As if to ensure every viewer has a window into the story, the central narrative is framed as a legend being told by a motherly museum tour guide (voiced by Christina Applegate) to a group of rebellious school kids on Nov. 2, the Day of the Dead. While that choice initially plays like an unnecessary distancing device, it also reinforces the mythic quality of what we’re watching (and eventually gives the young listeners the opportunity to offer a few adorable asides). Plus, it explains why everyone in the tour guide’s tale looks like a handmade wooden toy — a captivating visual conceit.
Ever since they were children, music-loving bullfighter Manolo (Diego Luna) and burly bandit vanquisher Joaquin (Channing Tatum) have been enamored with the same girl: feisty free spirit Maria (Zoe Saldana). So they’re equally heartbroken when Maria’s unconventional behavior gets her shipped off to Europe by her strict father (Carlos Alazraqui). It’s not until her 18th birthday that she returns to the town of San Angel to reignite the rivalry between Manolo and Joaquin, each hoping to be the one to marry their mutual true love.