Rise of the Guardians

Cast: Chris Pine, Alec Baldwin, Hugh Jackman

Director: Peter Ramsey

If I were a child, I would be mesmerized by all this. If these characters are as cool as they make it on screen, it would be awesome. I'm no longer a child yet I am still mesmerized by all this. Ditto my second statement. Rise of the Guardians has been one of the funnest animated features I have seen this year. It combines craft, a good set of (minor) characters and the charm that just gets you throughout the entire film. It may be a kid's flick but trust me, if you're looking for a fun watch, this would be it.

Jack Frost is a folklore creature (for a lack of a better term) that can't be seen by anyone. He does exist in the world, but he is not believed in unlike other creatures like him. Because he doesn't know his purpose, he tends to be mischievous and do his own thing. However, this would change when the Boogeyman attempts to take over the world, instilling fear in the world of children. Now that the children are at threat, it is up to the Guardians to protect the children. The moon, being able to communicate with the Guardians, told them that a fifth Guardian is needed to stop the Boogeyman. That Guardian turned out to be Jack Frost, who we know has issues of his own. 

During the hour and a half animated adventure, the viewers get to have a glimpse of the magical worlds that the Guardians live in. Of course, with the magical worlds come interesting characters that make their worlds fun-filled. The entire film is filled with color, and everything was cheerful and filled with wonder. The characters were all amazing, minor and major ones. They all had their quirks and their animated moments on-screen. The animation itself wasn't anything special but how the characters and splashes of color make the picture bounce, it does make the entire film whimsical. It made the audience laugh at the right times. I would have pegged this to be a Christmas film but it's set a few days before Easter (would probably explain the Easter Bunny's presence). 

Rise of the Guardians sends a message that did not strike well with viewers. It's floating there, but it didn't grasp as much as it would want to. I think that's what a good animated flick like this lacked. It was fun, it was interesting but it doesn't capture the viewer as a whole. Nonetheless, while it lacked in instilling what it meant to give out, it made up for it through the animation of the entire film. So while I wouldn't peg this against How To Train Your Dragon (a really great and underrated animated flick), I'd still watch this over again for the sheer wonder and fascination that the animators have brought on screen.