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I saw this movie in theaters in Imax 3D, and I was astounded by the visuals. The atmosphere was breathtaking, and the animation of the owls was superbly done. The musical score is incredible for an animated film. This is one of the best animated films I have seen, and as for it being CGI... this is what CGI was made for. I was more eager for the release of this film to Blu-Ray than any other film this year.
What I truly enjoyed about Legend of the Guardians is that it is not just another dumbed-down children's movie. It does not look down on the intelligence of the audience. There's no blood and gore, but the owls do wield some scary weaponry and participate in some intense battle scenes, and the tone of the story can be rather dark at times. The danger to the characters is real, and there's a good deal of tension and suspense. It reminded me of some of the older animated films like The Secret of NIMH in the sense that the movie takes itself seriously. That's a refreshing change from the usual treatment that animation receives. When I learned that Zach Snyder (300) directed the movie, I understood why, and he did a superb job. I wish more film makers would take this approach.
After seeing the movie in the theater, I became interested in the books and I have read the first four so far. If you have read the books and not seen the movie you will notice some definite differences. Some characters are added, some are not present, and some have undergone some changes. The story is based around the first three books, and much of the story in the books has been condensed. This is the result of the screenplay adaptation process. There's simply no way to fit the entirety of the books verbatim into a film. The movie would be over three hours, and even at 90 minutes, the production cost is expensive. There's also a matter of pacing the film for the audience, and having a complete story for a single film. A sequel is always possible, but the screenwriters know that they need to tell a story without the necessity for a sequel. I would have preferred a longer film myself with some more fleshing out of Soren's time in the Ga'Hoole tree, but as it is, the story is fine and quite enjoyable. If you have seen the movie but have not read the books I highly recommend them. They are written for older children, but adults can easily enjoy them, and after having read the books and watching the film again I was able to appreciate the film even more for knowing some of the smaller details better.
I recently encountered a superb deal on a 3D-capable Samsung plasma TV and 3D Blu-Ray player. Tonight I watched this movie in 3D, and it was just like being in the theater again. The visual quality is just incredible. If you have a 3D-capable home theater, this is the version you want. It includes a 2D Blue-Ray copy as well as standard DVD, so if you've been considering upgrading to 3D sometime in the near future then go for this version. It's worth it if you like the 3D experience, and it's one of only a few 3D movies available at this time.
In regards to Charles Solomon's official review of this movie... potential buyers, ignore it. Read the customer reviews instead of this recycled movie-critic drivel. Amazon, if you intend to actually sell products like movies, please find people to review them that actually want to sit down and watch them, or at least have an open mind when they do so. Solomon's review sounds like he was forced to sit through a movie he didn't want to watch in the first place and then had nothing nice to say about it as a result. I wager that he's being honest in the sense that he personally didn't like the movie, but most of us feel differently about the film, and reviews like that certainly don't do much to help your sales.
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Based on Kathryn Lasky's children's series (Guardians of Ga'hoole Complete Set, Books 1-15), The Legend of the Guardians: the Owls of Ga'hoole is an epic story of good and evil, bravery, betrayal and of doing what's right.Briefly, the story centers around Soren, a young barn owl living in the forest of Tyto, who is enraptured with the tales his father tells of the Guardians of Ga'Hoole, the great warriors and protectors of the owl world who have passed into legend. When Soren and his brother Kludd are kidnapped and taken to a deep canyon where young owls are being "moon-blinked" into mindless slavery by the evil "Pure Ones", Soren escapes with another young owl and sets out to find the Guardians and plead for their help. Once they find the Guardians, a rescue is planned and the film climaxes with a soaring aerial battle between the Guardians and the Pure Ones.
The plot is not new. Fans of Lord of the Rings and Star Wars, among others, will recognize many of the story elements and several of the characters common to films and books based on the classic "Hero's Journey". So, the question becomes have the filmmakers made this hero's journey one worth seeing? For me, the answer is "Yes". And that "yes" comes, in no small part, from how the film looks.
