'The Book of Life' may have been in better hands at DreamWorks.
When the first trailer hit for The Book of Life, we got very, very excited. The project had originally been optioned by DreamWorks animation in 2007 but never got beyond development due to creative differences.
'The Book of Life' looks stunning, but some criticsaren't enamoured
In 2012, Reel FX took over and pulled in Guillermo del Toro to produce the movie, then known as Day of the Dead. 20th Century Fox announced it would distribute the movie and Channing Tatum, Zoe Saldana, Diego Luna and Christina Applegate joined the cast.
The Book of Life tells the story of the legend of Manolo, a conflicted hero and dreamer who sets off on an epic quest through magical and wondrous worlds in order to rescue his one true love and defend his village.
The beautiful imagery is mesmerising, though some critics have found that it often takes away from the story.
The Book of Life is in cinemas this weekend
""The Book of Life" juxtaposes overwrought visual imagery with an undernourished, familiar story - regrettable flaws in one of the few animated films to focus on Latino characters and the rich heritage of Mexican folk culture," said Charles Solomon of the Los Angeles Times.
"This often beautiful and too-often moribund, if exhaustingly frenetic, feature tends to be less energetic than the dead people waltzing through it," wrote Manohla Dargis of the New York Times.
""The Book of Life" may use state-of-the-art animation, but it derives its strength from the wisdom of antiquity. It only looks new, but it's as old as life (and death) itself," said Michael O'Sullivan of the Washington Post.
"Without a doubt, it is one of 2014's best animated films; a holiday delight that exuberantly bursts at the seams with irresistible cultural pride," said Randy Myers of the San Jose Mercury News.
"The picture neither lifted my spirit nor made me feel the heightened emotions it was so obviously striving for. Were it not for the purposes of this review, "The Book of Life" would already be completely forgotten," said Dustin Puttman.
'The Book of Life' hits theaters in the U.S from today (October 17, 2014).
Check out the Book of Life trailer:
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