Legend of the Guardians - The Owls of Ga'Hoole
(PG), 110 minutes, 3.5/5
Take a little bit of The Lord of the Rings trilogy, flavour throughout with Avatar and replace just about all the characters with owls and you have the recipe for a stunning animated children's movie.
Legend of the Guardians
- The Owls of Ga'Hoole is a feast for the senses.
The 3D makes for spectacular Avatar-like flight sequences and the advances in animation brings an incredible realism to the creatures.
Acclaimed film-maker Zack Snyder is the man behind The Owls of Ga'Hoole and, quite brilliantly, he tells the story of Soren, a young barn owl kidnapped with his brother from their family home.
They are taken to an evil lair where the owlets are brainwashed into becoming soldiers for the Pure One.
The Pure One has grand dreams of unrivalled power, but he needs soldiers to make it happen.
Soren manages to escape and, with the help of a few friends, sets out to find the legendary Owls of Ga'Hoole.
The Owls of Ga'Hoole are defenders of what is good and right and will fight to keep the owl world safe and free.
But Soren only knows of them through legend and is not sure if they are real.
When he finds their remote island he must convince them of the peril ahead and get their support to rescue kidnapped owls and defeat The Pure One.
There's a lovely moral message within the story that's hopefully absorbed by the youngsters as they enjoy Soren's adventures.
There is so much to enjoy about Legend of the Guardians - The Owls of Ga'Hoole. The pictures and action are captivating, the music is dream-like, the characters compelling and the story engaging. This is one of those films that cross over - it appeals to youngsters and adults alike.
And with stars like Helen Mirren, Geoffrey Rush, Sam Neill and Hugo Weaving adding their voices, you have something special.
