Book of Life: Spoiler Free Review

[brendala]

I finally got to see this just before Thanksgiving. And the experience was something else:

--Despite the fact that the movie had been out for about two months at that point, the theatre was nearly half full!
--The audience (which was mostly Mexican families with young kids) was really into the movie. They laughed a lot and even stood up and applauded when the credits rolled!
--The movie's soundtrack is....unique. It's a VERY weird mix of American pop songs and traditional Mexican guitar music that somehow manages to mesh well together (for the most part).

--Also, I was happy to see Doug Langdale credited as one of the writers. IMO, he's one of the most under-rated cartoon writers out there (he's best known for creating the 90s cartoon "The Weekenders"). He is VERY skilled when it comes to writing groups of friends without inserting romantic bullcrap. And even in this film (where a love triangle was central to the story), he never forgot to make the trio convincing as FRIENDS before introducing the romantic drama. And it was a thrill to see him credited in a major film (here's hoping this leads to him getting more projects!)

Comments

[theidolhands.livejournal.com]

That last point is a very appealing one to make, thank you for that info!

[amelia-seyroon.livejournal.com]

I am so in love with this movie I went to see it four times.

Maria, oh my God, I have such a HUGE girlcrush on her. She is just AMAZING. She's beautiful, fierce, she knows exactly what she wants, she is an animal rights activist and freedom fighter. She didn't let society pressure her into a lifestyle she was not ready for.

Not gonna lie, I CRIED during the scene when Manolo sings outside her window. Such a beautiful and touching song.

I also have the soundtrack, the official artbook, and the funko pop figures of both Maria and La Muerte (two of the strongest female leads).

We also can't forget about Manolo's mother, she was wonderful, and his two kickass Adelita cousins. Seriously, ALL the women in this movie are awesome.

You may also find this an interesting read.

http://reelgirl.com/2014/11/book-of-life-crew-member-defends-movie-as-not-sexist/

I'm really hoping the movie was successful enough to span the next two movies since the director originally planned it as a trilogy. The first movie is Manolo's story, the second is about Joaquin, and the third about Maria. He even favorited my tweet! I freaked out. XD

It's also great to have a family-friendly movie that is both educational AND stays true to the Mexican holiday Día de Muertos.