Great Thanksgiving Movies in Two Courses

There are not a lot of Thanksgiving movies.  The reason for this is simple- while there are harvest celebrations and thanksgivings in cultures from around the world, the Thanksgiving holiday doesn't have a real foothold outside of the United States and Canada, and Canada doesn't even do it right.  There are plenty of big mainstream movies that may include a Thanksgiving scene, such as SPIDER-MAN and THE ADDAMS FAMILY VALUES, but if the themes and setting of the Thanksgiving holiday span more than a scene or two of a major movie, they risk alienating the foreign audiences with their foreign dollars.  There are a few real Thanksgiving movies though, most of them independently-produced films that deal of severely dysfunctional families suffering through the holiday, and there are few quirky comedies, but most them lack wide appeal.  There are movies like JACK AND JILL, which have practically no appeal at all, and there's movies like THE HOUSE OF YES, full of pitch-black comedy, incest and murder, which are much more pleasant.  There are only a couple of really great, feel-good Thanksgiving movies though, and they're both legit Thanksgiving movies, the kind that necessitate revisiting every year.

PIECES OF APRIL  (COMEDY-DRAMA, 2003) 
Directed by Peter Hedges
Starring: Katie Holmes, Patricia Clarkson, Oliver Platt, Alison Pill, Derek Luke, John Gallagher Jr., Alice Drummond, Lillias White, Isiah Whitlock Jr., Sean Hayes, Sisqo
Rated PG-13 for language, sensuality, drug content and images of nudity.
80 minutes
April Burns is that kid in the family, or as she puts it, "the first pancake," or "the one you're supposed to throw out".  In her small tenement apartment in the Lower East Side of Manhattan, where she lives with her devoted boyfriend Bobby (Derek Luke), April is preparing a Thanksgiving feast for her estranged family.  April has never gotten on with her mother Joy (Patricia Clarkson), but Joy is dying from breast cancer and it could be her last Thanksgiving.  Even still, Joy is dreading the notion of spending the holiday with April, as is April's younger sister and polar opposite Beth (Alison Pill), the gifted and annoyingly perfect one of the family.  April's dad Jim (Oliver Platt) is still hopeful though and urges the family to give April yet another chance, and with her brother Timmy (John Gallagher, Jr.) and senile Grandma Dottie (Alice Drummond), the family makes the road trip from suburbia to the city.  Meanwhile, April struggles to get her turkey cooked when her oven fails to work, and gets to know her neighbors as she takes her turkey from oven to oven, cooking it a little bit at a time.
The make-it-or-break-it factor of PIECES OF APRIL is the ultra low-budget digital camcorder cinematography, mostly natural lighting and an overall "home movies" look, which some viewers might find themselves unable to adjust to, but if it doesn't bother you, PIECES OF APRIL is a hefty dose of the holiday spirit right to the heart, and ideal Thanksgiving viewing.  It's funny, even laugh-out-loud hilarious at times, and also very sad, but when all is said and done, it is the very definition of a feel-good movie, even if your eyes might not be dry.

PLANES, TRAINS AND AUTOMOBILES  (COMEDY, 1987) 
Directed by John Hughes
Starring: Steve Martin, John Candy, Laila Page
Rated R for unspecified reasons (contains some language).
93 minutes
You're probably more familiar with John Hughes' PLANES, TRAINS AND AUTOMOBILES, the classic tale of comedic terrors on the road home for Thanksgiving at all costs.  Neal Page (Steve Martin) is an ad exec on his way home to Chicago from a business trip in New York for the Thanksgiving holiday, but nothing seems to be going right.  He repeatedly has run-ins with Del Griffith (John Candy), a bumbling motormouth of a shower curtain ring salesman who seems to leave a perpetual trail of wreckage in his path everywhere he goes, and it just so happens that he's on his way to Chicago as well.  So the two throw in their lots together as flights get cancelled, trains breakdown and station wagons go up in flames, testing their fortitude and patience with one another.
It's a little sappy, a little cheesy, but a lot of laughs, and it seems to get better every year.  At the time of its release, writer-director John Hughes was already well known for making "teen angst" movies that introduced the "Brat Pack," such as THE BREAKFAST CLUB and FERRIS BEULLER'S DAY OFF, but PLANES, TRAINS... took the acclaimed but essentially typecast writer-director's career in a new direction.  It's one of his last great films, before HOME ALONE marked a downturn in quality (obviously not financially) for his films that he never recovered from (he continued writing for some years after his final directorial film, CURLY SUE, in 1991).  Ironically, despite it being one of only two R-rated films Hughes ever directed, it's more family-friendly than HOME ALONE (which he did not direct).  A single minute of running time in which Steve Martin loses it over a car rental mistake including a 19-"f-word" blue streak is solely responsible for this R-rating (to be fair, it's pretty funny), but a movie about one of the brattiest kids on Earth gruesomely torturing two men (roasting heads with blowtorches, forcing them to take of their shoes and step on glass ornaments and rusty nails, bludgeoning heads with paint cans; you know, family fun time?) gets a PG.  That's not really a big deal to me; the point is that PLANES, TRAINS AND AUTOMOBILES is a much better movie.

