Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga'Hoole
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This is Zack Snyder's first non-R rated film.
Owls aren't the most lovable or cutest creatures on the planet. In fact, they're far from it. They are however, the subject of the Guardians of Ga'Hoole book series that spans 15 books, the first three of which have been adapted for the silver screen in Legend of the Guardians.
The story follows Soren, a young owlet who one day is kidnapped by an evil group of owls known as the Pure Ones. He and the rest of the abductees are forced to mine metallic "flecks" that have strange effects on owls. The goal of the Pure Ones is to rule over Ga'Hoole with a mighty fist. Soren manages to escape and then proceeds to find the Guardians, who stand for justice and plan to fight against the Pure Ones in an epic battle.
Honestly, there isn't anything special about Legend of the Guardians. It's your generic good versus evil story arc, only it's played out by owls instead of humans. In a way, I believe it makes it more difficult to connect with any of the characters and really care about the story. I will admit that fighting mid-air was pretty unique and interesting but that was about it.
The film is developed by Animal Logic, the same team behind the award-winning Happy Feet. You can clearly see the similarities in two, especially in the detail of the feathers. There's no question that the film looks fantastic. Watching the owls soar through the heavens is awesome and the 3D only enhances the experience.
In typical Zack Snyder fashion, there are plenty of slow motion battle sequences and close-ups. While it looks cool once or twice, Snyder gets a little carried away with it. It's like watching 300 with owls...and geared towards kids. The film can be rather intense at times though. War, betrayal, and death are just a few of the themes you'll encounter so you might want to think twice about bringing your young ones.
Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga'Hoole looks beautiful but the story lacks depth. Kids may get a slight kick from it but I don't see the franchise going anywhere soon with the rest of the books in the series. You're probably better off just reading them.
- Review by Matt Rodriguez
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