The Book of Life is  a vibrant fantasy-adventure, which tells the legend of Manolo, a conflicted hero and dreamer who sets off on an epic quest through magical, mythical and wondrous worlds in order to rescue his one true love.  From my previous posts i went into detail about what to expect from the film and the development. I was able to see the movie opening day and had high expectations for the film. I enjoyed the story line, humor, cultural references and style of the film. The storyline at first seemed a little rambunctious from switching back and forth from the tale of the story to current time. I really enjoyed the overall plot of the film, and it’s message about not forgetting where you came from but also being able to express yourself.  I overall enjoyed the film but there were a few things that caught my attention.

What i enjoyed  about the film were the designs of the characters, the quality of the pictures and the songs. I thought it was very creative that the characters designs were made out of wood/marionette material. The picture quality was beyond amazing and each scene was very detailed and picturesque. The characters were vibrant, likable, humorous and realistic. The storyline does not sugar coat what a persons flaws are and also shows what it is to be human. The movie had a strong talented cast of voice actors from Christina Applegate, Diego Luna, Channing Tatum, Zoe Saldana, Ice Cube, Ron Perlman and Kate del Castillo. There were many other talented actors that really put forth the effort in making this film entertaining. I was a little surprised to see that there were current songs being used in a film that takes place in the past. I was a little skeptical at first but the songs didn’t necessarily ruin the movie. I also liked how the message stayed the same and the producer, Guillermo del Toro kept the cultural qualities in the film of Mexico and the Day of the Dead.  I wasn’t sure if it was intentional or not but i noticed three sayings in the film that were related to the classic movie, Princess Bride. I noticed that Monolo, the main character mentioned the quotes, “as you wish” and “prepare to die”. If this was intentional it made me laugh.

I don’t want to say i didn’t like the movie because i enjoyed it but there were a few exceptions in the movie that i thought could have been fixed. The story line was good but i felt that it was either to slow paced in the beginning and towards the middle and end of the film where the fight scene was, it was very fast paced. With high expectations before the movie was shown i was hoping for a strong opening that i felt fell short. I expect this movie especially with animation style and voice actors to win a few awards at the Annie Awards and i did enjoy this movie better than, The Boxtrolls. I recommend that anyone who enjoys culture and music to see this movie. It can keep anyone’s attention but it also can change your perception of life. At some parts i was laughing hysterically and other scenes i was at the point of crying. This movie certainly keeps you at the edge of your seat in awe and in suspense.  I give this movie 3.5 churros out of 5.