I really wish I had seen this in theaters when it came out. You need a huge screen to really appreciate the spectacular eye-popping colors on display.Childhood friends Manolo (Diego Luna) and Joaquin (Channing Tatum) find themselves unwittingly at the center of a huge cosmic bet. Lords of the Dead La Muerte (Kate del Castillo) and Xibalba (Ron Perlman) wager on each man to win the hand of the lovely Maria (Zoe Saldana). Whoever's champion triumphs will get control of both realms of the dead: the bright and cheerful Land of the Remembered and the gray, desolate Land of the Forgotten. After a tragic accident, Manolo dies and must fight his way back across all three realms to save his town and be with the woman he loves.
You all know how much I dislike Channing Tatum. He's almost at Franco levels of dislike, but roles like this (where I can't see his face) give him a small measure of redemption. Fortunately, even though he is one of the three main characters, he is on screen for only a limited amount of time.
There were so many things to like about this movie. I liked that Maria was strong and independent, continuing a trend in film that I appreciate. I also liked how there wasn't really a villain. They could have made Joaquin completely corrupt and very one-note, but instead there's a more complicated angle of two legitimately good men who are trying to escape the shadows of their fathers. If there was one thing in the film that was completely off-putting, it was the inclusion of Ice Cube as the Candlemaker. Nothing against the man, it just seemed like a very odd choice. Other than that, this is a top-notch film and I think it stands just as tall as the Oscar nominees for this year.
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