Rise of the Guardians (2012) User Reviews

'Guardians' gives kids some holiday inspiration

[Lepidopterous_ · 7/10 · 11 November 2012]

Here's a fresh look at old tradition: a tatted-up Russian St. Nick and an Australian kangaroo-looking Easter Bunny. Rise of the Guardians is based on an original children's book series by William Joyce, who produced the film along with Guillermo Del Toro. The books were inspired by the author's 6-year-old daughter when she asked him if Santa Claus and the Easter Bunny knew each other.

Admittedly I was skeptical going in, but the chemistry of personalities works wonderfully. It creates an original formula that goes against certain expectations. Perhaps one improvement in potential sequels would be to focus more centrally on Santa (or "Nicholas St. North"), but Jack Frost's story is incredibly touching and I found it clever how it parallels the antagonist's motives. The film is slow to start but picks up at a fast pace with non-stop action. By the end, the entire movie theater was in applause.

Rise of the Guardians is a cute, adventurous, and heartwarming family film that focuses on hanging on to the best thing about childhood: belief.

Delivers the goods - for kids and adults alike.

[Troy_Campbell · 7/10 · 4 December 2012]

The first major family flick of the holidays, this Avengers-for-children boasts the most epic line-up of characters you're likely to see this Summer: Santa (Alec Baldwin), Easter Bunny (Hugh Jackman), Tooth Fairy (Isla Fisher), Jack Frost (Chris Pine) and the dream-making Sandman going up against fear himself, Pitch Black (Jude Law). It's a neat concept to begin with, but Dreamworks amps up the fun by contorting our preconceptions of these icons – especially the Easter Bunny, here played as an ocker warrior – and delivering the goods in humour, emotion and action. It goes a moralistic touch too far on occasion, and the story is certainly predictable, but the overwhelming sense of giddy excitement running through the movie's veins outweighs any plot contrivances or missteps that occur. A sweet start to the festive season for kids of all ages – including those in adulthood.

Endless Wonders

[billygoat1071 · 8/10 · 3 December 2012]

Rise of the Guardians has a lovely concept about these imaginary childhood legends. It tells a fascinating new mythology about them. It sets out to be highly imaginative and thoroughly heartfelt. With these people making this film, there is no surprise that they succeeded to execute those ambitions. Though, the storytelling is a bit messy with endless action set pieces. Despite of those flaws, it's still whimsically magical and heartwarming.

The story centers a childhood guardian, Jack Frost. Among the guardians, he's the least known and believed by the children. It's pretty interesting since most of us only know very little about him, we intend to intrigue about his story. When it goes to the famous legends, it gets bigger and quicker with plenty of humor. The film is also an action movie. The action scenes are amazingly done and eye candy, but they somehow get excessive causing a bit mess to the storyline. It's charming when they go to their relationship with the children, and it's appealing when it explores to their worlds.

The characters are wonderful enough. The voice performances are great. Chris Pine's performance is charming enough to keep Jack Frost pretty endearing. Alec Baldwin brings plenty of joy to his character. Hugh Jackman uses his Australian accent to the Easter Bunny which really fits to the character. The rest are expectedly delightful.

The visuals are undeniably astonishing. Every scene of the film is spectacular and beautiful to look at, making the experience very magical. The 3D enhances the experience more or less. The character designs are inspired. I bet many would love the Sandman's that looks so lovable. And the music score adds sweetness to the sequences.

Rise of the Guardians is a little bit disappointing but also a bit satisfying. It has the heart in a right amount but only the half of the film. The rest is all action and having fun, but it's not a bad thing. They just could have moderated the craziness and get a bit of focus to the storyline. The film is still worth watching. It can be a classic if it has a better storytelling but if you don't care then that won't be a problem. Overall, it's filled with excitement and beautiful animation. Rise of the Guardians can be considered one of the great films of the year.