Review: MOCKINGJAY PART 1

THE HUNGER GAMES: MOCKINGJAY PART 1  (ACTION-THRILLER/SCI-FI) 

3 out of 4 stars 
Directed by Francis Lawrence
Starring: Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson, Liam Hemsworth, Woody Harrelson, Donald Sutherland, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Julianne Moore, Willow Shields, Sam Claflin, Elziabeth Banks, Jeffery Wright, Stanley Tucci
Rated PG-13 for intense sequences of violence and action, some disturbing images and thematic material.
123 minutes
Verdict: THE HUNGER GAMES film franchise maintains its status as the champion of the post-Harry Potter glut of 'YA adaptations' even in its weakest chapter to date, anchored by its great cast, smart social commentary and exciting (if intermittent) action, while the lucrative two-part finale strategy results in some sluggish stretches. 
YOU MAY ENJOY THE HUNGER GAMES: MOCKINGJAY PART 1 IF YOU LIKED:
THE HUNGER GAMES: CATCHING FIRE  (2013)
THE HUNGER GAMES  (2012)
HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS PART 1  (2010)
ROBIN HOOD  (2010)
AVATAR  (2009)

THE HUNGER GAMES: MOCKINGJAY PART 1 is the first in the series based on Suzanne Collins' immensely popular books in which the titular "Hunger Games" do not in fact take place.  It's curious about this multi-film saga that as it nears its conclusion, it isn't coming full circle or waxing nostalgic in the way most final acts do (remember, even as the penultimate film, this is 'part one' of the final chapter), but instead continues to build momentum.  Like the two other titans of the young adult (YA) literature film adaptations that have come droves since the turn of the millennium, the Harry Potter series and the so-called "Twilight Saga", the final book in the series, Mockingjay, has been split in two, supposedly for the sake of the story, but with the obvious financial benefits of stretching the potential grosses to yet another movie.  HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS PART 1 & 2 makes the most sense of these three franchises for splitting the final chapter, and frankly, the more easily paced, contemplative nature of both films (especially PART 1) made them some of the series' best installments.  THE TWILIGHT SAGA: BREAKING DAWN PART 1 & 2, on the other hand, were an amazingly audacious move given that almost nothing happens in either movie, and it all built to one of the most bizarre non-climaxes in any major film franchise.  THE HUNGER GAMES: MOCKINGJAY PART 1 is somewhere in between.  There's no problem with splitting one book into two films, as long as the two films are at least as good as a single film adapting the full story would be.  MOCKINGJAY PART 1 struggles to justify itself as a full chapter in the story, as it continues to ramp up the stakes, without the catharsis of a real climax.  Regardless, the film's askew structuring and slow pace are not enough to dethrone this series as the best of the current YA adaptations glut, and even on its own merits is recommendable thanks to a cast that continues to be top notch, and smart commentary on media, propaganda, celebrity, war and politics, among other relevant talking points.

