The Book of Life

MPAA Rating: PG for mild action, rude humor, some thematic elements and brief scary images.
Run Time: 95 minutes
My Rating: 4/5
So last night my wife and I decided to go and see Reel FX Animation Studio's The Book of Life.  The film details the story of Manolo (Diego Luna), a young man who is in love with the beautiful Maria (Zoe Saldana), as he tries to live up to the expectations of his family as well as follow his heart.  Unfortunately for Manolo he is in competition for Maria heart against his best friend Joaquin (Channing Tatum).  However in order to win the love of his life, Manolo embarks on a grand adventure that spans three spectacular worlds where he must face his greatest fears.
Personally I thought the film was fantastic.  The content was unique, cast was great, the animation was breathtaking, and the story was so humorous   The film takes its cue from the Hispanic holiday "Day of the Dead."  This is something that hasn't really been touched in most mainstream American films, so it was really refreshing.  Now I am no expert on Hispanic holidays, but from what I know about the "Day of the Dead" the film was extremely accurate as to its concept.  This is a great film to take the kids to in order to bring more culture into their lives.  Along with the film being very culturally informative, the cast helps bring the film to life.  In addition to the three leads mentioned above the film also has the voice talents of Christina Applegate (Anchorman), Ron Perlman (Hellboy), Ice Cube (22 Jump Street), Gabriel Iglesias (Planes), Danny Trejo (Machete), and Cheech Marin (The Lion King).   This film is full of incredible talent and each actor makes their character their own.  Each character directly resembles that actors personality and with that it makes the film a more enjoyable experience.
Another great thing about the film is the animation.  As Manolo embarks on his journey through the three worlds, the animation just jumps off the screen.  The colors are amazing and it truly brings the worlds to life.  There is so much distinction between the three worlds that it is great to see the amount of effort that the the animators put in to making the film come to life.  Finally with such a great cast and impeccable animation, the film's true strength is in its humor.  The film is hilarious and throughout the entire film there is comedic relief.  Each character provides their own unique type of comedy which really makes the film even more spectacular.
Now for all the greatness that this film provides, it still has its shortcomings.  Probably the biggest shortcoming of them all is that the film is very cheesy at some points.  There are times when you just stare at the screen and you can't believe what you are seeing.  This is the most apparent shortcoming of them all, but it is easy to get past with the great things that the film provides.
Overall, I thought the film was amazing and I would recommend this film to anyone.  This is a great film that the kids and adults will love.  I personally think that this is probably one of the greatest animated features of the year.  I would definitely go see this movie again and I hope that y'all will give it a chance.  You won't be disappointed.
Thanks again for reading, if you have any questions, comments, or ideas, just let me know.