Today’s quick review: Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga’Hoole. Soren (Jim Sturgess) and Kludd (Ryan Kwanten), two young owl brothers, are thrust into danger when they are kidnapped and enslaved by the Pure Ones, an army of owls led by the evil Metal Beak (Joel Edgerton). To save his brother and the other kidnapped owls, Soren escapes from captivity and sets out to find the Guardians of Ga’Hoole, the mythic warriors who defeated Metal Beak before.
Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga’Hoole is an animated fantasy action adventure directed by Zack Snyder. The story takes place in a richly drawn owl society, where parents teach their children to fly, warriors fight with talons and blades, and little owlets dream of glory. Lavish visuals and detailed world-building give Legend of the Guardians a strong foundation to work with, but some issues with its story and presentation hold it back.
Legend of the Guardians creates a world of its own. Visually, the film goes the extra mile with its CGI. The owls are realistically detailed, from their finely rendered feathers to their bird-like movements in flight. The backgrounds are gorgeous, serene forests awash in the golden glow of sunrise and the cool light of midnight. Narratively, the film strives to build an entire society, going well beyond the minimum premise of talking owls.
Still, Legend of the Guardians is hampered in a few important ways. The film’s lavish visuals work against; its golden color palette and extraneous details can make the action hard to follow. On a similar note, the story suffers from a glut of characters with difficult names, making it an effort to keep track of. More generally, Legend of the Guardians relies too much on exposition, robbing it of some of its emotional impact.
In the end, Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga’Hoole carves out a very pecuilar niche for itself. It is an epic fantasy adventure writ small, a credible attempt at making the lives of owls as grand and as meaningful as the mightiest clash of armies. Legend of the Guardians goes a long way towards realizing this goal, with a rich world and surprisingly intense action, but it never quite reaches its full potential. Approach with caution.
For another miniature CGI take on epic fantasy, try Epic. For an offbeat animated adventure that explores similar themes with a lighter tone, try The Tale of Despereaux.
[6.9 out of 10 on IMDB](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1219342/). I give it a 6.5 to 7.0 for an impressive world and a flawed but ultimately enjoyable story.