RISE OF THE GUARDIANS

2012, DreamWorks Animation

Animation

Rating: PG

Approx. 97 mins.

THE STORY:

The Guardians are a select group whose mission is to ensure the well-being of all children on earth. The members are familiar to most: Santa (an unrecognizable Alec Baldwin), the Easter Bunny (Hugh Jackman), the Tooth Fairy (Isla Fischer) and the Sandman. A threat looms in the form of Pitch (Jude Law), the Bogeyman who plans to empty children's minds of hope and belief, and fill the void with nightmares and fear. The Man in the Moon, who runs the entire show, decides that it is time to add another Guardian to the force, and chooses Jack Frost, a young adult who regularly 'acts out' as he suffers from an identity crisis. 

As Pitch works his evil, children start to lose their belief in the Guardians. They need Jack's help in their fight for survival. Though he is willing, he is distracted by his lack of memories of his previous life and his all-consuming desire to know why he is who he is. Eventually, he remembers who he was, and realizes that he himself, not the Man in the Moon, made him a Guardian. Jack joins the others as a true equal to find the last child who believes in them, and together they manage to defeat Pitch and his faith-eroding nightmares.  

QUESTIONABLE LANGUAGE:

•  none

VIOLENCE:

• No real violence, but the evil character is pretty ominous and there are some fight scenes
• Sandman appears to be killed early on, but later returns good as new

TEACHING POINTS:

• Just because you can't see something, doesn't mean it doesn't exist
• Who you were is far less important than who you choose to be
• Fears lose their power if you refuse to be afraid of them

THE UPSHOT:

I was curious how this would go over, given the non-traditional depictions of the Easter Bunny et al-- Santa carries 2 large cutlasses, the choleric Easter Bunny is equally armed. The Bogeyman is exceedingly creepy in terms of his appearance, voice and movements. The themes are also pretty mature: the search for identity and self-realization. You could also read religious or spiritual overtones into the story if you were so inclined: reincarnation, abiding faith in the unseen, etc.

Shockingly, I needn't have worried since the 5 year-old in the room loved it. Aside from the idea of Santa, the Tooth Fairy and company as protagonists, there is enough humour and action to distract from the heaviness. The voices are flawless, the animation impressive, and the story refreshingly unique. 

I found it a bit dark and long, but the 5 year-old in the room didn't. On that basis... recommended.

4/5