Mexico’s Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) is a holiday that, for most Americans, is just sort of an extension of Halloween. Because it coincides with Halloween (and continues for another day or so) and includes celebrations that involve skeleton decorations and sugar skull face paint, it’s easy to see why it might look like an extended Halloween. But Dia de los Muertos has a cultural mythology all its own, which is the backdrop for the animated romantic adventure The Book of Life.
Directed by Jorge Gutierrez, an animator who has worked on cartoons such as ¡Mucha Lucha! and El Tigre: The Adventures of Manny Rivera, and co-produced by Guillermo del Toro, The Book of Life tells a Romeo and Juliet-like story of Manolo (Diego Luna) and Joaquín (Channing Tatum) and their lifelong friendly rivalry for the attention of María (Zoe Saldana), a self-sufficient and empowered woman who doesn’t feel the need to rush into anything with either of them. But their fates are being determined by La Muerte (Kate del Castillo), the lovely ruler of the vibrant Land of the Remembered, and Xibalba (Ron Perlman), the nefarious ruler of the dreary Land of the Forgotten. And the entire story is being told via wooden puppets by a museum tour guide (Christina Applegate) to a group of kids on a field trip, for added dimension.
Joaquín is a Gaston-like hero who is unstoppable as a matador, warrior and ladies man. To most, he seems like the obvious choice as María’s groom. But Manolo is a more sensitive guy who’d rather serenade her with his guitar than display his masculinity in the bull-fighting arena. The songs that Manolo (and various other characters) sings over the course of the movie are interesting as they are Mexican stylized covers of popular American songs such as Elvis Presley‘s “Can’t Help Falling in Love,” Radiohead‘s “Creep” and Biz Markie‘s “Just a Friend”. While Joaquín seems to have no flaws or weaknesses, Manolo is stricken by tragedy that reunites him with his dead family members, but makes marrying María pretty difficult. With the help of his skeletal friends and a comical character called The Candle Maker (made all the more comical by Ice Cube, especially when he references one of his own hits by saying, “Today was a good day … of the dead!”), Manolo travels throughout the realms of the remembered, the forgotten and back to the world of the living, facing his deepest fears and earning the respect of his father (Héctor Elizondo) and the heart of María along the way.
The Book of Life is funny, educational and brilliantly cast (also including the voice talents of Cheech Marin, Gabriel Iglesias, Danny Trejo and Plácido Domingo. I especially enjoy the animation style, which constantly reminds the viewer that these are wooden dolls with intricate carved and painted features. The fantasy elements are beautifully over the top and the music and comedy are enjoyable from beginning to end. It’s also appropriately fun for families and adults, making it a great addition to a somewhat lackluster Halloween movie season.