Movie Review: Rise of the Guardians

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There aren't many movies I care to see, much less care to review, but Rise of the Guardians was worth every cent. This movie takes all your dreams and imaginary heroes, gives them validation, and then brings them to life in a delightfully fresh way.

The Rise of the Guardians is quite a hit, but I barely noticed this movie had premiered due to surprising and severe under-advertising for a movie with such a star-studded cast. Chris Pine voices the lead character, Jack Frost, and though I've been a fan of Pine's since The Princess Diaries 2, I believe the directors couldn't have chosen better. Pine's blend of vulnerable tough guy with a dose of sardonic humor is just the right touch for Jack Frost, an "imaginary" hero who can't remember where he came from and can't be seen (except by other "imaginaries"). Jack Frost struggles with finding his inner hero, all while doing what's right, though he doesn't know exactly why it is.

As Chris Pine's Frost banters with Hugh Jackman's Easter Bunny, the movie's audience gets a rare treat. Hearing action figure Jackman's quips in his rarely heard native Australian accent battling Pine's sarcastic volleys will bring more than a few rumbles of laughter (if only for the funny accent). And just like the real-life Jackman, Easter Bunny can pack a wallop. He is certainly not a Bunny-Foo-Foo to be messing with, most of the time. Yet, inside that boomerang weilding cottontail is a sweet chocolate bunny who just wants Easter to go off without a hitch, so children will continue to believe in him, have hope, and save him from...melting (?).

Helping Easter Bunny save, um, Easter, is ironically, Santa Claus, voiced by Alec Baldwin with a Russian (I think) accent. Tattooed guns of Naughty and Nice introduce this brawny character who seems to be the leader of the Guardians, if anyone but the Man in the Moon can be called such. Santa first sees the impending doom from Jude Law's Boogeyman threatening to steal all the joy from children everywhere, and thus the identities of the Guardians. Baldwin as Santa is brilliant, so much so that I had no idea the voice belonged to Alec Baldwin, of all people. Yes, Santa is jolly, but that big ole' belly doesn't just house a bowl full of jelly. His center is full of wonder and more than a little intuition.

As Law's Boogeyman threatens more and more of all that we hold dear, he really does own the market on fear. This disillusioned, embittered character can become quite dark at times (think Loki from The Avengers), possibly inducing in younger viewers the Night-Mares he's so fond of. However, if your child can stick it out until the end, we're all taught how to deal with such fears. Like Loki, the Boogeyman has deep-seated emotional issues rooted in his envy of all the adoration and trust bestowed on the Guardians by children throughout time. He's less of a bad guy, than a misunderstood child who's considerable talents are misdirected...and can throw a mighty temper tantrum. He spends his time, along with his amazingly animated Night-Mares, trying to see that the Guardians become exactly what he is: alone and invisible.

The final two Guardians are Mr. Sandman, Boogeyman's most direct enemy in the dream business, who has no voice, which is surprisingly comedic, though he's no pushover, and the Toothfairy, voiced by Isla Fisher, who rounds out the group with some feminine compassion and is a treat for all the little fairy fans out there. Though these two make less of an immediate impression, they bring a completeness to the group that would be lacking otherwise. By the end of the movie, there is no doubt that Mr. Sandman is not just a snooze-fest, and the Toothfairy embodies everything a fairy should be.

This movie is a fabulous family film, which spans all the holidays, despite a wintry setting. Not a curse word or bad attitude to be had (other than the bad attitude we're all rooting against, of course), though there is some violence.  The message is that there's a little bit of a hero in all of us and that we can only be harmed by what we allow to harm us. It even teaches compassion and understanding for the "bad guy." However, it's not just a family film. The mood lends itself to the adults in the audience who want to experience the innocence of being a kid again, or just want to watch something that will have them hanging on the edge of their seats...okay, maybe just sitting up a little straighter. After all, it is about heroes that are simply imaginary. Or are they? It all depends on whether or not you believe.

To check the appropriateness of this movie for children, a good break-down of the content is found here.