This film is currently playing in theaters.
Based on a series of books by Kathryn Lasky and directed by Zack Snyder (300, Watchmen), Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga'Hoole is the latest CG-animated RealD 3D picture from Warner Bros. Soren (voiced by Jim Sturgess) is a young barn owl who lives with his parents, his brother Kludd (Ryan Kwanten), and his sister. Soren and Kludd gets kidnapped by evil owls called the Pure Ones, who turn owlets into brainwashed soldiers for their empire. Kludd decides to join their order while Soren and his friends escape to the island of Ga’Hoole, where they try to get help from the Guardians, the good warrior owls who had defeated the Pure Ones in the legends.
Before the film started was a CG Road Runner cartoon short. I wasn’t particularly impressed with this version of the original 2-D cartoons—the cartooniness of the original wasn't quite captured in the best way here. It was a small letdown, but my hopes for the following feature film were still high despite the fact that owls do not particularly appeal to me. I mean, Finding Nemo was about fishes and while I wasn’t a big fish fan either (except for eating), that film was still good. As for this film, despite the hard efforts by the filmmakers, I felt this was ultimately a mixed bag.
What separates this particular animation from Pixar's and other CG features is the realistic look of the characters—certainly, a daring decision. These owls look like real owls. They are not idealized, cartoony, nor particularly cute, for that matter. It must not have been easy to market these to kids. Because they looked so far from human, it was hard for me to connect with them. I also often couldn’t tell the owls apart, let alone tell if the characters were smiling, sad, or if that was their natural face. Figuring out the gender and age of an owl was another issue. How does a female owl look like, really? Do they walk more like they're on heels? I could’ve sworn Soren looked more female. Thank goodness for the voices to help me differentiate them. The voice actors, with the likes of Jim Sturgess, Geoffrey Rush, and Hugo Weaving, do the best they can.
The story is steeped in fantasy, legend, and funny names not unlike The Lord of the Rings series. It is a film about heroism with a medieval element, yet the story is not an unfamiliar one. Perhaps to fit the genre, the characters also have British accents. I found it odd that these owls used tools like humans—they had helmets, gauntlets or metal claws, and such. It's novel, I guess. This film would have been great if there was actual humor, though--it's somewhat dark like LOTR. Still, knowing that Legend of the Guardians is part of a bigger story, I'm open to the idea that there may be amazing surprises along the way in the sequels. The film's story is self-contained and while not too complex, little kids might have a hard time deciphering some of the British accents of the characters and the funny names.
The background visuals, contrasting colors, and the glows in this film look gorgeous. Flying scenes look great in RealD 3-D. They are not quite as breathtaking as How To Train Your Dragon, but still holds their own in quality. The stormy scenes happenging on the seas look particularly gorgeous, with individual raindrops popping out of the screen. Also impressive are the action scenes, which look realistic and a tad on the violent side, although it may be too rough for the young ones. I hope kids won't try to get metallic fingernails like these owls and poke people's eyes out with it. There are also Zack Snyder’s signature slow-mo and sped-up action scenes. Some of the camerawork seemed too jerky for my liking. Still, some kids may like this stuff--it's not my aesthetic.
Overall, the material has good potential, but I wasn’t impressed with the execution of it. Despite flashy visuals, rougher-than-usual action scenes, and good intentions, I couldn’t fully connect with the characters. The story couldn't fully engage me because I wasn't engaged with the characters. Little kids may find it a little dark. Maybe I just couldn't figure out how to fully appreciate this film. Perhaps I'm just not an owl person.
My Rating: ** 1/2 out of ****
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