An infusion of magic and warmth

[lakshanyalikitha · 28 November 2012]

Rise of the Guardians is capable of giving both adults and their kids a wonderful time at the theatre. I am from a culture that does not ascribe to all the characters from this exceptionally beguiling animation nevertheless even I fell for its charm. That goes to say that people from all cultures, irrespective of their age group could walk into the theatre and be amazed at the awakening of their inner child. Jack Frost was my personal favourite in the cartoon and his story is one that could touch your heart. Many might even be able to identify with him and the trouble that plagues him which is resolved at the end of the story- 'to be invisible'to others. The liberty the creators of this animation took with the 'Guardians' especially the way Jack Frost was depicted,was a delight to me because I had always imagined him to be a a old man with a blue sheen to his skin and a wicked glint in his eyes. Jack Frost in the Rise of the Guardians on the other hand- well go catch it at the theatre and you will know what I am talking about. All in all, it is a heart- warming story with non-stop action, certain scenes to get you to crack up and a message that is very much familiar to most of us but still one worth being reminded of- have faith and belief!!!

Pretty good--and the star is definitely the animation.

[planktonrules · 7/10 · 25 December 2013]

Before I discuss what I thought of this film, my oldest daughter insists I talk about the film as seen in theaters. She LOVED the animation and when we watched it on Cinemax HD on our large HDTV, it apparently lost a lot according to her. A lot of the wonderful details were lost and the beauty of the film was lost--at least to some extent. Just thought I'd mention this.

As for the film, the plot is quite strange. Among the many fictional characters (though they are real in this film), the Boogeyman is intent on filling the world with awful dreams and driving out all sense of hope or joy. To counter this, Santa, the Easter Bunny, the Tooth Fairy and the Sandman all seek out a new guardian--a strange character that will help them fight Mr. Boogey. This character is the hipster-like Jack Frost. Together they do battle to save the children of the world and keep faith in them alive.

Overall, while a gorgeous film, the plot is a bit limp and is more of an excuse to show off the lovely CGI. Not a great movie but worth seeing. I especially liked Alec Baldwin as the Russian version of Santa--what an interesting accent and characterization.

Truly the most wonderful movie I have ever seen

[writeherrerajc · 10/10 · 23 November 2012]

I am 24 year old fairly macho male,but I love animated movies. Me and my wife went and saw this movie on date night and hands down best Christmas movie of all times. It was full of wonderment,amazement and magic.I teared up at least 4 different times during the movie. It made me feel like a kid again it made me believe. I found myself gasping and laughing at the same parts as the the 3 year old little girl sitting 3 seats away was and any movie that can do that is worth seeing. best holiday movie of all times.

I am the wife :) and I found the movie to be equally moving and evoked emotions about the holidays and that I hadn't felt since I was a child. This may seem like a simple children's movie, but it is so much more than that if you really allow yourself to feel the characters. :) I hope you and your family enjoy the movie as much as we did!

An imaginative and epic adventure that exceeded my expectations

[gavin-thelordofthefu-48-460297 · 10/10 · 4 December 2012]

Before the end of the thanksgiving weekend I had with my cousins, I went with my brother to see this particularly in 3D, hoping that it would exceed my expectations as the trailer had promised. Later, after seeing the movie, I couldn't believe that my expectations were raised by not only how interesting it look, but how beautiful it looked. So, are there any flaws? Well, let's just say that there is one for it does drag a bit on the middle, but there isn't anything else to fault this epic adventure with.

Some people may find the story of this movie predictable due to it's good vs evil concept, but for me, I don't think it was that bad. It had it's heart in the right place and has some nice messaging about using your courage and it did got me shedding some tears since it reminded me what it's like to be a child. The dialog is also witty and the script is refreshing and funny. What I also like about the story is how it focused on Jack Frost's origins and how he came to be. I would've like to see the origins on some of the other childhood icons like Santa Claus, the Easter Bunny, the Sandman, and the Tooth Fairy, but I think that Dreamworks Animation is saving those for the sequels if they ever make them. The music from Alexandre Desplat is beautiful, tear-jerking, and whimsical and it's orchestra is well done which makes it one of his best music in a feature length film.

There are some other redeeming aspects of the movie. First, there's the characters which are likable in every way. Jack Frost is a charming lead, Nicholas St. North (or Santa Claus) is a bada** character with his Russian accent and has a sleigh machine, the Sandman is silent, but that's what makes him more interesting and his comedic moments is funny, the Tooth Fairy (or Toothiana) is a beautiful female character and the way she explains her ways of getting all of the children's tooth is well thought out, and Bunnymund, the easter bunny, is a great fighter and by the far the most hilarious character that most people would adore. Pitch, however, steals the show and is a great villain thanks to Jude Law's menacing voice-work. In fact, the voice acting for the character is great especially Alec Baldwin who was a great surprise being here. The fight sequences and the chase scenes are not only amazing, but exhilarating, but the strongest aspect goes to the animation.

