THE BOOK OF LIFE | FAMILY MOVIE REVIEW INFORMATION FOR PARENTS AND KIDS

"THE BOOK OF LIFE"
(2014) (voices of Diego Luna, Zoe Saldana) (PG)

QUICK TAKE:: Computer Animated Dramedy: Two men try to win the heart of a young woman in a Mexican town, unaware that two deities have put a wager on who will prevail.

PLOT:

In the Mexican town of San Angel, there's the Land of the Living where everyday people reside, including kids Manolo, Joaquin and Maria. There's also the Land of the Remembered where the dearly departed reside as long as someone in the Land of the Living still remembers them. If not, they end up as desperate souls in the Land of the Forgotten.

Two ancient gods -- La Muerte (voice of KATE DEL CASTILLO), who oversees the Land of the Remembered, and Xibalba (voice of RON PERLMAN), who rules the Land of the Forgotten -- are known for making wagers and their latest concerns whether Manolo or Joaquin will win over Maria. Xibalba secretly stacks the odds in his favor, but when Maria's father sends her off to school to learn to be a lady, it will be years before the bet is settled.

When Maria (voice of ZOE SALDANA) finally returns as a young woman, she draws the eyes of many, but especially Manolo (voice of DIEGO LUNA) and Joaquin (voice of CHANNING TATUM). While the latter thinks his service as an honored soldier will impress her in the manner of his late father's heroic soldier status, Manolo doesn't want to be a bull fighter like his father, Carlos (voice of HECTOR ELIZONDO). Instead, he'd like to a mariachi singer and tries to impress Maria through song.

When that appears to be working its charms, Xibalba sets out to sabotage the budding romance, ultimately resulting in Manolo ending up in the Land of the Remembered where he uses the help of the Candle Maker (voice of ICE CUBE) to find La Muerte in hopes of finding Maria who he also believes is there. But she's still back up top, facing the notion of having to marry Joaquin, all to help ensure that he'll defend the town against the dreaded and formidable villain Chakal (DAN NAVARRO).

WILL KIDS WANT TO SEE IT?: The lively animated look will likely appeal to younger kids.

WHY THE MPAA RATED IT: PG: For mild action, rude humor, some thematic elements and brief scary images.

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