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By Elizabeth Robbins |
Produced by Aaron Berger, Brad Booker,
Guillermo del Toro, Carina Schulze
Written by Jorge Gutierrez, Doug Langdale
Directed by Jorge Gutierrez
Starring Diego Luna, Zoe Saldana, Channing Tatum,
Christina Applegate, Ice Cube, Ron Perlman,
Cheech Marin, Héctor Elizondo, Plácido Domingo
I love animated movies. Traditional hand-animated, digital, stop motion; American or Anime, it doesn't matter. I am definitely in the club that believes that animation isn't just for kids, and some of the best story-telling today can be found in this cinematic medium.
The Book of Life was a delightful surprise.
I was expecting a cheap knock-off of Tim Burton's
Nightmare Before Christmas. What I got was a beautiful, colorful tale about love, family, and friendship. Mexican-born, director and writer Jorge R. Gutierrez crafts funny and touching story pulling from Mexican folklore, Greek mythology, and Hollywood comedy.
The Book of Life is the story of three childhood friends; the kind-hearted Manolo, the dashing Joaquin, and the headstrong Maria. Each struggling to live up to their families' expectations. In addition, the two young boys compete for Maria's affections.
Their plight has not gone unnoticed. La Muerte, the ruler of the Land of the Remembered and Xibalba, ruler of the Land of the Forgotten have taken an interest in the children's drama. The Gods have made a wager on which boy will succeed in winning Maria's heart.
Each chooses one of the boys to be their champion. Maria is sent away to school, and many years pass before the three amigos are reunited and the Gods see which of their Champions will win.
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