It's character animation is well inspired and creative, but what stands out the most about the animation is it's visuals. The places are amazing in scope including the North Pole, the Toothfairy's land, Pitch's evil lair, the Easter Bunny's home with the eggs being the highlight and more. Looks like Dreamworks Animation never fails to amuse me with their beautiful animation.

Overall, Rise of the Guardians is by no means a classic and with all of my heart, this deserves some recommendation to those who haven't seen it yet. Go watch it! It's that good just like Disney's Wreck-It Ralph.

A Nutshell Review: Rise of the Guardians

[DICK STEEL · 10/10 · 22 November 2012]

I thought I was probably in a period of time where it would be difficult to sit back and enjoy what is an animated film aimed squarely at kids, but I was indeed surprised by how Rise of the Guardians, based upon The Guardians of Childhood series created by William Joyce, actually encapsulated all the good stuff, from quality of animation, voice casting and to characterization that was pretty basic but good fun. There are many in the same class of late that tried to be too intellectual, but by keeping things simpler, and never forgetting the fun element, Rise of the Guardians stand out from the pack, and dare I say one of the most enjoyable animated movies of the year.

This is the story of a new Guardian, Jack Frost (voiced by Chris Pine), who's about to join the ranks of other luminaries such as Santa Claus (Alec Baldwin), The Tooth Fairy (Isla Fisher), Easter Bunny (Hugh Jackman) and very silent Mr Sandman, all of whom thrive in today's world being the beacon of hope, and everything good, to all the little children of the world. Chosen by The Man in the Moon, the Guardians and the children form a very symbiotic relationship, that the chosen few are there to safeguard the well being of the young, while the latter fuel the powers of the Guardians through sheer belief in their existence. Lose one, and you lose the other side quite quickly.

The narrative develops at breakneck pace, with introduction to the Guardians, their abilities, and the threat from arch enemy Pitch Black (Jude Law) being the boogeyman personified, thriving on fear and nightmares, and hell bent on snuffing out hope and joy amongst the children. There's a running theme of being alone, and forgotten, that pops up every now and then, being the common thread between antagonist, and the new kid on the block, who is confused as to who he is, and what his destiny lies ahead. It's somewhat of a zero to hero story, about finding one's purpose and calling in life, and the making of sacrifices to get there. Wholesome themes somewhat, for young ones to be able to sit through and enjoy.

We would already be very familiar with the many main characters such as Santa Claus, Tooth Fairy, Sandman and Easter Bunny, but what Rise of the Guardians managed to do, is to introduce a little spin of fresh air into these characters, making them unique yet retaining many of their iconic traits that make them who they are. This is something I'd really liked, and had kept me engaged, eagerly waiting for yet another surprise to pop up now and then. Santa Claus complete with tattoos, swords and a thick Russian accent? The Tooth Fairy who is part hummingbird? The Easter Bunny as Australian and with something kept up the sleeve by the story tellers for the final act, and how about The Sandman who's a lot more powerful than he looks? And they offer a lot more in terms of abilities, cause and what they bring to the table, limited only by the powers of the filmmakers' imagination.

It's preaching fun, and never to lose sight of having a little fun in life, and the movie walked the talk by filling itself with plenty of side gags, contributed by the many supporting acts each established Guardian came with, such as Santa's tiny elves, and Tooth Fairy's lovelorn fairies who swoon at the presence of Jack Frost, for his perfect pearly whites of course. You'll never look at Santa's lodge and elves in the same way ever again, nor will you at the Tooth Fairy's and Easter Bunny's operations. These unique perspectives, seen and told through the eyes of the protagonist Jack Frost, makes it a journey that we're emotionally vested into from the start, right until the end, and to me they did not disappoint a bit.

