Review: Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga'Hoole

Director: Zack Snyder
Rating: **

Think 300. Then replace blood-spilling Spartan warriors with cute little barn owls, acting out the slow-mo fight sequences with apparently epochal consequences. It’s 90 odd minutes of pure joy, as far as the animation is concerned. Wish I could say the same about the story. This is what happens when Zack Snyder (of the 300and Watchmen fame, and anticipated Sucker Punch hype) makes a kid’s movie. The action is intense, the characters look capable of being dark and menacing; it’s almost a Frank Miller take on an innocuous genre but without the same brilliance.

It’s a morality tale of good over evil, good brother versus bad brother, and the coming of greatness of a common man, err, owl. A mercenary tribe is out to take over the owl world (read, evil) using an army of moonblinked owls (nocturnal bird equivalent of being brainwashed), and some mysterious material (owl equivalent of nuclear weapons, let’s say). The bad brother, Kludd, is taken under the evil owls’ wing, while the good brother, Soren, escapes and finds the fabled guardians (read, heroes). The guardians live in a mythical place that could be Na’vian Pandora. The ultimate showdown makes for a breathtaking 3D SFX orgasm, and you can tell that Snyder’s love for graphic action sequences takes over here, stopping just short of a bloodbath. Kid’s film, remember?

The trademark Snyder slow-mo action looks brilliant, and they would have been the highlight of the movie, if there wasn’t one every two minutes. Some of the best moments are Soren’s soul flight in the storm, and the laser-show-like climax. The voice talent is some of the finest—Jim Sturgess as the voice of Soren, Helen Mirren as the sorceress Nyra.

I’ve not read Kathryn Lasky’s books, on which this is based, but Tolkien’s influence is evident—the defeat of the super-villain has similarities to the first fall of Sauron.

Don’t expect this one to blow you away like Wall E, or even warm your heart like Up. Watch it nevertheless for the animated extravagance.

- Sarit Ray

This review was originally written for gqindia.com (Click here to see...)