Movie News: Rise of the Guardians

Editor’s note: today’s blog post is brought to us by our awesome editorial assistant, Ashley Van Eysinga. Enjoy!

I started off my holiday season with a screening of the new animated film, Rise of the Guardians in 3-D. The story follows Jack Frost (you know, the guy who nips at your nose) and his journey to becoming a Guardian. The big and gruff North (Santa), the tough and grumpy Bunny (Easter Bunny), the cheerful and energetic Tooth (Tooth Fairy), and the silent and peaceful Sandy (Sandman), make up the Guardians who protect children and their imaginations.

When Pitch a.k.a. the Boogeyman starts to wreak havoc in kids’ dreams, the Guardians come to the rescue, and Jack must decide whether he is a Guardian or just a boy (a 300 year-old boy, by the way).

I didn’t expect to like this movie as much as I did. I went in thinking it was just another holiday movie about Santa making toys and saving Christmas. But it wasn’t at all like that. It was a heartfelt story about a boy trying to fulfill his destiny, with a lot of humour and a wild adventure along the way.

Here are a few things about the movie:

1. The animators had a cool new take on the characters. The Easter Bunny kind of looks like a kangaroo, the Tooth Fairy is a cross between a human and a hummingbird, and the Sandman is actually made of sand. All of this allowed the story to be bigger than just your average holiday movie. It wasn’t about hunting Easter eggs or getting a dollar for a tooth, it was about real characters with dreams, fears, and full lives.

2. The animation is really pretty. I normally like traditional animation, but the computer-generated animation in this movie is fantastic. It was rich and full of detail. When Sandy the Sandman starts the night by giving out lovely dreams, it looks as if he is conducting a symphony of golden, glowing sand.

3. It’s sad and funny. Not going to lie, I may have teared up a couple of times (I swear I just had something in my eye!), but I also laughed a lot. Keep an eye out for Santa’s helpers. You think elves make the toys? Well, think again!

4. There are a lot of famous voices. My favourite was Jude Law who plays Pitch. His voice was so evil and perfect for the character. It actually gave me goosebumps. Also, make sure to look — or listen — for 13 year-old Dakota Goyo from Toronto, who voiced the character, Jaime, the boy who never gives up hope.

Overall, I really like this movie, and can see kids and adults watching it every holiday season. Check out the trailer, and tell us what you think!

Rise of the Guardians is in theatres today.

-Ashley, owlblog@owlkids.com