BAFO contender
LEGEND OF THE GUARDIANS
The Owls of Ga’Hoole (PG)
Director: Zack Snyder
Running time: 101 minutes
Legend of the Guardians is a story adapted from a children’s book series by American author Kathryn Lasky. It tells the tale of Soren, a young owl who, upon being kidnapped by an enemy race, discovers that the Guardians, heroic owls he was told stories of as a chick, are real.
If you have never heard of the book series, then the sudden appearance of a fully blown beautifully animated children’s movie voiced by top actors, on the subject of warring owls, may seem a little out of the blue. The visuals are so stunning (especially in 3D) that they are almost a distraction from the thin but strangely haphazard plot.
Filled with positive messages, Legend of the Guardians ticks the important box for children’s films of having clear morals, with the boundaries between good and evil never less than blatant. It is also honest about the perils of trying to live a good life: ‘It’s not beautiful or glorious’, explains Soren’s childhood hero before a battle, ‘it’s simply doing what’s right again and again’. The Guardians are apparently sworn to ‘make strong the weak’ and to ‘mend the broken’, whereas the evil owls simply claim that ‘only the strong will survive’. Obviously, Christian principles can be found here.
Intense scenes
The film was denied a U rating for a reason, and many scenes are probably too intense and violent for younger children. Director Zack Snyder is best known for his ultra-violent, stylised ancient war epic 300, and the final dizzying fight of flapping feathers and snapping talons in this film is definitely white-knuckle stuff.
The running time is too short for the story to play out as the grand, awe-inspiring yarn that it would like to be; perhaps it would have made a more effective television series. A sequel is strongly hinted at, so perhaps there is time yet; but for now this is still excellent entertainment for children, with animation so gorgeous it could challenge Toy Story 3 for next year’s Best Animated Feature Oscar.
