Nominated for a Golden Globe, The Book of Life is directed by Jorge Gutierrez but also carries the creative imprint of producer Guillermo del Toro. It's a serious title to give a family animation, but they manage to throw together life, death and Mexican folklore and emerge with a broad appeal, vibrant, ghoulish and beautifully animated film.
The story is narrated by a sassy museum tour guide who takes a group of kids on detention into an exhibit on Mexico. They're introduced to two demi-gods, La Muerte (Kate del Castillo), who rules the Land of the Remembered (a colourful, joyful place for the dead), and Xibalba (Ron Perlman), who rules the Land of the Forgotten (a grey, lifeless world).
To entertain themselves, these ex-lovebirds make bets, and the story unfolds around a bet over which young Mexican boy will win the heart of Maria, their childhood sweetheart.
This is the jump-off point for a wonderful fantasy world where the character design is inspired by wooden marionette dolls - some boxy, some curvaceous - and some with faces like cubist paintings. It's also where the story engages a more Hollywood theme - the love triangle.
Manolo (Luna) grows up to be a bullfighter but wants to be a musician, and Joaquin (Tatum) is a soldier who keeps the town safe from bandits. Maria (Saldana) is the love of their lives and a modern-day young lady who is more interested in following her dreams than those of her family.
