Featuring a truly original story, a slew of memorable characters, and a moral lesson to tie it all together, Rise of the Guardians is a surefire hit that will ultimately prove itself as the family film of the season.
The film's premise is actually quite simple. When the horrid Pitch Black threatens to ruin the happiness of every child by replacing their hopes, dreams, and imagination with his own despair and nightmares, it is up to the Guardians to fight back and save the innocent children. But North, Tooth, Bunny, and Sandman are about to welcome a new Guardian into the mix, and he doesn't seem quite so keen on lending a helping hand.
Rise of the Guardians offers up a fluid blend of childish jokes and intelligent, sophisticated humor. Word choices and facial expressions should get the adults laughing while the inclusion of magic will have those under the age of ten shifting to the front of their seats"”if for no other reason than the surprisingly decent 3D aspect.
The cast itself is interesting as the film features a long list of Hollywood heavy hitters, but none feature a truly unique voice. It took me nearly half the movie to pinpoint Alec Baldwin and Hugh Jackman's respective characters, and I left still scratching my head in terms of Isla Fisher and Chris Pine. That isn't to say that any one of them did bad per se; it just appeared that much of their involvement went unnoticed, especially to the untrained (or uncaring) eye.
Many of the dark scenes will likely scare the very young, but to those who are old enough for it, the animation featured throughout is quite intriguing. The fantasy aspect allows for much creativity as your imagination soars, ultimately giving you the perfect boost for the holiday season.
And while the ending was a bit of a letdown (especially when compared to the film's well played opening), I cannot complain about the overall experience. In a world full of sequels, spin-offs, and reboots, Rise of the Guardians shows that at times you have to accept who you are...even if that means that people will see you a bit differently. And fans will agree with me, this film is definitely original and different. But adjectives like "fun", "exciting", and "entertaining" are just as fitting for this family holiday fair.