CATCHING FIRE ended on a merciless cliffhanger, as Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence) survived yet another arena of the infamous Hunger Games and was rescued from the wrath of the tyrannical Capitol and constantly-scheming President Coriolanus Snow (Donald Sutherland) by a secret group of revolutionaries plotting to overthrow the government.  MOCKINGJAY PART 1 picks up right where the previous film left off, with Katniss, and the few survivors of the now-obliterated District 12, under the protection of the long thought-destroyed District 13, led by President Alma Coin (Julianne Moore), a stern leader hoping to unite the other eleven districts in a revolutionary war.  Advised by Plutarch Heavensbee (the late Philip Seymour Hoffman), a former Head Gamemaker for the Capitol, Coin intends to make Katniss the figurehead in the rebellion, but Katniss is distraught at the loss of her love interest and fellow Hunger Games victor Peeta Mellark (Josh Hutcherson), who is now in the Capitol, speaking against the rebellion in a series of television appearances.
There's unfortunately little action in the film, although the few action set-pieces there are are thrilling and spectacular, mostly moments showing the spreading acts of rebellion.  It's a little funny that this is being described by some as a "dark" movie in the series, comparable to THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK, at least in tone, given that this is a series that kicked off with a gladiatorial arena of juveniles forced to pick each other off in combat.  That's not to say this isn't dark.
Lawrence anchors the film, continuing to be the series' MVP, even while Katniss is no longer the motivator of the plot.  Rather, she is all but a pawn in the proceeding that now envelop the full scope of this world, while the varying forces push and pull at her and what she represents.  Donald Sutherland has only a few moments of screen time, but his character is nonetheless deepened significantly, and he does his Donald Sutherland thing to chillingly sinister effect.  It's also the penultimate big screen performance for Philip Seymour Hoffman (it's his final finished performance, but as PART 2 was still filming at the time of his death, scenes he hadn't finished will be altered with stand-ins, special effects and/or script changes in that film), and even if it isn't his meatiest role by far, it reminds one how unfortunate his recent death was.
The pacing is definitely sluggish at times, with most of the film revolving around plotting and establishing relationships, essentially what the first halves of both previous films were, but padded out to a feature length (the film is notably the shortest of the films thus far).  In its best moments, MOCKINGJAY PART 1 piques the mind with its use of political themes, such as the contrasting use of Katniss as the spokesperson of the rebellion in films shot specifically as propaganda, and Peeta as a spokesperson for the Capitol.  This series thrives on a mature complexity of characters and themes that are absent from most of its imitators (*cough* DIVERGENT *cough* THE MAZE RUNNER *cough*), and with the enlisted talent, even that is (barely) enough.

Review: INTERSTELLAR

INTERSTELLAR  (SCI-FI/ADVENTURE) 
2.5 out of 4 stars 
Directed by Christopher Nolan
Starring: Matthew McConaughey, Anne Hathaway, Jessica Chastain, Michael Caine, Wes Bentley, David Gyasi, Mackenzie Foy, Casey Affleck, John Lithgow, Ellen Burstyn, Bill Irwin (voice), Josh Stewart (voice)
Rated PG-13 for some intense perilous action and brief strong language.
169 minutes
Verdict: An embarrassment of visual and intellectual riches, Christopher Nolan's newest and most ambitious film to date is almost outdone by a failure to sustain itself with as much success on the human level.
YOU MAY ENJOY INTERSTELLAR IF YOU LIKED:
INCEPTION  (2010)
2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY  (1968)
CONTACT  (1997)
SILENT RUNNING  (1972)
PROMETHEUS  (2012)

Christopher Nolan's newest and certainly most ambitious film, INTERSTELLAR, is at once awe-inspiring and maddening, both emotions that arise frequently and potently throughout the nearly three-hour running time.  INTERSTELLAR is a project that's been around for a good while now, since 2006, and began as a treatment by theoretical physicist Kip Thorne, to be directed by none other than Steven Spielberg.  Those plans timed out, and by then, Nolan had wrapped up his best known work, The Dark Knight Trilogy.  Nolan's reputation is practically that of the savior of blockbuster filmmaking; in an age of high value brand adaptations when every major and mini-major studio is looking for the next big franchise, Nolan has proved to be the exception to the role.  Nolan is the director who can get a studio to finance a wholly original, intellectually demanding tent-pole picture made for a budget north of $150 million, and what's more, he can do it while raking in highly profitable grosses.  So far, this reputation is attributable for the most part to a single film, 2010's INCEPTION, which Nolan was able to do thanks to the unqualified success of THE DARK KNIGHT, and because he agreed to do THE DARK KNIGHT RISES next for Warner Brothers.  But INCEPTION alone had that kind of impact, grossing $825 million worldwide to become one of the top fifty highest-grossing films of all time, earning universal acclaim and four Academy Awards.  Plus, even if they were adapted from a highly popular comic book character the Dark Knight films, especially THE DARK KNIGHT, flew against expectations by crafting the comic book property into gritty and adult psychological crime-thrillers.  As the slogan of his fiercely devoted, arguably too devoted, fanbase declares, "In Nolan We Trust".
INTERSTELLAR has ambition in droves, but as it builds its massive mind-labyrinth in a plot that literally spans time and space, it inadvertently walls itself in, unable to sustain its unwieldy objectives.  It doesn't help that for all the script's intellectual showboating, it fails to piece together the necessary human drama effectively, resulting in clunky conventions and maudlin sentimentality.
It takes place in the near future, where agriculture has been devastated by a planet-wide blight, turning Earth into a global Dust Bowl.  Matthew McConaughey is Cooper, a former test pilot for NASA who now farms corn, one of the few crops that still grows at all, while raising two kids, Murph (Mackenzie Foy) and Tom (Timothee Chalamet), with his late wife's dad, Donald (John Lithgow).  Corn is on the downturn too though, and in a couple generations, Earth will no longer be inhabitable for mankind.  Cooper is given the opportunity to save the human race by piloting an experimental spacecraft, with a crew of Dr. Amelia Brand (Anne Hathaway),  physicist Dr. Romily (David Gyasi), geographer Dr. Doyle (Wes Bentley) and two multipurpose robots, TARS (voiced by Bill Irwin) and CASE (voiced by Josh Stewart), into a newly-discovered wormhole near Saturn to discover a new planet in another galaxy suitable for human colonization.  The journey will take years, forcing them to leave their families in hopes of giving them a future, while scientists on Earth (including performances by Jessica Chastain, Michael Caine and Toper Grace) work to develop a solution to moving all of the human race off the planet.

