Book of Life, The MPAA Rating: PG Entertainment: +2 Content: -2

Animated comic adventure with the voices of Channing Tatum, Zoe Saldana, Ron Pearlman, Ice Cube, Christiana Applegate. Written & directed by Jorge R. Gutierrez.

FILM SYNOPSIS: Manolo, a young man who is torn between fulfilling the expectations of his family and following his heart, embarks on an adventure that spans three fantastic worlds where he must face his greatest fears. The story takes place in three different dimensions: Land of the Living, The Land of the Remembered, and the Land of the Forgotten.

PREVIEW REVIEW: The production is a sort of salute to Mexican heritage and a tribute to the holiday Dia de los Muertos, or Day of the Dead, in real life a somewhat unnerving sight punctuated by a festive parade where people walk around dressed as skeletons and the walking dead. The holiday came from a mix of Catholicism and elements of supernatural myths and superstitions. I saw one such parade on Olvera Street in Los Angeles several years ago. It was an interesting experience, but I just as soon not encounter one again. For me, it was more creepy than uplifting.

The film is superbly made, with each element of cinematic storytelling used to captivate the viewer. It’s part romantic comedy, part busy video game, part exploration of Mexican folklore. But it’s a stretch to find any real theology here. It does contain some positive lessons concerning self-sacrifice and friendship, but beware that little ones will be asking lots of questions about an Afterlife location where you either go to a beautiful place so long as loved ones are praying for you and still remember you, or one where only sad and lonely souls dwell because no one remembers them.

Rated PG for mild action and some thematic elements and brief scary images.

Preview Reviewer: Phil Boatwright
Distributor: 20th Century Fox Animation