The Book of Life (2014) Movie Review

Every computer generated animation studio in the last few years has had an attempt of recreating the ToyStory effect: the film which defies the studio as a player in the animation field. Disney had it with Tangled, Dreamworks with Shrek, Blue Sky with Ice Age, and so on. For growing company Reel FX, they started off small with their first release Free Birds, which didn’t cook up the crowds it had hoped for, nor the acclaim from critics, so for second attempt The Book of Life they’ve gotten help from legendary director Guillermo del Toro as he sits in the producing chair for this celebration of the Mexican tradition Day of the Dead.

The animation and designs have upped the ante for this second feature, as they focus on making the film a visual delight. The wooden bodies of the characters, whilst initially off-putting, are a refreshing change to the usual human designs from this year’s competitors Dreamworks and Laika. A bit more detail could be added to this aesthetic, such as marks on the wood or strong between the gaps to represent bone, but I digress. As far as progress goes, it’s a big step forward for the up and coming company.

The characters themselves are likable enough, but they lack much personality. Diego Luna as Manolo is the main protagonist who falls under the “follow the family” storyline whilst fighting for the attention of Maria (Zoe Saldana). He’s enjoyable to follow through the story, and Luna does well vocally with the script and the songs, but like his design he’s rather wooden as a character. The same can be said for Joaquin (Channing Tatum), who is unrecognisable in the role but lacks in anything outside of being a fighter. He does have a change of tune by the end, but only with the assistance of Manolo. Maria too is there only as a love interest for the two male leads, and comes across as a strong woman but she only does so when the plot needs it, and is quickly forgotten about scenes later. Aside from these three characters, the others are there only for character development or comedic value, with only the three gods (Ron Perlman, Kate del Castillo and Ice Cube) playing a major part of the story.

The story is focuses mainly on the love triangle of Manolo, Maria and Joaquin, with Manono’s quest through the Land of the Remembered to reunite with her. It’s a simple enough premise which works well, particularly as it lacks the standard second act separation that most romance films consist of, but with the smaller plot of breaking away from family tradition it is rather dull, quickly starting this idea with Manolo’s father rejecting him for his lifestyle choices. It’s been done to death and its inclusion here, whilst a tad more creative with his family coming together, doesn’t add much to this type of story. There’s also a small subplot about a former enemy of the town called Chakal (Dan Navarro) but he’s there only to give a large battle to the end of the film, and the film unnecessarily switches between the main story and modern day kids at a museum with little effect aside from a final ‘twist’.

The Book of Life may be aesthetically pleasing and the characters are likable enough despite their lack of personality traits, but it works only as a quick viewing for the family. Its story is simple and the humour is mostly stale, but it’s a film which enjoyable enough for a single viewing. 6/10.