The Guardians are / were a mythic band of winged warriors (with metal
helmets... I'm assuming they had a blacksmith on standby) who had
fought a great battle to save all of owl kind from the evil Pure Ones.
While Soren dreams of someday joining his heroes, his older brother
Kludd thinks that's a lame balls idea and yearns to hunt, fly and steal
his
father's favour from his younger sibling.
However, after falling from their treetop
home during a "flight trial", the two youngsters land in the talons of the
Pure Ones - forced into a life of slavery.
Now... this is where things get tricky. In
what should be a simple "Bad Guys vs Good Guys" story - we soon get
mixed up in double crossings, lute playing eccentrics and some
unexplained magnetic blue metal which is found in coughed up digested mice
(I'm not kidding).
For a fully grown human with semi functioning brain - it's still pretty hard to wrap your head around what's
actually happening storywise in Guardians.
So heaven knows how the littlies will keep up.
To make matters worse, the CGI effects are
quite literally so
amazingly spectacular and
accurate (which, in itself isn't a bad thing), that it's
near impossible to work out who is who. Add to that the fact that the
all Aussie / New Zealand cast's voices are indistinguishable (Bill
Hunter, Sam Neil, Hugo Weaving and Geoffrey Rush are the only ones
you'll pick) that any and all plot points that involve betrayal and
double crossing are useless.
Why? Because we the audience don't know who
is the double crossed... or who is the double crossee. There are
glimpses of the type of emotional impact we felt during The Lion King -
but only glimpes.
It really buries an otherwise phenomenal cinematic
achievement.
Without question Legend of the Guardians : The
Owls of Ga'Hoole was the single greatest and most effective
use of CGI and 3D ever when it played in cinemas - yet the confusing story
lines, forgettable voice work and a noticeable lack of a
sense of humour (bar the efforts of David Wenham) leave Snyder's entry
into the CGI world a sub par affair. Hell, even the title is a mouthful!
Legend of the Guardians : The
Owls of Ga'Hoole is well worth checking out, if only to see the
sheer beauty of the images on screen - but don't expect to have the
kids requesting this one on DVD come Christmas time. DVD Special Features
Clearly desperate to make back their cash (the film cost $100M to
make, yet took just $55M in the USA and an average $80M worldwide) the
Special Features on this DVD / Blu Ray pack is something of a
surprising surprise.
Included here is "True Guardians of the
Earth" which follows Digger and Modern Family's Rico Rodriguez as they
look at the fascinating world of owls and their unique environment.
There
is also the must-see Looney Tunes Short "Fur of Flying" which is
bringing back those classic cartoon characters from our childhood into
the new era of animation.
There is the WB Maximum "Kid" Mode
which allows you to Explore the World of Ga'Hoole, where Soren is your
guide through the exciting world of owls. It reveals secrets about the
movie, the gifted actors who bring your owl buddies to life, and
uncovers exciting real-life stories about the entire owl kingdom.
There are also a bunch of cool Interactive Challenges:
Armor
Up with Soren & Eglantine - Help Soren and Eglantine dress for
their next imagination inspired story with this interactive costume
creator. Match the Owl Treats - Match all the owls favorite snacks in this fun and fast-paced interactive matching challenge Rise
of the Guardians - See the fully illustrated legendary story that Da
tells his family about their culture and history, with hopes that it
will guide them as they grow up. 4 Artwork Galleries - The Guardians, The Locations, The Villains, Soren & Friends "To the Sky" Music Video by Owl City
This is a very rare case in which Special Features may actually make a sub-par movie a worthwhile purchase.
Conclusion - Movie: 70% Extras: 90%
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