0
0
Director Zack Snyder clearly knows a thing or two about making visually stunning films. His graphic novel adaptations, .nightsandweekends.com/articles/07/NW0700122.php>300 and Watchmen, were both stylish and loaded with fanboy eye-candy. When it came down to plot, however, both fell short. Now, with his first family film, Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga’Hoole, he falls back into the same pattern, mixing breathtaking animation with a confusing mess of a story.
Based on the first three books in author Kathryn Lasky’s popular children’s series, Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga’Hoole follows a brave young owl on a legendary journey.
Soren (Jim Sturgess) grew up hearing the stories of the Guardians. Though his brother, Kludd (Ryan Kwanten), ridiculed him for his belief in some silly legend, Soren always knew that the Guardians were real—and he wanted to be just as strong and as brave as his heroes.
While Soren and his little sister, Eglantine (Adrienne DeFaria), are pretty fanatical about the Guardians, though, it’s all too clear that there’s more to the story than we’re told. In fact, we’re never really told who the Guardians are—or why they’re so special. Their stories are just glossed over as beloved legends about brave, valiant owls (with strange names that are hard to remember)—and, without the vital background information about these legendary owls, the film starts off on a rather confusing note, making it tough to get into the story.
After a little bit of setup (and Eglantine coughing up her very first pellet), the action begins. While their parents are hunting for food, Soren and Kludd leave the tree and are kidnapped by a pair of larger owls. They’re brought to an orphanage, where Soren is put to work and Kludd is trained as a warrior in the service of The Pure Ones and their leader, Metal Beak (Joel Edgerton).
Suddenly, the film goes from an easy-going story about dreams and sibling rivalry to a scary story about Nazi-like owls who kidnap children, training one species to be soldiers while brainwashing the others and forcing them into slavery. It’s dark and grim and just plain terrifying—but, once again, it’s also complex and confusing. The Pure Ones are somehow using some kind of metal chip harvested from owl pellets to make some kind of strange device that’s supposed to do some kind of damage to other owls. None of this is really explained—leaving audiences to assume that there’s just some kind of mysterious bad stuff going on.
With the help of a rebellious guard, Soren is able to escape, and he and his new friend, Gylfie (Emily Barclay), head out to find the Guardians and tell them about Metal Beak and his army.
The rest of the story, then, is much like its beginning: complex, confusing, and loaded with distracting plot holes. And in the times when it isn’t violent and scary, it’s actually pretty dull.
The animation, on the other hand, is absolutely spectacular—from the massive forest settings to the minute details of each feathered owl. Legend of the Guardians may not have a solid story, but, like Snyder’s earlier films, it’s visually stunning, with 3D graphics that you’ll swear are real. So at least you’ll have something to enjoy after you lose interest in the story. But if plot is important to you, you’ll be disappointed once again by Snyder’s latest strikingly beautiful mess.
Blu-ray Review:
While Legends of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga’Hoole may have come up a bit short, its Blu-ray/DVD/Digital combo release definitely doesn’t.
The release is loaded with a wide variety of features that will appeal to every kind of viewer. For those who want more story (like me), there’s Rise of the Guardians, a two-minute deleted scene that offers that all-important background information on the Pure Ones and the Guardians. And for those who were captivated by the stunning animation, there are a number of galleries, featuring character and location artwork.
Meanwhile, for the ecologically curious, there’s True Guardians of the Earth, a longer feature—hosted by Digger and Rico Rodriguez (of TV’s Modern Family)—offering all kinds of owl facts, as well as information about owl sanctuaries and conservation.
And, finally, for viewers who just want to have a little fun, there are two games—a memory game and a game that allows you to dress up Soren and Eglantine like pirates and superheroes—and a new Road Runner cartoon.
If you’d like more in-depth information, though, you can also check out the film’s Maximum Kid Mode, a kid-friendly commentary track that includes pop-ups and behind-the-scene footage, as well as more information about owls.
So whether you’re looking for a quick game or two or some in-depth information about owls, you’re sure to find the perfect feature for you on this loaded Blu-ray release.
