Review of Rise of the Guardians (2012) by Matt L — 02 Jun 2013

Since when are Santa Claus, the Easter Bunny, and the Tooth Fairy superheroes? As children, it's not like the majority of us put Batman, Spider-Man and the Tooth Fairy in the same conversation - but, who needs Captain America and the rest of The Avengers when Jack Frost and The Sandman are watching over you? As it turns out, novelist William Joyce believes folklore characters from our childhood would make for interesting superheroes. His popular book series, The Guardians of Childhood, are the basis for the 2012 DreamWorks Animation film, Rise of the Guardians - which turn Santa, the Tooth Fairy, the Easter Bunny, and the Sandman, into heroes. Not only does Santa and the rest of their characters bring children presents on the holidays, they are also collectively members of a super group that protects children (good or bad) - known as, "The Guardians.".

Adapted to screen by David Lindsay-Abaire (Robots) and directed by Peter Ramsey (Monsters vs. Aliens: Mutant Pumpkins from Outer Space), Rise of the Guardians stars Jack Frost (Chris Pine), a super-powered young man (but at least 300 years old) with the ability to control the winter elements - including snow and ice. Struggling to remember the person he was prior to becoming Jack Frost, he is reluctant to become a new member of "The Guardians," a group that protects children. The Guardians, led by Nicholas St. North, aka Santa Claus (Alec Baldwin), are alerted that the Boogeyman (Jude Law) has returned to fill children with fear. Along with Santa, the rest of the Guardians - E. Aster Bunnymund, aka the Easter Bunny (Hugh Jackman), the Tooth Fairy (Isla Fisher) and the voiceless Sandman, aka Sandy - take on the task of convincing Jack Frost that he must become a member of The Guardians to help them stop the Boogeyman before he makes the world's children forget about all of them and force them to live in fear, forever.

The Rise of the Guardians plot features the typical good vs. evil conundrum, with colorful characters and a slew of laugh-out-loud moments. These characters stay true to their reputations and are wonderfully written and charming. Alec Baldwin is the most notable in the voice acting department since he does such a stunning job of disguising his voice for the role of Santa Claus. Hugh Jackman is clearly recognizable (and the rabbit/kangaroo references are quite funny), as is Jude Law in his role as the villain, the Boogyman - a dark and dastardly 'avatar' look-a-like. The third tier supporting characters are quiet, yet effective - which include a large group of tooth fairies, elves, walking eggs, and wookie-looking creatures. As it turns out, the elves are relatively useless in Santa's workshop, with the majority of the work being done by these Chewbacca-like wookies (that also speak in a similar manner as a wookie).

In principle, this film feels like the animated holiday version of Marvel's The Avengers. Santa is the leader, and it takes a major super villain to bring the entire team together in order to fight for the same cause: protecting the world's children. Aside from the plot, this film is simply one more film, like Toy Story or any other children's film that centers around one specific character, where the main character is inevitably surrounded by a wide-range of supporting characters with very different personalities. However, in the case of The Guardians, you really couldn't find a group of characters with less in common (different jobs) and more in common (children) all at the same time - which is the dynamic that makes the premise of this film such a unique idea.

It's difficult to find any outstanding issues with Rise of the Guardians and overall, it's a very well-rounded film. Not only does this film feature a majority of the beloved holiday characters - it's a film that everyone can easily enjoy. The film makes for a comforting trip down memory lane - a trip that the whole family should sit down and enjoy together. There's a bit of humor, a handful of action scenes, and some of the most recognizable names in Hollywood doing the voice work - all collectively creating a memorable movie experience.