‘Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga’Hoole’
Warner Bros. has released its Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga’Hoole on DVD (Blu-ray and Blu-ray 3-D combo packs as well as single-disc DVD). It’s high-flying animated adventure for a family audience, and KIDS FIRST! reviewer Anthony Aranda (8 years old) gives it his two thumbs up as a film that’s “good for children, parents and grandparents.” (Watch his video review below.)
The story is based on the Kathryn Lasky novels Guardians of Ga’Hoole, and follows the adventures of owlet Soren as he discovers his favorite legends are more than just stories and he must bring his heroes back to his world to save the owls’ kingdoms from the Pure Ones. Its storytelling tradition is part of what captivated Aranda, who says, “I loved this story a lot. It was a story from father to son, from generation to generation of owls.”
Visually inspired, the film earned accolades for its spectacular landscapes and thrilling aerial chases (at least one critic put it on par with Avatar). It was directed by Zack Snyder, whose other film credits include 300 and Watchmen, and he imbues Legend with a similar intensity. As Aranda put it, recommending the film for ages five and up, “There are some scary parts in the movie that toddlers might not like.”
Voice talent adds depth to otherwise disappointingly mediocre dialog. Among the big-name stars voicing the characters are Academy Award-winner Helen Mirren (The Queen), Geoffrey Rush (Academy Award-winner for Shine, but possibly better known more recently for Pirates of the Caribbean), Jim Sturgess (21), Abbie Cornish (TV’s “Robot Chicken”), Hugo Weaving (who voiced Megatron in the Transformers movies) and David Wenham (who previously worked with director Snyder on 300).
