The Book of Life

The makers of The Book of Life don’t subscribe to the less-is-more mantra, nor menos-es-mas, as the case may be.

It’s a 3D animated adventure that tends toward sensory overload, filling every frame with kaleidoscopic colors, wacky characters and nonstop action. But there’s also a heartfelt charm at its center that makes all the extraneous sights and sounds easier to stomach.

The story tries to both poke fun and pay tribute to Mexican folklore and traditions, especially those surrounding the annual “Day of the Dead” festivities. It tells of Manolo (voiced by Diego Luna), whose childhood friendship with Maria (Zoe Saldana) and Joaquin (Channing Tatum) was torn apart when Maria was sent to a Spanish boarding school and Joaquin went off to battle.

They reunite in their hometown as adults, with both Manolo and Joaquin having eyes for the beautiful Maria. Manolo would rather be a guitar player than follow his family’s tradition of bullfighting, while Joaquin has secrets he’s reluctant to share.

Their love triangle is also of interest to omniscient La Muerte (Kate del Castillo) and Xibalba (Ron Perlman) bickering gods who oversee the joyous Land of the Remembered and the desolate Land of the Forgotten, respectively. Their high-stakes wager on who will win Maria’s hand could reshape the past and future for all involved.

The film marks an ambitious directorial debut for veteran animator Jorge Gutierrez, who demonstrates considerable visual flair with a flood of rich colors, slick computer-generated 3D animation, detailed landscapes, and backgrounds, and distinct squared-off character designs.

Some smaller children might appreciate the short-attention-span mentality, yet might be frightened by the physical deformities of the characters, especially those in the extended death-realm sequences. The screenplay is both convoluted and scatterbrained, especially in the clumsy climax, and succeeds best when it settles down and focuses on the three main characters.

Despite the Mexican roots of the material, the cosmopolitan voice cast includes Christina Applegate, Ice Cube and Placido Domingo. Likewise, the eclectic musical numbers include a couple of original songs from Oscar-winning Argentinian composer Gustavo Santaolalla (Babel) along with bits of Radiohead, Elvis and Mumford and Sons.

So there are plenty of amusing moments in The Book of Life, even if they’re sometimes more choppy than cohesive. Still, it’s always worth applauding fresh ideas, especially those that might bridge cultural gaps and open the eyes and imaginations of children.

Rated PG, 95 minutes.