Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga'Hoole

Based on Kathryn Lasky’s popular YA series, filmmaker Zack Snyder’s animation directing debut follows Soren (voiced by Jim Sturgess), a young owl entranced by his father’s tales of the mythic Guardians of Ga’Hoole, noble warriors who protect owls from the evil Pure Ones. But Soren’s jealous older brother Kludd (Ryan Kwanten) only wants to learn how to fly and hunt, eventually leading to the siblings falling from their treetop hollow into the talons of the Pure Ones. Imprisoned in an orphanage run by Metal Beak (Joel Edgerton) and Nyra (Helen Mirren), the owlets are made to sleep under a full moon in order to make them “moon-blinked”—which results in the loss of will and one’s sense of self. When Soren resists, he’s forced to pick apart pellets for mysterious magnetic particles called “flecks”—until he manages to escape with Gylfie (Emily Barclay), an elf owl. Seeking help in the Great Ga’Hoole Tree, the pair join up with Twilight (Anthony LaPaglia), a singing grey owl; jokester Digger (David Wenham); and Mrs. Plithiver (Miriam Margolyes), Soren’s nursemaid snake. They also meet Ezylryb (Geoffrey Rush), who becomes Soren’s mentor. In the meantime, Soren’s little sister Eglantine (Adrienne de Faria) is kidnapped and held hostage as the predatory Pure Ones prepare for battle against the unsuspecting Guardians. While the good-vanquishes-evil plot is a bit confusing and the dark themes are likely to be scary for younger viewers, this is an engaging fantasy, overall, and one that sports awesome animation. Recommended. [Note: DVD/Blu-ray extras include a “True Guardians of the Earth” featurette on owls (16 min.), the new Looney Tunes short “Fear of Flying” (3 min.), and trailers. Exclusive to the Blu-ray release are the “Maximum Kid Mode” picture-in-picture viewing option, the interactive games “Armor Up with Soren and Eglantine” and “Match the Owl Treats,” a “Rise of the Guardians” bedtime story segment (2 min.), a “To The Sky” music video by Owl City, four artwork galleries, bonus DVD and digital copies of the film, and the BD-Live function. Bottom line: a solid extras package—on Blu-ray—for a fine animated film.] (S. Granger)