Directed by Zach Snyder (visionary director behind "300" and "Watchmen"), and from the creators of "Happy Feet," comes "Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga'Hoole," a 2010 computer-animated fantasy film, loosely based on the first three books (The Capture, The Journey, and The Rescue) of the series Guardians of Ga'Hoole by Kathryn Lasky. The film features Jim Sturgess, Helen Mirren, Geoffrey Rush, Ryan Kwanten, Abbie Cornish, Richard Roxburgh, Hugo Weaving, and David Wenham, all of whom lent their voices to the characters.
The film tells the story of Soren, a young barn owl, who is kidnapped by owls of St. Aggie's, ostensibly an orphanage, where owlets are brainwashed into becoming soldiers. He and his new friends escape to the island of Ga'Hoole, to assist its noble, wise owls known as The Guardians. The Guardians fight the army being created by the wicked rulers of St. Aggie's.
Once again, Snyder has taken a successful series of books and created a visual masterpiece through his unique style of film-making. A far cry from the graphic novel adaptations that he is most famous for, Snyder shows his versatility by putting together this children's story on screen, communicating his story-telling effortlessly to audiences of all ages. The film is not only great entertainment for all, but it is also very informative and educational as well. When the owls are not personified by the elements of fantasy, they are portrayed the way real owls behave, from their nocturnal hunting skills to the regurgitation of "owl pellets."
Although being a family film, some of the film's subject matter most definitely requires parental guidance for young children. The film received a rating of PG for sequences of scary action, but in reality, certain parts should be considered a little too violent for younger children. The battle scenes are very intense for younger audience members, and some of the owl politics and betrayals may not be understood by children. Also, with the evil owls kidnapping young owlets and brainwashing them into becoming soldiers to serve their diabolical schemes, the relevance to the epidemic of recruiting child soldiers in various conflicts around the world is hard to ignore.
While the film was viewed as a regular animated movie, the film was also widely released in 3D, a feature evident in the style of film-making. It is easy for one to see that the film would be best viewed in 3D, and it is absolutely worth the premium ticket price. The film is definitely the best animated film to be released this year, and it will be interesting to see if it can take home the Academy Award this winter.
The film tells the story of Soren, a young barn owl, who is kidnapped by owls of St. Aggie's, ostensibly an orphanage, where owlets are brainwashed into becoming soldiers. He and his new friends escape to the island of Ga'Hoole, to assist its noble, wise owls known as The Guardians. The Guardians fight the army being created by the wicked rulers of St. Aggie's.
Once again, Snyder has taken a successful series of books and created a visual masterpiece through his unique style of film-making. A far cry from the graphic novel adaptations that he is most famous for, Snyder shows his versatility by putting together this children's story on screen, communicating his story-telling effortlessly to audiences of all ages. The film is not only great entertainment for all, but it is also very informative and educational as well. When the owls are not personified by the elements of fantasy, they are portrayed the way real owls behave, from their nocturnal hunting skills to the regurgitation of "owl pellets."
Although being a family film, some of the film's subject matter most definitely requires parental guidance for young children. The film received a rating of PG for sequences of scary action, but in reality, certain parts should be considered a little too violent for younger children. The battle scenes are very intense for younger audience members, and some of the owl politics and betrayals may not be understood by children. Also, with the evil owls kidnapping young owlets and brainwashing them into becoming soldiers to serve their diabolical schemes, the relevance to the epidemic of recruiting child soldiers in various conflicts around the world is hard to ignore.
While the film was viewed as a regular animated movie, the film was also widely released in 3D, a feature evident in the style of film-making. It is easy for one to see that the film would be best viewed in 3D, and it is absolutely worth the premium ticket price. The film is definitely the best animated film to be released this year, and it will be interesting to see if it can take home the Academy Award this winter.
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