[9.00/10] Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga'Hoole (2010)

Legend of the Guardians:
The Owls of Ga'Hoole (2010)

Based on the beloved series of children's books by Kathryn Lasky, Zack Snyder's "Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga'Hoole", follows Soren, a young owl enthralled by his father's epic stories of the Guardians of Ga'Hoole - an army of winged warriors who once fought an epic battle to save all of owlkind from the evil Pure Ones. When he and his brother become the Pure Ones' captives, Soren makes a daring escape, and, with the help of other young owls, sets out to find the Guardians and bring them back to defend their people once again. First things first, "Legend of the Guardians" is completely and utterly underrated, as Zack Snyder's very first animated feature is a gorgeously-crafted children story for grown ups, that dazzles with its unique atmosphere, spectacular visuals and thoroughly compelling story. This film may not break any new grounds in terms of storytelling, but it's consistently gripping, flawlessly-paced, and high in entertainment value. Personally, I wasn't bored for a second and I'm not sure how anyone could have been. Sure, the plot feels a bit rushed, especially in the beginning, but this is one of the few weak spots in this otherwise excellent film. With "Legend of the Guardians", Zack Snyder proves yet again what an amazing director and incredible visual genius he is, as his first first-ever animated flick is a pure CGI extravaganza, created with love, thought and passion. He truly uses all his imagination and creativity to bring this story to life, offering one of the most striking visuals and CGI characters ever put on film. The owls themselves are gorgeously designed, beautifully-detailed and nothing short of adorable! The look so real, and their eyes are so expressive and warm, it's like you could feel their emotions. Despite their common origin, every owl has its own unique look and personality, that make them so distinctive and individualistic, you won't have any trouble recognizing the different characters. The film's dark tone and gloomy, yet sophisticated graphic style perfectly suit the changing mood of the narrative and the overall atmosphere of "Legend of the Guardians". The director uses muted colour scheme accented with amber and golden tones, in order to achieve a specific mood, that while a bit too dark and scary for small children, will certainly ravish and captivate the older audiences. Snyder's trademark slow-mo sequences are as amazingly-done and breathtaking as his high-energy action set-pieces, with 'flying through the rain drops' scene in particular being absolutely thrilling and jaw-droppingly beautiful! Unfortunately, I wasn't able to see the 3D version of "Legend of the Guardians", therefore I can't comment on the 3D effects, though I'm pretty convinced those are brilliantly-done. The voice acting is also quite admirable. The voice cast is enormous, bringing together huge talents such as Geoffrey Rush, Sam Neill, Hugo Weaving, Anthony LaPaglia, and Helen Mirren, along with some less-know actors, mainly from UK and Australia. They all do a phenomenal job in bringing their feathery characters to life! With its mindblowingly sumptuous graphics, enthralling and adventurous story, and extremely adorable characters, "Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga'Hoole" ranks as one of the most imaginative animated features ever created, and it's certainly the most visually-stunning movie of 2010.