That's the basic premise anyway, there's an awful lot more to it that ought not to be divulged, but it really delves deep into concepts of time relativity, theoretical gravitational physics, black holes, wormholes and other intense astrophysical sciences from the Kip Thorne school of thought (Kip Thorne was an adviser on the production and is credited as an executive producer).  It's not quite as successful at presenting these concepts in a way understandable for mass appeal as INCEPTION was, so a lot of it comes across as the typical science fiction "science mumbo-jumbo", although when it stops talking about  theories and starts showing them, it works a lot better.
The mission robots, TARS and CASE deserve special notice for their unique, difficult to describe but simple design (essentially four metal planks attached lengthwise with magnetic joints, appearing like a big rectangle with mobile pieces), that are just marvelous to watch, although their very straightforward dialogue and blocky appearance feel very much out of a 1970s sci-fi film, for better or worse.  The film as a whole sometimes feels like a cult classic science fiction film, the sort that were made in the Seventies, like SILENT RUNNING or THE BLACK HOLE, sci-fi with a more serious bent than the crowd-pleasing STAR WARS, but an unintentionally goofy sensibility.
The visuals are spectacular and very thrilling, even outside of an IMAX theater (which is Nolan's personally-championed medium), making a compelling case for the immersive power of the right visuals to exceed the spectacle of any stereoscopic 3D.  The massive tidal waves of a foreign plant, or the bizarre patterns of a spherical wormhole are dizzying and uniquely breathtaking.  It seems such a shame that a film with so much worth applauding, from embracing complex scientific theory in a major original Hollywood film to the uninhibited scope, that its shortcomings should be so detrimental.  It's a movie that almost makes you feel guilty for not loving it.
While the craft and intelligence of Nolan's past films has been undeniable, they've also been characterized by a cold intellectualism and thus a shortage of humanity.  He tried for something more emotional in THE DARK KNIGHT RISES, which, for a few reasons, was a little bit of a descent in quality from INCEPTION and THE DARK KNIGHT.  INTERSTELLAR is his most sentimental, emotion-driven and optimistic film to date, but unfortunately, it makes one wonder if maybe he was holding back before from the acknowledgement of his own limitations.
INTERSTELLAR is worth seeing for the sake of its many talking points, and there's some pretty great thrills too, but when you're talking three hours of running time, it would be nice if the experience was more fulfilling.

Review: BIG HERO 6

BIG HERO 6  (ANIMATION/ADVENTURE-COMEDY)
3 out of 4 stars
Directed by Don Hall & Chris Williams
Featuring the Voices of: Scott Adsit, Ryan Potter, Daniel Henney, T.J. Miller, Jamie Chung, Damon Wayans Jr., Genesis Rodriguez, James Cromwell, Alan Tudyk, Maya Rudolph
Rated PG for action and peril, some rude humor, and thematic elements.
108 minutes
Verdict: BIG HERO 6 is visually sumptuous and more emotionally complex than you might expect, so it's perfectly worthy family fare, even if it doesn't hit quite as hard as FROZEN or WRECK-IT RALPH.
YOU MAY ENJOY BIG HERO 6 IF YOU LIKED:
WRECK-IT RALPH  (2012)
THE INCREDIBLES  (2005)
MEET THE ROBINSONS  (2007)
BOLT  (2008)
HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON  (2010)

