Rise of the Guardians (B or 3/4 stars)
'Rise of the Guardians' (directed by Peter Ramsey & adapted from a book by William Joyce) is an epic adventure that offers an interesting premise & tells the tale of the world's 5 "Guardians" of children: Santa Claus, also refered to as 'North' (voiced by Alec Baldwin with a fun accent), the Easter Bunny (boisterously voiced by Hugh Jackman), the Tooth Fairy (an adorable Isla Fischer), & the Sandman (a mute spinner of gold who weaves a sleeping spell on the children of the world). Meanwhile, wandering around in his own private world - and longing for someone to finally notice him after 300 yrs. - is the 5th Guardian, Jack Frost (voiced by Chris Pine) a spirited chap who loves winter, freezes ponds, causes snow days, & hurls snowballs at kids for fun.
When Santa & the other guardians learn that the evil spirit known as Pitch Black, aka the Boogeyman & Nightmare King, (voiced by Jude Law) has a plan to turn children's dreams into nightmares (actual black horses) ... the Guardians must join forces, & protect the beliefs, hopes, & imaginations of children all over the globe. Throughout this adventure, reluctant guardian Jack Frost will try understand the mystery of his past & discover the true hero within himself.
The movie unfolds at a quick pace (some would say, too quick). There is a nice mix of adventure, laughs, & nice emotional moments to please viewers; especially if you're in the demographic for it. The characters are inherently interesting. Santa is portrayed as Russian, alternately brooding/cheery, & tattooed; and I enjoyed the design of his magical sleigh. The Easter Bunny is not small, cute, & cuddly, but large, Australian, & transports from place to place via bunny hole portals in space. The Tooth Fairy looks like part human-part hummingbird; and her million of mini-fairies span the globe for her. I liked that she stores the children's teeth because they hold their memories inside them. It's these little character/plot traits that keep this 'Avengers for kids' movie unique.
The film's visuals are ... different. I can't say they are Pixar-level amazing, but their technique/execution stands apart from most other animated films out there these days; so that's not necessarily a bad thing. Character designs of the elves, Santa's Yetis, & the mythical environments we see (North Pole, Bunny's magical portal holes, & Pitch Black's realm) all stand-out as quite different from each other. You know, I really liked a lot of what I was watching. That said - and this is more of a directorial/editing choice - I feel like the movie doesn't take enough sustained breaks for us to savor many of the beautiful visuals we're seeing as they fly by.
Whether or not this film makes enough $$ for a sequel(s), 'Rise of the Guardians' is enjoyable as a stand-alone adventure. Now, it doesn't provide groundbreaking animation. And I wouldn't say it's thematically rich. But to describe how I feel about the film, I'd use such words as sweet, lightweight, & enchanting. I liked Jack Frost's back story. Alexandre Desplat's music swept me away as I watched the story. But the only thing holding this movie back is that it is quite slight. There's little in the way of depth. The movie is what it is and little else. That's not a slam against it ... I've just seen other animated films in recent years with more heft. This film deserves neither the raves nor the pans that it's received. 'Rise of the Guardians' provides a satisfying holiday treat for children & the adults who accompany them.
When Santa & the other guardians learn that the evil spirit known as Pitch Black, aka the Boogeyman & Nightmare King, (voiced by Jude Law) has a plan to turn children's dreams into nightmares (actual black horses) ... the Guardians must join forces, & protect the beliefs, hopes, & imaginations of children all over the globe. Throughout this adventure, reluctant guardian Jack Frost will try understand the mystery of his past & discover the true hero within himself.
The movie unfolds at a quick pace (some would say, too quick). There is a nice mix of adventure, laughs, & nice emotional moments to please viewers; especially if you're in the demographic for it. The characters are inherently interesting. Santa is portrayed as Russian, alternately brooding/cheery, & tattooed; and I enjoyed the design of his magical sleigh. The Easter Bunny is not small, cute, & cuddly, but large, Australian, & transports from place to place via bunny hole portals in space. The Tooth Fairy looks like part human-part hummingbird; and her million of mini-fairies span the globe for her. I liked that she stores the children's teeth because they hold their memories inside them. It's these little character/plot traits that keep this 'Avengers for kids' movie unique.
The film's visuals are ... different. I can't say they are Pixar-level amazing, but their technique/execution stands apart from most other animated films out there these days; so that's not necessarily a bad thing. Character designs of the elves, Santa's Yetis, & the mythical environments we see (North Pole, Bunny's magical portal holes, & Pitch Black's realm) all stand-out as quite different from each other. You know, I really liked a lot of what I was watching. That said - and this is more of a directorial/editing choice - I feel like the movie doesn't take enough sustained breaks for us to savor many of the beautiful visuals we're seeing as they fly by.
Whether or not this film makes enough $$ for a sequel(s), 'Rise of the Guardians' is enjoyable as a stand-alone adventure. Now, it doesn't provide groundbreaking animation. And I wouldn't say it's thematically rich. But to describe how I feel about the film, I'd use such words as sweet, lightweight, & enchanting. I liked Jack Frost's back story. Alexandre Desplat's music swept me away as I watched the story. But the only thing holding this movie back is that it is quite slight. There's little in the way of depth. The movie is what it is and little else. That's not a slam against it ... I've just seen other animated films in recent years with more heft. This film deserves neither the raves nor the pans that it's received. 'Rise of the Guardians' provides a satisfying holiday treat for children & the adults who accompany them.