Review of Rise of the Guardians (2012) by Chantal B — 11 Oct 2014

Guardians was a simply stunning visual display, With amazing performances by the actors - both animated and vocal. But that is is pretty much all you can really expect to enjoy. More beautiful than most painting in any gallery around town, it lacks the soul that made those paintings classic and immortal. But it's still concession stand for the eyes.

The story itself was full of good ideas, but none were executed with any real fulfillment. Jack is likable but fails to live up to the trickster legends of the original folk character, aside from a beginning scene which promised for a more faithful and interesting character. Instead he ended up Bland and under developed, with most of his character development being the overcoming of vices we never see. However it is refreshing to see this character cast as the hero and as a teenager rather than previous stereotypical image of the character. The other characters are also visually stunning and full of life. Much credit must go to the animators as well as to the actors. It is ultimately the story that is the downfall of the movie. Never laugh out loud hilarious, it manages to hit on every clichà (C) in the book though it distracts you with marvelous colour and panache.

For the first three quarters of the film I was relatively happy and entertained and thought that I had misjudged the film as according to its trailer. I still believe that I had gotten a better film than hoped for.

it was the last quarter of the movie that ultimately left me with a sinking feeling. The villain, Pitch, though hardly ever on screen, was effective and sympathetic enough that I empathized his plight, limited and stereotypical as he was. His ultimate comeuppance was predictable and disheartening, ending the film on a familiar note.

It's time to update our treatment of villains - not only their goals and their reasons for achieving them, but treating them as sophisticated characters as human as the protagonist. The concepts of mercy, change, and understanding are essential to civilization. While justice has its place, characters like Pitch, for who we feel Pity and Empathy, should not be treated like garbage stuffed away so as not to clutter our pretty conclusion. Even a simply apology from Jack would have softened the jarring ending. I wish theyd tried something with more humanity and less childish clinging to its cinematic predessor's skirt. Kids who see the world in black white grow into adults with similar vision - it's dangerous, believing you're always the good guy serving justice to those that deserve it. Worse, this film made a point of redemption in the story of Jack (although what he needed redeeming from was never made clear). Part of the lesson is bringing it to other characters. I feel like a better journey for Jack would have been too try and apply his 'redemption lesson' to how he treated others, rather than assuming, as others had assumed of him, that they were as they appeared.

But hey, I plan to see this again next Christmas... Or Easter. I do need an easter movie. This stuff is like popcorn for your eyes, see it for the 3D and lighting. It's worth it for that.