Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga'Hoole: Movie Review

"Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga'Hoole" is the latest 3D animation film to come out this season and it promises to be one hell of an experience. Yeah, some of you might say, "Another 3D animated film, so what's to love?". We too have to admit that the influx of so many films from this genre is already getting to be tiresome but with the producers of "Happy Feet" at the helm, let's give this movie the benefit of the doubt. Read on to find out if you need to watch "Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga'Hoole".

Soren (Jim Sturgess) is a young owl who is astonished by his father’s stories of the Guardians of Ga’Hoole. The Guardians are a mythological band of winged warriors who had fought a great battle to save all of owlkind from the Pure Ones. While Soren dreams of someday joining his childhood heroes in battle, his older brother Kludd, thinks this is purely nonsense. Kludd (Ryan Kwanten) also yearns to take away his father’s affection from his brother. Kludd’s jealousy has consequences though as both owlets fall from their home and right into the hands of the Pure Ones. It is up to Soren to make a daring escape and find the Guardians, their only hope against the owl enemies.

"Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga'Hoole" was a breath-taking experience. Not only was it an action-packed film but the visuals truly sold the movie in our books. This truly changes the game of 3D animation and shows how much things have changed since the first "Toy Story" came out. There were numerous times in which we couldn't believe that this was all made in CGI. The mountains, the cliffs, the sea, the forest and even the smallest raindrop looks like they were shot using real places and things. You have to see the owls in flight to understand what we felt when we watched the film (every feather moved realistically for example) - it was just astounding. It was not all about the visual experience though as the voice-acting was top-notch all the way through. All the actors, even those with minor parts, made everything feel so natural that you'll forget that these are talking owls you're seeing. The downside for the film though is its story. It was predictable and typical. Some people might also get motion sickness with all the flying that's happening before their eyes. Also, distinguishing some of the owl characters from each other may get confusing at times. However, we must say this is definitely a must see this week.

Rating: 4 and a half reels





Why you should watch it:
- breathtaking visuals not only for the characters but also the different locales
- voice acting was phenomenal
- this was one immersing experience (more so if you watch it in IMAX)

Why you shouldn't watch it:
- the story was typical and predictable
- motion sickness might pop up for some