Opening Day: 28 October 2010

Synopsis:

Acclaimed filmmaker Zack Snyder makes his animation debut with the fantasy family adventure “Guardians of Ga’Hoole,” based on the beloved books by Kathryn Lasky.  The film follows Soren, a young owl enthralled by his father’s epic stories of the Guardians of Ga’Hoole, a mythic band of winged warriors who had fought a great battle to save all of owlkind from the evil Pure Ones. 

While Soren dreams of someday joining his heroes, his older brother, Kludd, scoffs at the notion, and yearns to hunt, fly and steal his father’s favor from his younger sibling. But Kludd’s jealousy has terrible consequences—causing both owlets to fall from their treetop home and right into the talons of the Pure Ones. Now it is up to Soren to make a daring escape with the help of other brave young owls.  Together they soar across the sea and through the mist to find the Great Tree, home of the legendary Guardians of Ga’Hoole—Soren’s only hope of defeating the Pure Ones and saving the owl kingdoms.

Movie Review:

Zack Synder may be better known to young adults than families thanks to his ultra-violent cult favourites “300” and “Watchmen”, but “Legend of the Guardians” looks certain to change that fact. His first family-friendly movie comes adapted from the first three books of the bestselling “Guardians of Ga’Hoole” by Kathryn Lasky, and it is a fantasy-adventure that soars with pure unadulterated exhilaration and absolutely stunning visuals.  

Made by the same people responsible for “Happy Feet”, there is a startling beauty to the ancient owl world as imagined by Animal Logic. Indeed, what strikes you right from the get-go is the vividness of the landscapes- whether a glowing sunset, a clear blue sky or a squalling thunderstorm. Even more impressive is the impeccable detail that the film’s winged characters have been rendered, and nowhere is this more evident than when the sleek barn owls take to the skies with their wings and feathers ruffling in the wind.

The combination of both is nothing short of gorgeous, creating a spectacular other-world that transports its viewers on a magical flight of fancy. That journey is made even more immersive with 3D visuals that are determined to exploit the added dimension to provide as much depth and excitement as possible. The latter is also virtually guaranteed by Synder’s involvement, as the seasoned veteran of action flicks makes sure that his signature trademarks are here even while making a film for the younger crowd.

Beginning with the omnipresent shots of the swoops and spins of the owls, Synder is determined to lead his audience on a visceral thrill ride. The highlight of this no doubt is a breathtaking flight through a snow storm, which also employs Synder’s familiar slo-mo work to excellent effect. But even that is nothing compared to the harrowing climactic aerial battle between the good owls (the Guardians) and the evil marauders (known quite inaptly as the Pure Ones), a pure adrenaline rush that will set the hearts of both children and adults racing.

That this animated movie has been given a consumer advice here of “some intense sequences” is no coincidence, and parents may just want to take note that there are certainly darker elements (among them the quasi-fascist group of Pure Ones owls) here compared to the regular fare from Pixar or DreamWorks. Though screenwriters John Orloff and Emil Stern succeed in building a genuine foreboding atmosphere throughout the film, they fare less well when it comes to story and characterisation.

Essentially an avian variation of “The Lord of the Rings”, Orloff and Stern’s story of the good-versus-evil battle between Soren (voiced by Jim Sturgess) and the deposed villainous king Metal Beak (Joel Edgerton) and his queen Nyra (Helen Mirren) is at best serviceable. Issues of faith, courage, betrayal, loyalty and sacrifice are alluded to time and again, but their screenplay lacks the dramatic intensity to flesh any of these out fully. Condensing three books into one has also taken its toll on the development of the multitude of characters, and most of them end up being one-note supporting roles crafted in stereotypes or with little purpose than to offer comic relief. Even our hero Soren gets barely enough screen time for his audience to relate to his epic quest.

Yet thanks to a universally outstanding mostly-Australian voice cast, the characters still manage to stand out from each other. Helen Mirren brings an elegant, understated menace to the snow queen Nyra, while Geoffrey Rush gives the aging Guardian hero Ezylryb much-needed vigour and verve. Anthony LaPaglia makes the best of his comic relief role as the great grey owl Twilight who fancies himself a poet hero and likes to sing about his circumstances. The standout however is Jim Sturgess, his lively voice conveying Soren’s apprehension and resolve keenly.

Still one is most likely to remember the gorgeous and intricate visual design on display- every carefully rendered detail from the environments to the owls and the combination of both in a series of thrilling and breathtaking action sequences gorgeously portrayed in 3D. Pity then the pedestrian story and the lack of character development- had director Zack Synder paid as much attention to these as the rest of the details in the movie, this would have been a perfect fantasy adventure that would give Pixar a run for its money.

Movie Rating:



(Zack Synder’s first animated movie soars with magnificent beauty in every animated frame and breathtaking action that will please audiences young and old alike)

Reviewed by Gabriel Chong