While I hadn't watched this in 3D or IMAX versions, there are enough set action pieces that tried to exploit these formats, which I suppose either format would have enveloped the viewer and provided a more vivid experience, especially with characters being made to pursue and battle each other in the air, or the numerous extravaganza moments where the prowess of the characters will wow. The quality of animation is superb and is the score contributed by Alexandre Desplat, and again, the simple tale, its treatment and development, are refreshing in not biting off more than it can chew.

Director Peter Ramsey has now launched his career with a very solid delivery of a film for children, and balanced this appeal for the adults as well. I'm already all for a sequel should one be created, but as a standalone, this one is definitely for keeps. Highly recommended!

The villain is cool.

[ITALUKE · 7/10 · 10 March 2022]

The movie animation looks amazing even after 10 years. I am not sure if this could be called a Christmas movie or not. It made me feel in an holiday mood during March so yeah I'd say it could be.

A Movie Destined To Become A Classic!

[patsworld · 9/10 · 30 November 2012]

This movie is magical and utterly charming. In this film DreamWorks did it all exactly right. Every voice is precisely as it should be. Perfection! Chris Pine, Jude Law, Hugh Jackman, too many to list …if you didn't know that was Alec Baldwin doing the Russian accent for Santa, you would never guess it. The characters, all of them, are endearing, totally engaging. Sad moments, glad moments, hilarious moments. I haven't laughed this much in an animated movie since….well, never, actually. As I said, this one is destined to become a classic. A wonderful family movie and best of all it doesn't just appeal to the children, adults will love it too. Every adult in the audience,while I was there, seemed as captivated as the kids. And how many movies do you go to these days where, at the end, people applaud? They did for this one. And rightly so. I know I came out of that theater wishing I could somehow have my own Little Baby Tooth...and the friend I was with wished even more that she could have one of the Feisty Elves. You'll totally understand what I mean after you see this delightful movie. Don't miss this one!

Cute

[gianmarcoronconi · 7/10 · 25 September 2021]

Very cute cartoon with many mythological figures for children, really cute and spot on even if at times a bit obvious. Film suitable above all for children, it does not entertain too much but is still watchable and also enjoyable.

Best Holiday Movie Ever!! A Must See if You Like Animated Movies!

[JDKukis · 26 November 2012]

What can I say about this movie that explains how amazing it is? I don't think words can even describe how amazing this movie is. I am a 15 year old boy and love animated movies. I can't get enough of them. I love what Dreamworks has done in the last 4 years. They have stepped up and brought us Megamind, How to Train Your Dragon, and now Rise of the Guardians. I think they really captured each character perfectly. Jack Frost, Santa (North), Easter Bunny, Sandman, and the Tooth Fairy. This movie made me believe in these characters and made me feel like a kid again. It was dark a certain parts, but that is what is different about Dreamworks movies. They always have a sense of darkness in their new movies, that I really love. I don't really call them kids movies, I call them just animated movies. Labeling them as kids movies to me would be wrong. The story in Rise of the Guardians was fantastic and sad at times. I don't want to give anything away, but I will say be prepared to be surprised and shocked. This movie was visually stunning in 3D. If you are going to go see it, see it in 3D if you can. You will not be disappointed. The voice acting is brilliant and each actor and actress fits the role perfect. Many people thought Chris Pine's voice would not fit Jack Frost, but I think it fit perfectly. All the actors brought the characters alive and gave them a since of realize that make you believe they are even more real. Why do I give it a 10 out of 10, well because it deserves the best rating for making me believe and feel like a kid again. Not any other movie has ever done that before. Go see it for sure, even if you don't have kids to bring with you.

I would see this again in a second I'm already making plans to take friends to it

[angiequidim · 10/10 · 23 November 2012]

Sean McQuillan www.thatsmye.com

Dreamworks animation has not quite had the success rate of Pixar, but if Rise of the Guardians is any example of where they're heading, they're on a good path. RotG is like a League of Extraordinary Gentlemen of children's fables that band together to protect the children of the world from fear itself. Led by Santa Claus, the Guardians include the Tooth Fairy, The Easter Bunny, and the Sandman. An old evil that thrives on the fear of children is returning, and the powers that be have chosen a new guardian to rise to the occasion, Jack Frost. Can Frost rise to legendary status of his peers? Will he be able to dispel fear and bring joy to the children? It's an amazing ride through fantastic worlds to find out.

