Co-produced by Guillermo del Toro, the animated film is a love triangle set in Mexico, with the Day of the Dead as its central backdrop.
Our hero is crooner Manolo (Diego Luna), who has been competing with his mischievous best friend Joaquin (Channing Tatum) for the love of the sassy feminist Maria (Zoe Saldana). The two boys' fates, however, are being manipulated by Xibalba (Ron Perlman), ruler of the Land of the Forgotten, and La Muerte (Kate del Castillo), ruler of the Land of the Remembered, through a friendly wager. With his fate in the hands of the waging god and goddess, Manolo finds himself against a great challenge that transcends even this world.
Jorge R. Guiterrez's romance-comedy-adventure The Book of Life is a cornucopia of heavily detailed, vibrant, and intensely colorful visuals that would keep your eyes busy. The film naturally overflows with Mexican culture manifested in art and design and festivities, but the humor and the music are flat-out American.
The heavily overdone visuals are trying to mask a formulaic plot, the screenplay desperate to please, and the characters sadly forgettable. Adults should not seek for wit or emotional connection. The kids, however, will certainly appreciate its elementary adventure and child-friendly narrative, and delight in the rich, kaleidoscopic fantasy world. Recommended for young families who wish to bond at the cinemas.
1.5 out of 5 stars
Opens in Philippine cinemas on October 16, 2014, in 2D and 3D.
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