BIG HERO 6 represents the first melding of Marvel Comics characters with Walt Disney Animation Studios since the Walt Disney Company acquired Marvel Entertainment and their massive stable of comic book characters and properties in a multi-billion-dollar deal in 2009.  As is typical of Disney Animation when adapting non-folktale/fairy tale stories, they've plucked a story of a more obscure nature, with room for greater creative liberty.  The Big Hero 6 are a little odd even within the world of Marvel Comics characters, and fittingly, they introduce a surprising new flavor their own to the classic Disney formula.
Being Disney Animation, our young hero is an orphan, appropriately named Hiro, Hiro Hamada (voiced by Ryan Potter).  Hiro is a techno genius and robotics prodigy, but after graduating from high school at 13 is content to put his formidable intellect to use in underground high-stakes robot battling in the futuristic city of San Fransokyo.  His older brother Tadashi is no slouch at robotics himself, having built an inflatable "healthcare companion" called Baymax (voiced by Scott Adsit from 30 Rock), whose sole interest is to provide optimal healthcare, and Tadashi wants to get Hiro off the streets and into the university with him.  Tadashi shows Hiro around, introducing him to the students he invents with, among them: Honey Lemon (voiced by Genesis Rodriguez), a brilliant chemist with an insanely bubbly personality; Wasabi (voiced by Damon Wayans, Jr.), a reserved and slightly neurotic lasers specialist; Go Go (voiced by Jamie Chung), a terse adrenaline junkie developing electromagnetic wheels for maximum speed; and finally, Fred (voiced by T.J. Miller), a comics book enthusiast and school mascot who hangs out in the science labs for kicks.  What really primes Hiro's interest though is the presence of his idol, robotics professor Robert Callaghan (voiced by James Cromwell).  After a disaster occurs, claiming the lives of Tadashi and Professor Callaghan, leaving Hiro distraught, until he accidentally reactivates Baymax, and with the big, soft, "huggable" robot uncovers a criminal conspiracy connected to the fatal accident.  Wanting to help, Honey Lemon, Wasabi, Go Go and Fred join in the investigation, and with their technological prowess and Fred's comic book know-how, they form the superhero team "Big Hero 6".
It should be noted, BIG HERO 6 goes to some pretty dark places and may even be a bit frightening for the little ones who enjoyed last year's surprise Disney mega-hit, FROZEN.  The central theme here is grief and dealing with loss, which isn't strange to the canon of Walt Disney Animation, but it really takes center stage here.  The family entertainment specialists at Disney pull it off with tact and sensitivity regardless, and when it really dives into the darker aspects of its journey, it's the most engrossing.  In addition, the cast of characters are pleasantly diverse, with positive representations of multiple races and types, from the Asian protagonist Hiro, to Go Go, with her feminist-friendly catchphrase, "Woman up!"
Furthering the multi-cultural vision of this future world, Disney has adopted a captivating blend of East-meets-West for the visual aesthetic.  Baymax is reminiscent of Hayao Miyazaki characters executive producer John Lasseter has championed in the U.S., big, warm and cuddly with a less-is-more design.  Another example is the world of San Fransokyo (also a physical combination of the two cities) a richly-detailed setting, awesomely showcased during a car chase through the steep, sloping and narrow streets of San Francisco lined with trees covered in cherry blossoms.  
BIG HERO 6 is funny and exciting, with some strong emotional points to boot, although it never matches the hearty laughs of TANGLED, the soaring emotions of FROZEN, or the witty charm of WRECK-IT RALPH.  On the other hand, it's more consistent and coherent than the latter two, which operated on a higher level before stumbling into some shaky final acts.  We've had a full decade, as of this month, to spend with Pixar's THE INCREDIBLES, which has become a certifiable classic, so it's really unfair to judge BIG HERO 6 against it, even if it is the obvious comparison as a computer-animated family superhero film.  Clearly, from where we're standing, THE INCREDIBLES is the better film, but we'll see how BIG HERO 6 fares ten years from now.
Be sure to get into the theater on time so you don't miss Disney's newest animated short, FEAST, playing before the feature.  The short film uses the same process as PAPERMAN (which, as far as I'm concerned, was the last time a Disney Animation movie really "blew me away" from start to finish) to blend 3D computer animation with traditional hand-drawn animation techniques to tell the story of a dog, Winston, who experiences the love life of his owner through the meals they share.  It's a charming, amusing little story that demands more attentiveness than you might expect, but with multiple fun payoffs.