The design of the characters really drew me into this one, when I first saw the trailer. Santa is an enormous, tattooed, urshanka wearing, sword wielding, commander of Yetis. Tooth Fairy is designed after a beautiful humming bird, as are her fairy minions. The villain has a sleek design with piercing eyes. I was not disappointed. This movie is beautiful. The set pieces are brilliant and epic, yet subtle. You can see the influence of Pan's Laberynth Director, Gillermo Del Torro, who was an executive producer here. The animation is great, and makes real good use of the 3D, which I fully admit I normally dislike.

The voice casting is superb, Chris Pine holds his own as Jack Frost, while Alec Balwin is almost unrecognizable as North (Santa). The biggest highlight for me is Jude Law as the villain. You can hear a snippet of him in the trailer. The children in the room have young voice actors, but are all greats.

The review might seem a little unbalanced, but I'm really struggling to come up with any big flaws. It is a great film for children and adults alike. Some people say it might be too scary for kids, but at its core the movie is about overcoming fear. It is an epic romp. It's not really a Christmas movie, as much as a winter movie. Go see it! Here's a trailer and character posters to hold you off until it's released.

How to beat the Holiday nightmares with Rise of the Guardians

[deewells · 7/10 · 24 November 2012]

William Joyce's collaboration with Dreamworks is an imaginative family film with a cluttered plot and brilliant animation. The film revolves around baddie Black Pitch's(Jude Law) attempts to bring Nightmares to children that are safely apprehended by Jack Frost (Chris Pine), Santa Claus(Alec Baldwin), the Tooth Fairy (Isla Fisher), the Easter Bunny(Hugh Jackman) and the Sandman. Based on the book, Guardians of Childhood by Joyce (Director and Author), the movie is about hope and joy fighting fear and nightmares. Timed to perfection this Dreamworks Joyce 'escape the house,in laws and steps over the holidays and watch a film' advert is bound to be a winner with families all over the world.

High expectations lived up to...

[TheLittleSongbird · 9/10 · 2 December 2012]

As a big animation fanatic, I was very keen to see Rise of the Guardians as it did look like an very interesting film. I have to say that it was high expectations lived up to. The best animated movie of the year? Not sure, ParaNorman and Frankenweenie were a little better(can't wait for Wreck-It Ralph), but I do think it is in the better end of the movies of the overall year so far. Was there anything that could have been done better? Well, I did think the movie drags a little bit in the middle. However, there is very little to fault anywhere else. The animation was amazing, the characters were well-modelled and the colours and landscapes were really beautifully realised . Alexandre Desplat's music score has the right amount of sparkling adventure and whimsical fantasy. The writing is thoughtful and well-balanced, not coming across as too childish for adults or too confusingly sophisticated for kids. The visual puns were marvellous, Pitch's night-mares(very spooky) and Bunny's egg-plants were the highlights. The story was a winner too, some may find it predictable(the good vs. evil concept is not necessarily new territory) and dull, I didn't think so at all, some of the middle is not as securely paced as the rest but the chase action and battle were exhilarating, it was fun and it does have a refreshing holiday feel as well as a meaningful message. The characters have distinct personalities and have a definite charm to them, hard to decide who was my favourite. The voice acting was terrific, nobody was bad, Jude Law is suave and sinister and Hugh Jackman is very funny. But Alec Baldwin was a huge surprise, partly because he was totally unrecognisable. All in all, a great animated movie that completely lived up to my expectations. 9/10 Bethany Cox

classic characters not quite a classic

[SnoopyStyle · 7/10 · 5 September 2013]

The Man in the Moon has selected Jack Frost to be the Guardian to do battle with the evil Pitch Black. Jack Frost is joined by the Toothfairy, Sandman, Easter Bunny, and Santa Claus.

This is a DreamWorks Animation, and it looks good. Certainly it's not groundbreaking, and the selection of classic characters just adds to its feels of unoriginalness. It feels like a slightly different take on the same old stories. And it doesn't help that the characters seems to have powers coming out of the blue. The rules of the movie are never laid out solidly.

There is a sub-story of the need for kids to believe. I think it is the bigger theme that needed to be put up front and center. The kids needed to be the lead especially the last one to believe. As it stands, the movie is a nice story. But I doubt it will be a classic years from now.

