Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga'Hoole
From the outside, siblings Soren and Kludd don't appear to be all that different. They're both young barn owls who are just getting the hang of flying. On the inside, though, the two brothers couldn't be more distinct.
Soren loves listening to his dad's stories of the great Guardians of Ga'Hoole—noble owls who once beat back an evil band known as the Pure Ones. For Soren, there's nothing better than to aspire to the Guardians' lofty ideals.
Kludd, on the other hand, scoffs at that idea. No daydreaming on silly stories of make-believe legends for him. He'll simply hone his flying and hunting skills and grab the things of life that he wants—including his father's favor.
It's that super-competitiveness, however, that causes Kludd and Soren to end up tumbling out of their tree to the ground, which is a dangerous place to be for owlets. In fact, for a moment it looks like the only future the unlucky brothers will have is to be a wild boar's late-night snack. But before they can even hoot in horror, they're snatched up by none other than minions of the Pure Ones and swept off to a secret lair.
While Kludd is selected to be a future soldier, his brother ends up in the slave labor corner of the camp. Things aren't looking good for Soren. And it appears that owl genocide is being planned. There's only one hope left: Someone must escape and pull together a small band of resisters. Someone must soar across the seemingly endless miles of sea to the fabled tree of Ga'Hoole and warn the Guardians. Someone must believe it can be done. And Soren thinks he just might be that someone.
Soren loves listening to his dad's stories of the great Guardians of Ga'Hoole—noble owls who once beat back an evil band known as the Pure Ones. For Soren, there's nothing better than to aspire to the Guardians' lofty ideals.
Kludd, on the other hand, scoffs at that idea. No daydreaming on silly stories of make-believe legends for him. He'll simply hone his flying and hunting skills and grab the things of life that he wants—including his father's favor.
It's that super-competitiveness, however, that causes Kludd and Soren to end up tumbling out of their tree to the ground, which is a dangerous place to be for owlets. In fact, for a moment it looks like the only future the unlucky brothers will have is to be a wild boar's late-night snack. But before they can even hoot in horror, they're snatched up by none other than minions of the Pure Ones and swept off to a secret lair.
While Kludd is selected to be a future soldier, his brother ends up in the slave labor corner of the camp. Things aren't looking good for Soren. And it appears that owl genocide is being planned. There's only one hope left: Someone must escape and pull together a small band of resisters. Someone must soar across the seemingly endless miles of sea to the fabled tree of Ga'Hoole and warn the Guardians. Someone must believe it can be done. And Soren thinks he just might be that someone.
When the projectors started rolling at the screening I attended of Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga'Hoole, several different things grabbed my attention in pretty short order. The first was just how gorgeous this animated film looks. Without question, the strikingly photo-realistic owls and colorful environments are a visual treat. The second thing, however, was how hard it is to keep track of, well, who's hoo.
Based on the first three books of the popular children's series by author Kathryn Lasky, this flick has a lot of story and a lot of characters to cover. And to my ornithologically untrained eye, one owl looks pretty much like another. These birds don't get easy cartoon names like Daffy or Woody, either. Instead, they're stuck with far less memorable monikers such as Kludd and Ezylryb.
That's almost beside the point, though, since kids—this movie's primary target—seem to be able to keep track of everything without even trying. And some of the things they'll be keeping track of while watching these birds is just how brave and heroic Soren is. Epic tales of great heroism and bravery may start to feel a bit familiar to those of us over, um, 30, but they're brand-new for 10-year-olds. And they're often worth retelling and rehearing because of how they lift us up and encourage us to make good choices in the face of difficult odds. They entertain while reminding us of where our hearts should be.
Those lessons might translate to facing down a scary test at school or standing by a friend in need. And that alone is something well worth hooting about.
But kids'll also be soaking up a surprising number of threatening and perilous moments along the way. They start when Soren and Kludd first tumble out of their nest sweet nest and don't stop till we reach the owl Armageddon ending. So don't be surprised if little ones choose dad's lap over their cold and uncuddly theater seat in the midst of battle.
I heard a fellow reviewer refer to the movie as Lord of the Rings with owls. And that might actually be a good guidepost for the kind of action to expect.
Based on the first three books of the popular children's series by author Kathryn Lasky, this flick has a lot of story and a lot of characters to cover. And to my ornithologically untrained eye, one owl looks pretty much like another. These birds don't get easy cartoon names like Daffy or Woody, either. Instead, they're stuck with far less memorable monikers such as Kludd and Ezylryb.
That's almost beside the point, though, since kids—this movie's primary target—seem to be able to keep track of everything without even trying. And some of the things they'll be keeping track of while watching these birds is just how brave and heroic Soren is. Epic tales of great heroism and bravery may start to feel a bit familiar to those of us over, um, 30, but they're brand-new for 10-year-olds. And they're often worth retelling and rehearing because of how they lift us up and encourage us to make good choices in the face of difficult odds. They entertain while reminding us of where our hearts should be.
Those lessons might translate to facing down a scary test at school or standing by a friend in need. And that alone is something well worth hooting about.
But kids'll also be soaking up a surprising number of threatening and perilous moments along the way. They start when Soren and Kludd first tumble out of their nest sweet nest and don't stop till we reach the owl Armageddon ending. So don't be surprised if little ones choose dad's lap over their cold and uncuddly theater seat in the midst of battle.
I heard a fellow reviewer refer to the movie as Lord of the Rings with owls. And that might actually be a good guidepost for the kind of action to expect.
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