The Book of Life

We've seen many films in which they are either a fairy tale or a fairy tale is at the core of the film. Films such as "The Princess Bride", "Pans Labyrinth", even "The Secret Life of Walter Mitty" have been able to bring us into some other world or worlds where we can simply escape in true fantasy. These worlds put us into a way to relate or repel, yet we always still keep coming back for more. "The Book of Life" is truly the quintessential fairy tale all can enjoy, whether you be a child or not.

This is the journey of Manolo (Diego Luna), a young man who is torn between fulfilling the expectations of his family, namely his father, Carlos Sanchez (Hector Elizondo) into the realm of bull fighting, and following his heart and the desire to go into music. Before choosing which path to follow, he embarks on an incredible adventure that spans three fantastical worlds where he must face his greatest fears.
La Muerte (Kate del Castillo) is the ruler of the Land of the Remembered, where the spirits live on with their memories kept by their loved ones, and Xibalba (Ron Perlman), ruler of the Land of the Forgotten, where the forgotten souls decay into oblivion, decide to make a wager. Wager? Since three childhood friends have grown up and the two men, Manolo and Joaquin (Channing Tatum) have since fallen in love with Maria (Zoe Saldana), Xibalba bets La Muerte that Maria will end up marrying Joaquin, while La Muerte bets on Manolo. The winner will be allowed to rule over the Land of the Remembered, therefore, the wager is set. Who will win and who will lose? Let the games begin.

Others to round out the cast are Christina Applegate as Mary Beth, Ice Cube as Candle Maker, Danny Trejo as Skeleton Luis, Carlos Alazraqui as Gen. Posada/Dali/Chuy, Ana de la Reguera as Skeleton Carmen, Emil-Bastien Bouffard as Young Manolo, Elias Garza as Young Joaquin, Genesis Ochoa as Young Maria, Placido Domingo as Skeleton Jorge and Dan Navarro as Chakal.

For a basically newcomer to feature films, director Jorge R. Gutierrez ("Carmelo" (short) 2000) is a visual, stimulating brilliance. If this is his first theatrical film, I personally cannot wait to see what he will direct next. It was equally well written by Gutierrez and Douglas Langdale. With the exception of a couple of choppy areas, this premise, plot and script was amazing. The reference to the Land of the Remembered being Heaven, the Land of the Forgotten being referenced to Hell, and even a serpent being used by Xibalba, all symbols from the bible were intelligently and whimsically used so all could get a message here, but be entertained here as well. There is another message to this film as well, but to tell you could ruin a part of the story.
Of course, the real star here is the animation and visual effects created by Reel FX Animation Studios. This was a visual feast for the eyes, especially the Land of the Remembered. The story and the visuals actually complimented one another and helped it all flow as well as it did.

This fantasy is as stunning in visuals as story, and as you witness the beauty of this, you'll forget about all the problems and issues you might have while watching this delightful story.

Out of 4 Stars: 3.5                             Rated: PG                              95mins.