Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga’Hoole (3D) reviewed

If the Oscar for Best Animated Feature Film was based purely on visual achievement, there’s no doubt that Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga’Hoole would be the big 2010 winner. Directed by 300 and Watchmen’s Zack Snyder, this CGI-animated family fantasy is easily the most beautiful looking movie of the year.

Legend of the Guardians is Avatar for 2010 – bulging with cinematic eye candy. But that’s not where the Avatar comparisons end. Like James Cameron’s box office behemoth, Legend of Guardians is lucky to be so pretty because it’s otherwise very flat in terms of plot and character development.


Based on the youth novels by Kathryn Lasky, Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga’Hoole centres on Barn Owl brothers Soren (voiced by Jim Sturgess) and Kludd (Ryan Kwanten), who are caught up in the plans of an evil band of owls, known as the Pure Ones. While resentful Kludd falls under the spell of Pure Ones leaders Metalbeak (Joel Edgerton) and Nyra (Helen Mirren), dreamer Soren – with an unlikely band of allies – embarks on a quest to find the Guardians of Ga’Hoole, a legendary alliance of warrior owls that previously defeated Metalbeak.

Apart from a few quirky scenes and multiple, undeveloped character inclusions (such as a snake nursemaid for the owlets) that will presumably make more sense to fans of the books, events unfold in Legend of the Guardians very predictably. The film also has a rather confusing time frame – despite being “legendary” figures akin to the knights of King Arthur’s court, the Ga’Hoole Guardians’ great battle apparently took place barely a single generation ago. That hardly makes the Guardians the figures of murky myth, yet characters have largely forgotten about them.

Clearly multiple things have been lost in compressing 3 books into one 90-minute film.

Then there’s the grating – at least at first – use of Australian actors for most of the film’s vocal cast. This may be purely a matter of personal preference but I found much of the vocal acting too soft-spoken and affected-sounding as a result. Notable exceptions though are Anthony LaPaglia as conceited bard Twilight, and silken tongued Nyra, voiced by Dame Helen Mirren. Twilight and Nyra incidentally are also the best, most memorable characters in the film.


Out of interest, Legend of the Guardians has been made in Australia by the same team responsible for that other hit-and-miss animated bird movie, Happy Feet. In the case of both films, the visuals are way more impressive than the storyline.

Still, helping to redeem Legend of the Guardians a great deal is the film’s dark, sombre tone – refreshing for a contemporary animated film. Lives are literally at stake, and characters die. In this regard the movie is strongly reminiscent of The Secret of NIMH and that whole batch of “serious” animated films released during the 1980s (including Basil The Great Mouse Detective, and The Fox and the Hound). Legend of the Guardians may frighten very small children – especially in regard to the “moon-blinking” – but it’s nothing more upsetting or intense than a Harry Potter film.

Director Zack Snyder has developed a reputation for using extreme slow motion to enhance action scenes in his live-action films. It’s a love-it-or-hate-it approach, as it turns combat into a ballet far removed from reality. However, in Legend of the Guardians – Snyder’s first animated film – the results of such a stylistic choice are stunning. Highlight sequences include Soren’s narrow escape, and the storm flight. And in 3D these scenes are even more spectacular.


Although Legend of the Guardians will still be a captivating visual experience in 2D, the film should ideally be viewed in 3D as it provides 2010’s best, non-gimmicky use of the format so far. Once again then, it appears that flight and aerial combat are Hollywood’s subjects of choice when it comes to showcasing 3D as a powerful tool that more fully immerses audiences in the movie experience.

A treat for the eyes, you’re unlikely to see anything else quite like Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga’Hoole this year. It’s a pity then that the film is such a mixed bag in the end, struggling to overcome alternating flatness and oddity as it tries valiantly to establish itself as a sincere fantasy for the whole family.

Comments

Cleric said…
Mmm, I'd like to see it now just for it's visual quality :)
Anonymous said…
Sheesh, trying to find this movie in Blue Ray 3D in South Africa has so far been only frustrating.

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