The Book Of Life-Kids Movie Review

Who will Maria (voice of Zoe Saldana) marry? Manolo (voice of Diego Luna), a sensitive guitar player whose family wants him to be a ruthless bullfighter, or Joaquin (voice of Channing Tatum) Manolo’s best friend. Both men are madly in love with Maria, however things dramatically change when Manolo is bitten by a poisonous snake. He travels through the underworld on a Mexican holiday called The Day of the Dead. This is a magical day when the spirits of the departed return to earth to receive gifts from living family members. Now Manolo sees a whole new world, but the only thing he really wants is to return to his true love and win her heart. Narrated by a museum tour guide, The Book of Life is an animated film about death, the afterlife and true love.

Rating: 3 out of 5 buckets
Release Date: October 17, 2014
MPAA Rating: PG
Best Age Group: 7+
Sexual Content: Mild
Violent/Disturbing Content: Excessive
Crude or Profane Language: None
Drugs and Alcohol: Mild
Will it Appeal to kids? No

Talking Point:

The characters are good people who strive to do right thing. One character says that true hero’s are selfless. The story highlights the importance friendship and love.

The animation is great with cute and colorful characters.

With the mature and deep subject matter of death and the afterlife of the Mexican culture, kids may get bored. There’s also a romantic element to the story, which may not appeal to kids.

Sexual Content: Mild

Two couples kiss.

Violent Content: Moderate

Though this is a story about death, we only see on person die.
We see characters pounded and beaten.
We see prayers for the dead, skeletons, afterlife worlds, and a godlike Candle Maker. Though animated, parts may scare young kids.

Crude or Profane Language: None

Drugs and Alcohol: Mild