One of the Best Movies I've Seen in a While

[silverbillings · 9/10 · 23 November 2012]

Rise of the Guardians is probably one of the best movies I've seen in a while, besides seeing Wreck It Ralph last weekend (also a must see movie for a blast-to-the-past) I loved this movie, cried during most of Jack's story, I know the feeling of being alone and feeling like I'm invisible/under appreciated/ignored/looked down upon. I would defiantly recommend it to any age, it gives you a total blast to the past of being a kid by bringing together all of the childhood hopes and dreams you had before they were crushed. The animations was excellent, the storyline was so sweet, and I can not wait to hear if there is going to be a second movie or not.

Just about has all the right ingredients...Almost

[KineticSeoul · 7/10 · 29 November 2012]

Now this isn't a great CGI animated movie but it's a entertaining one that the whole family can enjoy. Except maybe the people that gets really offended by others believing in myth and holiday character. What this is, is basically a superhero movie for kids with myth and holiday characters. Such as Santa Claus, the Easter Bunny, the Tooth Fairy, the Sandman and the new recruit Jack Frost. I won't get too detailed with the plot but it seemed like the makers put quite a bit of thought into it. Although there is a bit of plot-holes than and there. So Jack Frost is the new recruit that is all about fun and games and he is asked to join the Guardians a group of myth and holiday characters that watch over and protect the children. So it's basically about a guy that thinks he can't do anything put up against a big task. Basically to stop the Boogieman from harming the children. This similar premise has been done before a lot and it goes in a pretty predictable direction. But it does try to bring out some emotions and it works alright. But the thing is this movie just doesn't leave an impact or has that flare to really make it stand out. The 3D was sorta fun and it is used quite a bit in this but I personally wasn't super immersed into the movie. The action sequences is cool and it did seem like it had the right formula but it just seemed to have missed some special ingredients. It just about had all the elements to be a great movie but it missed out by some margin. It felt like watching a cool Saturday morning cartoon except with amazing animation. Overall it's still a entertaining family movie that adults and kids can enjoy.

7.4/10

Rise of the Guardians — Quite an interesting take on children's beliefs

[AvidClimber · 7/10 · 8 January 2013]

Rise of the Guardians is an interesting take on some of the major beliefs of children, some of which are geared toward capitalist consumerism. That being said, their spin caught me a bit off-guard. I guess I didn't pay enough attention to the preview. It was a very pleasant surprise, especially for Santa Claus. He rocks! The Easter Bunny... well, he's interesting, but his world, not so much. I guess they spent more time on the northman. The others are somewhere in the middle.

Now, there's a few weak moment in the movie, where the script gets too predictable and the dialogs a bit lame. If they could have applied themselves to the whole movie and each of the characters as they did on the North Pole and its denizen, we'd have had a masterpiece.

I must admit though, that they did a good work on the animation style. Even though it's not highly polished, it has flair, and a certain personality, so there's some good there. It's also touching at time.

Overall, it's a good movie to watch. Just don't expect a stellar story line.

A Few Bright Spots in an Overall Glum, Dark Production

[RichardSRussell-1 · 4/10 · 29 November 2012]

The Guardians here are not the owls of Ga'hoole, nor Green Lantern's Oans, but rather fairy-tale creatures from Earthly legend — Santa Claus (here called North and Russian from the sound of him), Bunny (guess which holiday, and sporting an Australian accent and golden boomerangs), Tooth (leader of, and only adult in, a veritable air corps of fairies), and Sandy (the Sandman, where they saved on casting costs by giving him no dialog) — and the thing they're supposed to guard is, I guess, the innocent sense of wonder of the world's children. Standing in opposition to this is the boogeyman Pitch Black. Since my attention wandered often during the movie, I imagined a method actor approaching the director (Peter Ramsey, in case you care) and asking "What's my motivation here?", because ole Pitch is out to replace all children's dreams with nightmares for no obvious reason other than that's his thing.

