The Book of Life
is basically a microcosm of all the best and worst aspects of modern children’s
animated feature films. At times, it
bursts with creative energy, as its obvious adoration of Mexican culture can
sweep you off your feet. At other times,
it falls back on unnecessary pop culture tropes, trying much too hard to make
the film relatable to the lowest common denominator. The result is a somewhat bland film that is
wrapped in gorgeous art direction, but does the visual marvel of the film make
up for the film’s missteps?
To start with the bland, the film’s story is not much to
write home about. The two gods of the
underworld decide to place a wager over which of two friends will marry their
childhood friend, Maria. The first is
Joaquin, an egotistic warrior living in his father’s shadow, who means well,
but has no actual courage, as he relies on a magic amulet to make himself
invincible. The second is Manolo, who
comes from a family of bullfighters, yet wishes to be a musician, but is afraid
of disgracing his family by following his dreams. Manolo is our obvious hero, while Joaquin is
the unwitting pawn of the more evil god, who seeks to better his position in
the land of the dead. Though the
characters are likeable, the whole production feels more than a little trite,
emphasizing the same morals that are used in every children’s flick, notably those
of following one’s dreams and loving oneself.
I do appreciate, though, that love interest Maria does make reference to
the fact that women should not be prizes to be won, even if the film doesn’t
seem self-aware that that’s basically all her role in the film amounts to.
Script-wise, the film is also lacking, as much of the film’s
humor will fall flat for anyone but the smallest of children. In order to accommodate older audiences, the
film tries to insert musical references to modern artists such as Mumford &
Sons and Radiohead. There’s nothing
clever about these insertions; they’re just there, and they feel lazy and awkward
given the film’s predominantly folklore-inspired atmosphere.
And it is just that atmosphere that makes this film
forgivable. This is a gorgeous film with
some of the best art direction in a CG animated film from recent memory. The colors are rich and vibrant, and the
characters all appear as traditional marionettes, with stringed joints and
wooden features to boot. The
environments, particularly in the land of the dead, are simply bursting with
creativity, with minute touches that both feel original and pay homage to the
cultural heritage of Mexico.
So, with that in mind, does The Book of Life warrant a recommendation? Eh, that largely depends. Personally, I found the film mostly
inoffensive, and the art style is enough to differentiate it from the hoard of
other same-y children’s films of the past few years. However, the plot and story are pretty
forgettable, and even as I write this review, any details beyond the visual are
leeching away from my memory. It’s not the
worst way to spend ninety minutes, but I certainly think there are better films
with which you could be doing so.
Guillermo del Toro was one of the producers for this
one. Is that cause for disappointment,
or do you suppose he was only involved on the aesthetic side of the
production? Leave your thoughts in the
comments below.
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