![]() ![]() The characters and the music (excellent reworkings of classic and alternative pop songs) are absorbing and memorable, and you'll be thinking about the world full of color and fun that Gutierrez has created long after you've seen the movie. The Book of Life immerses viewers into the environment, traditions, colors, and sounds of Day of the Dead celebration La Muerte is the most gorgeous animated queen since Maleficent in the original Sleeping Beauty, and Xibalba is perfect as her scary king. Most impressive is the visually stunning underworld that director Jorge Gutierrez has created. Tatum has just the right amount of bravado to play Joaquin, who shouts his own name as he rushes into battle, and Saldana is sassy and adorable as the smart, independent Maria. Luna is charming as Manolo, the guitar playing bullfighter who's too kind to kill the bull. This is a beautifully animated film about Dia de los Muertos that combines essential Mexican folklore, ancient mythology, and pop culture. I deeply regret renting, watching and sharing this movie with my children. My husband said he would describe this movie in four letters, starting with a “c”. Also did not like when they had a main character singing “If you think I’m sexy.” ![]() The men constantly fought for her affection and over and over again tried to prove who was more worthy of her love based on their strength, courage and fighting skills. The woman, who is in full makeup and dressed and animated like a Disney princess, clearly states towards the beginning that she does not belong to any man, but the movie misses the mark and I think a young audience might come away with the idea that women are just meant to be beautiful trophies for their husbands. I did not appreciate at all the basis of the plot- two boys who grow up into men fighting for one woman. ![]() In addition to the violence, there were several bets (“wagers”) being made. If you are concerned about your children watching violence, please preview all of this movie before showing your children. Lots and lots of bull-fighting with tons of close-ups of the big bull’s scary teeth. There were probably well over a hundred slaps, kicks and punches, people throwing each other, as well as a bomb. Lots of “bad guys”, and they were scary! I would never let a kid five or under watch this. I wanted to shut it off lots of times but the kids (7, 10) protested and I thought perhaps we were through the worst of it. We all loved Coco, so I highly recommend it.īack to the Book of Life. Coco gave an insight to Mexican life and culture, and I found that movie to be entertaining and educational. It shared some ideas such as Day of the Dead but actually very well-made, not like this junk. We saw “Coco” last month and WOW that was spectacular, and everything this movie wasn’t. I found the unrealistic wooden block characters distracting. There was WAY too much violence, insults, and meanness for kids under 10, and yet I don’t see any reason for anyone older to watch it. It was trashy American junk, and I could not figure out the target audience. I’m not Mexican but I felt they really disrespected Mexicans and their culture with this movie. There was almost no Mexican culture, the actors didn’t even have Mexican accents, almost all the music was old recycled music from the U.S., not Mexican. I still don’t understand why this movie was made I don’t see any positivity coming from it, just a ton of negatives. I can’t believe this movie had an editor. Flow was awful- just non-stop heavy action. Put sexist ideas into my kids’ minds that weren’t there before. Non-stop insults, tons and tons of unnecessary violence. It's also an invitation to explore and learn more about Mexican culture, from the details of the Day of the Dead celebrations to legendary creatures like Chupacabras. But the fun definitely outweighs the scary/iffy parts, and ultimately this is a vibrant, colorful movie about doing the right thing and the importance of family - messages that can be appreciated by both kids and parents. Expect a little bit of kissing and a few insults ("kick his butt," "lazy bum"), too. There are some bullfighting scenes and battle sequences that are a little violent, and things get somewhat darker when the action shifts to the underworld (there's a demonic bull surrounded by fire). One dead character's head is separate from his body. The characters in the Land of the Remembered are traditional Day of the Dead figures, which are skeletons in brightly colored clothing. Smaller children might find the scenes in the Land of the Remembered scary, especially those featuring the king of the underworld, Xibalba (who's named after the Mayan name for the realm of the dead). Parents need to know that The Book of Life is a refreshingly original animated film that takes viewers to the underworld and back. ![]()
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