motion and commonplace 3D modeling, The Book of Life is a fun film with a lot of heart and catchy musical numbers to boot.

A fun animated adventure showcasing Mexican culture and celebrating el Dia de los Muertos. I enjoyed the music--though I was surprised to hear a few contemporary pop songs covered and slipped into the story--and the art style was unique and colorful. I loved the classic folk-tale feel of the story that persisted in spite of more contemporary dialogue and humor.

Nice easy fun for anyone from about 6 up. Not my favourite movie, just a bit of family fun. Grab it for the kids for a rainy Saturday.

The scene playing the Apology Song is just beautiful.

A beautiful fun-for-the-whole-family tale, injected with just the right dose of adult humour to balance out the cutesy stuff that caters to kids. It was much better than I expected, based on the trailers. It's an interesting change of pace, regarding the line between life and death, especially when told through the context of the Latin holiday Dias de los Muertos. I was entertained by it, so I'd recommend it.

I like the guys who were competing for the main girls hand. I enjoyed that she would tell them if they weren't behaving. Great about mexican culture. Beautiful to watch.

Great for the whole family, love the animation and the music soundtrack.

Set in a storybook Mexico with action that spans the world of the living and the worlds of the dead, director Jorge R. Gutiérrez’s exuberant animated feature practically leaps off the screen in a swirl of music and cartoon pandemonium. The subject matter (life, death, and what comes next) may be Tim Burton territory but Gutiérrez’s Latin sensibilities eschew the former’s dark palette of greys and blues for an explosion of bright crayon colours instead, presenting us with an Aztec fantasyland where everyone and everything seems to be constructed of wooden blocks and Lego pieces. The humour spans all generations, the kickass songs (including a hit from Radiohead and two originals from Paul Williams) are definitely hummable, and the onscreen adventures suggest a beautifully warped imagination. Cool stuff!

did not really care for the art--
the extremely distorted figures were disconcerting many characters resembled pigs
not certain why all characters were marionettes
of course there was all the glib contemporary jargon that did not necessarily fit the culture--
some merit in a production showcasing a rich cultural tradition --on the other hand the media exposure can lead to El Dia de Los Muertos becoming trendy ---which would be a shame

great 4 kids & adults