How can an animated movie about owls be so cool? First of all, it is from the director of 300, Zack Snyder, and he loves stunning folks visually with his movies. Secondly, these owls are in a war and act like soldiers from 300. Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga’Hoole is a kid fantasy-action animated movie in which the attire of gladiators are worn by owls. May sound ridiculous but keep in mind, it is from a children’s book series. Actually, some parts may be scary for younger kids. But this animated movie is different in its story and it is visually breathtaking.
Soren (Jim Sturgess) has listened to his father’s stories about the Guardians and their courageous battles. In these stories, he pretends to be one of them but soon that will become a reality for this young owl. Soren and his brother Kludd (Ryan Kwanten) are kidnapped from their parents by the Pure Ones, led by Metal Beak (Joel Edgerton). They have kidnapped all of these owls to be soldiers and workers for the Pure Ones and their cause. Metal Beak, along with his mate, Nyra (Helen Mirren), is building an army to defeat the Guardians once and for all. Soren wants no part of it, but his brother seems to fit right in with the rest of them. With some help, Soren is able to escape and fly to the Guardians to meet his heroes and hopefully for them to save his family.
The story is predictable but the action scenes are pretty cool. The writing could have been better – it is very basic and on a lower level, even for a kids movie. But, Snyder makes up for that by using his amazing EFX. Even in his first animated movie, Snyder makes his presence known just like he did in his live-action movies like 300 and Watchmen. They all have that same look when it comes to the visuals. They’re unmistakable.
Unlike in Watchmen, the visuals in Legend of the Guardians are not a distraction but complimentary to the animation. It is different but it makes the film more exciting and more memorable. This move is not the best animated movie of the year. There are a few this year that cannot be beat, but Legend of the Guardians is a visually stunning, entertaining animation that children (up to a certain age) and adults can enjoy. Sure, it has a familiar story that we have seen before – it just did not include owls. However, the look and EFX cannot be ignored and Snyder knows how to apply them. It is one of those few movies that is worth paying the price to see in 3D.
Brandon Vick is a member of The Music City Film Critics’ Association, the resident film critic of the SoBros Network, and the star of The Vick’s Flicks Podcast. Follow him on Twitter @SirBrandonV and be sure to search #VicksFlicks for all of his latest movie reviews.
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