/ 5 [I prefer bouquets to stars] The Book of Life, 1 hr. 35 min
Genre: Animation/Comedy
Staring: Zoe Saldana, Diego Luna, Channing Tatum, Ron Perlman, Ice Cube & Christina Applegate
The Book of Life tells the story of three childhood friends Manolo, Joaquin and Maria as they face the decisions of following the paths their families have laid out for them or following their own hearts. The films also follows La Muerte, who rules over the Land of The Remembered, and Xibalba, who rules the Land of The Forgotten, as they place a bet on which of the two friends will win Maria’s heart. The Book of Life is visually stunning and is a well written tribute to Mexican culture and Dia de los Muertos. The overall story line is a little played out (two guys fall in the love with the same girl and both try to win her heart) but the unique animation and attention to detail more than make up for the lackluster plot.
Favorite Character: Manolo. I like Manolo because he’s a very relatable character. Throughout the film, he’s torn between following his ancestors footsteps of becoming a champion bull fighter or following his own dreams of becoming a singer. I think everyone has had to face that choice of ‘taking the easy route’ or really gong for it and following your dreams and passion. Sometimes it’s hard not to do what your family expects of you but you have to make your own choices in life. Manolo represents that fear of disappointing our loved ones and that’s something we have all faced.
Favorite Scene: [SPOILER ALERT] I love the scene where Manolo visits the Land of The Remembered and the Land of The Forgotten. The Land of the Remembered is SO BEAUTIFUL.
Favorite Line: “Write your own story.”
Favorite Song: No Matter Where You Are by Us The Duo. What I loved about this film was that every song was sung with a latin flare to it. The film included a lot of popular songs like Mumford & Sons I Will Wait and Elvis’ I Can’t Help Falling In Love With You but they were remade into Mariachi or Mexican (forgive me, I’m not very knowledge of all the different types of Mexican music) songs. While all the songs were good and fit there scenes perfectly, No Matter Where You Are best summed up the film as a whole.
Are you seeing The Book of Life this weekend?
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