Invited into this mix by the Man in the Moon (who seems to pull a lot of strings without ever saying a word) is Jack Frost, a young guy who walks around barefoot on frozen lakes and has been doing so for 3 centuries without any idea of who he used to be or why he got stuck with the job of frostifying stuff. He's kind of lonely, since humans can't see him and occasionally walk right thru him, but the MitM has him tabbed as the next Guardian, so the current lot can see him just fine. Tooth (voiced by Isla Fisher, who even SOUNDS adorable) even takes kind of a shine to him. Only they don't know if he's got what it takes to stand up to Pitch.

Standing in as representatives of all humanity's children is a small group of playmates from some anonymous small town in the US, led by Jamie, the most credulous kid on Earth, who still believes in all the Guardians even after everyone else has given up on them as a result of Pitch's machinations. His delightful little sister Sophie made me smile every time she came on screen.

There are several manufactured crises, the temporary triumph of the bad guy (ho-hum), a moment or 2 of self-revelation, and the Tinker Bell clap at the end that saves the day for sweetness and innocence. Santa's helpers (the elves literally IN their pointed hats and the big, gruff yeti) were kind of charming visual comic relief, and North and Bun were refreshingly grumpy and irritable, so credit to the screenwriters for not surrendering to convention. But the movie was both literally and figuratively dark and didn't offer much in the line of holiday merriment. Are these really the kind of folx you'd have wanted to hang out with when you were a kid? Nope. They're not such good company for adults, either.

pure joy

[Vincentiu · 6 October 2013]

splendid animation. but that is not a really surprise because technique tools solves all. but this case is very, very special. because more important than spectacular images remains its soul. and the soul is a state of joy who remains, after the end of film, fresh a long time. it is the skill of director, the merit of actors, the talent of entire team. but , in same measure, it is the merit of public expectation to discover a so rich gift, too long time expected. the best review about it is not complicated - must see it ! for the flavor of childhood, for a real watchmaker/jeweler work, for the remember authentic heroes in a period of many super heroes. and for understand than animation is a mixture between precise science and art to remind the fragile beauty, the powerful force of miracles.

This is so much better than Frozen

[calgal84 · 9/10 · 11 October 2014]

I just watched this film by accident. Was just switching channels and happened on the beginning of the movie. I could not stop watching and I'm no child. It's a wonderful animated film. The voice casting is perfect. It is visually stunning. It's story line is interesting enough for adults and enchanting enough for children, with just enough "scare" factor in Pitch to intrigue older children but not so scary that smaller children will have one of Pitch's nightmares! It's just lovely and sweet. I even had a few teary movies. It was just so so much better than Frozen, although maybe they should do a movie with Jack Frost and Elsa! This movie was close to perfect as a animated film can get.

parental guidance suggested

[shirlone · 7/10 · 3 January 2022]

I thought the animation and the plot in this was really good. It kind of dragged in a few parts but not that bad. It kind of reminds me of an avengers movie where Santa, The Easter Bunny, Sandman and Jack Frost team up to fight the Boogeyman in order to get children to believe in them again.

Odd, charming, and surprisingly deep.

[bypeterfenton · 6/10 · 15 January 2022]

Rise of the Guardians is odd, charming, and surprisingly deep. The themes in this film about the duality of being believed in and just general paralyzing fear resonate so deeply with me-I'm not sure if it's just because I'm a writer starting to establish myself and battle imposter syndrome, but I did really appreciate the themes this film explored. The art style and animation are gorgeous and it's really hard to believe this film is already a decade old. To some extent, I really think the biggest-the only thing-holding the film back is the sheer scope of it all. To create both a satisfying personal journey for the relatively unknowns Jack Frost and the Boogeyman and to create a satisfying "global scale battle for earth" to defend essentially the gods of childhood in Santa Claus, the Easter Bunny, Mr. Sandman, and the Tooth Fairy was a tall order no matter what. I commend the film for trying, but I think it shined brightest in the former.

A holiday theme avengers.

[Mysterygeneration · 7/10 · 7 July 2022]

The film examines the notion of making some well-known mythical characters into superheroes. Jack Frost (Chris Pine) serves as the viewer's entrance into this universe. Children all throughout the world are in danger from Pitch, also known as The Boogie man. The plot of the film develops quickly, and there are many instances of humor, adventure, and unexpected emotional depth. Voice actors maintain their anonymity, which is what voice actors are required to do in roles like this. The characters are rendered as leaner and meaner than what we're used to seeing.