Review: THE BOOK OF LIFE

THE BOOK OF LIFE  (ANIMATED-MUSICAL/FANTASY)
2.5 out of 4 stars
Directed by Jorge R. Gutierrez
Featuring the Voices of: Diego Luna, Zoe Saldana, Channing Tatum, Ron Perlman, Christina Applegate, Ice Cube, Kate del Castillo, Hector Elizondo, Danny Trejo, Carlos Alazraqui
Rated PG for mild action, rude humor, some thematic elements and brief scary images.
95 minutes
Verdict:  This colorful fantasy offers a great opportunity to educate young audiences on Mesoamerican folk culture, but is a mixed bag for entertaining more discerning viewers.
YOU MAY ENJOY THE BOOK OF LIFE IF YOU ENJOYED:
CORPSE BRIDE  (2005)
SPY KIDS  (2001)
PUSS IN BOOTS  (2011)
BEVERLY HILLS CHIHUAHUA  (2008)
BEETLEJUICE  (1988)

There are Christmas movies, Halloween movies, and if you're desperate, you can even find an Easter movie, but until recently, the market for Dia de Muertos, "Day of the Dead" in English, has been decidedly void.  Jorge Gutierrez, best known as the co-creator of the Nickelodeon animated television series El Tigre: The Adventures of Manny Rivera, has filled in that demand with THE BOOK OF LIFE (beating Pixar, which announced a Day of the Dead-themed film a couple years back, to the punch).  Produced by acclaimed Mexican filmmaker Guillermo del Toro through Reel FX Creative Studios, the studio behind last year's dimwitted Thanksgiving-themed film FREE BIRDS, THE BOOK OF LIFE is a mixed bag, flaunting a very loud personality that sometimes works and sometimes doesn't.
Taking a group of detention students on a special tour of the museum, a tour guide (voiced by Christina Applegate) shows to them the "Book of Life", wherein is contained every story of the world, and tells them the story of a special Day of the Dead.  Every year in Mexico, festivities are held to remember loved ones passed on, and as long as their ancestors are remembered, their spirits live on in the festive Land of the Remembered, ruled over by the benevolent La Muerte (voiced by Kate del Castillo).  Those spirits that are forgotten languish in the Land of the Forgotten, ruled by the trickster Xibalba (voiced by Ron Perlman).  Loathsome of his unpleasant charge, Xibalba convinces La Muerte to take a wager; looking down on the Land of the Living, as two boys vie for the attentions of a girl, so each claim a boy as their champion, and the one whose champion claims the girl's heart in marriage will rule the Land of the Remembered.  The two boys grow up, Manolo Sanchez (voiced by Diego Luna) to be a bullfighter in the tradition of his fathers, though he secretly yearns to be a musician, and Joaquin (voiced by Channing Tatum) to be a revered hero and soldier, and both still compete to win the affection of Maria Posado (voiced by Zoe Saldana), "the jewel of the town".  But when Xibalba sees Maria leaning toward Manolo, he turns to trickery, sending Manolo to the Land of the Remembered, where he's reunited with his deceased loved ones, as they try to help him get back to the Land of the Living and Maria.
It's a great opportunity to open children up to Mexican folk culture, filled with many characters from and references to folklore that blends Mayan and Aztec traditions with Catholicism, such as Xibalba, the name of the underworld in ancient Mayan religion, and La Muerte, a folk saint known in English as "Our Lady of Death", the unofficial patron saint of marginalized groups, such as the impoverished, LGBT persons and prostitutes (conservative parents needn't worry, the film is hardly so specific).  The visual designs of the film are distinct, intended by Gutierrez to adhere as closely as possible to the paintings of concept art that one might find in an "Art of" book, and that is an apt description.
THE BOOK OF LIFE is ideal for most children, no scarier than all but a few children can easily handle, inoffensive, musical and colorful, visually and in personality, with good messages.  For discerning, more mature viewers, it plays very well when it plays straight and/or whimsical, such as some enthralling scenes in the bullfighting arena or charming musical segments.  When it aims for wackiness, it frequently falls flat; most of the film's humor ranges from tolerable to awkward.  The notable exception is Tatum's voice-work as Joaquin, where he shows his comedic chops translate to a non-physical medium, and Ice Cube, as the "Candle Maker", is better than you'd expect.
It's a big, brassy diversion of a film, pleasant enough to join in on with the kiddies, and even an educational opportunity, but it's uneven and discerning audiences may feel a little shortchanged.