Rise of the Guardians Review

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Rise of the Guardians Review
By Darrin Jones / November 23

Ingredients: If you liked the action of Kung Fu Panda, the animation of Shrek, and the depth of The Prince of Egypt, then you will like this movie.

Well it wasn’t easy to make it to the theaters today, let me tell you. Though you should find some comfort that even on this cold, consumer-driven shopping day there’s still a shining respite from it all. And it’s a kids’ movie too! So let’s see why Rise of the Guardians brightened this Black Friday. Jack Frost (as voiced by Chris Pine) is a rambunctious unseen youth with supernatural powers but no clear purpose in life and no one that believes he exists. But when Pitch (Jude Law) threatens to extinguish every last child’s faith in the legendary protectors of children, Frost is tapped to join the ranks of the Guardians. The wayward teen will have to uncover the purpose for his existence and help preserve belief in the fairytale characters of old because the fight is not just for the lives of children but the very joy of childhood.

Rise of the Guardians is a great action/adventure film that will entertain kids and adults alike. For the kids, they get to see their favorite fairytale icons taking part in a superhero smack down versus the very embodiment of fear itself. While parents might find some of that old childhood wonderment stirring and delight in the little added benefit of finally being told how and why these fantastical characters do what they do. Santa Claus is just a big kid at heart who enjoys tinkering, the Easter Bunny reassures children that Spring is coming and with it new life and beauty, the Tooth Fairy collects teeth as they contain every child’s happiest memories so they can call upon them later, and the Sandman gives kids nice dreams. Not much more to him then that but, hey, he’s still one of the coolest characters in the film.

Animated holiday films in the past have always been very hit or miss; missing more often then not. But where this movie shines is in updating the classic mythos of fabled characters while still keeping true to the classic traditions. The Guardians are given plenty of time to expand on their personalities and develop themselves without the need of lengthy exposition making the characters quite endearing which is something DreamWorks sometimes has difficulty with.

Rise of the Guardians is a good mix of entertaining and meaningful which is the mark of a good animated film that has the potential for becoming a classic. I recommend it to anyone that is young and the young at heart. Plus, it’s just really fun to watch childhood’s mascots coming together in an epic superhero battle. Seriously, who doesn’t want to see that?!