Legend of the Guardians is so completely spectacular to look at that I found myself able to ignore some of the issues with the plotting and the script and just sit back and drown in the visual feast. The "scenery" throughout the entire film so jaw-droppingly gorgeous in theaters translates very well to the home screen and the animation looks superb on Blu-ray. The flying sequences are not quite as breathtaking here as they were on the big screen, but all-in-all I think the film has made a successful transition to home viewing. Certainly it remains incredibly beautiful and exciting to look at. I wish all animated films offered the same visual pleasure.
Parents should be aware, though, that "animated" in this case does not translate into "kiddie-show". While there are moments of warmth and companionship and a few humorous bits, the film has a number of violent scenes and an overall intensity that might frighten or lessen the enjoyment of the under 8 crowd. I will volunteer, though, that my just under 8 year old granddaughter LOVED this film and didn't seem to find it too intense at all. So my age guesstimate might be a bit off. Since parents always know their own children and what they can handle far better than any reviewers do anyway, I offer the "8 and over" as a sort of jumping off point. :) I'll add, too, that the level of intensity I felt the film possessed on the big screen seemed somewhat lessened when I viewed the film at home.
A few additional notes on the film:
* There are a lot of characters with unusual names. Unless viewers (kids OR adults) have read the books, they're probably not going to catch or remember them all in a first viewing.
* There are a few instances where the dialogue is difficult to understand.
* The score suits the film. In parts it incorporates the human voice, as Lord of the Rings did, to effectively evoke an emotional response in the viewer. On the other hand, the song "To the Sky" (credited to "Owl City" on the soundtrack CD) was, IMO, the film's most glaring misstep. The chipper tune felt so out of place it actually made me cringe.
Some notes on the DVD (I bought the Blu-ray + DVD + Digital Copy version):
I'll admit straight off that I am not a techy person, so my comments on the quality of the video can be taken with that in mind. That said, the Blu-ray picture clarity is wonderful, the colors vivid and the sound good. For me, all are completely satisfactory. Navigation is pretty straight-forward and didn't trip me up too often something I'm thankful for and something I, unfortunately, can't say about all DVDs.
The film can be viewed in English, French, Spanish or Portuguese. Subtitles in those same languages are also offered.
Special features include:
* "True Guardians of the Earth": The animated character Digger & Rico Rodriguez (Modern Family) host a documentary about owls which presents interesting information in a kid-friendly style.
* Maximum "Kid" Mode Explore the World of Ga'hoole": Soren and other cast members act as guides for this picture-in-picture style viewing of the film. Information is offered on animation and various aspects of filmmaking and storytelling. Well done. Should be particularly interesting to young people interested in behind the scenes stuff and the nuts and bolts of filmmaking. Also included is additional scientific information about owls, their anatomy and their habits.
* Legend of the Guardians: Armor up with Soren & Eglantine: Kids can mix and match different types of owl armor.
* Match the Owl Treats: A matching game.
* "Legend of the Guardians: Rise of the Guardians": A short film about the Pure Ones and the legendary Battle of the Ice Claws between Metalbeek and Lyze of Kiel.
* Looney Tunes "Fur of Flying": The Road Runner/Wile E. Coyote cartoon featured in theaters along with LOTG. (On the 3D version of this DVD, this cartoon is also in 3D.)
* Artwork Galleries: stills of some of the lovely artwork from the film.
* "To the Sky" music video by Owl City.
For my granddaughter and me, this film was a winner and now that it's part of my home collection, I'm looking forward to sharing it with my other grandchildren over the next few years as they grow old enough to appreciate it. While the plot may be rather familiar, IMO it avoided coming across as tired or trite. That, along with the stunning look of the film, makes it easy for me to recommend it. And I do, happily.
Enjoy!
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I have been lured into watching chick flicks, or children's stories retold for adults (like "Where The Wild Things Are...ugh) and it is often a tortuous event. I dragged my feet (big time) on this one, but was out-voted. I just can't believe I actually enjoyed it! I mean, I really liked it. I would NEVER have picked this one on my own in a million years! If I were to say something negative, I would say that it got off to a tad of a slow start. That aside, this was totally unexpected, and the ANIMATION! WHOA! I just thought it was going to be some fluffy, foofy, silly little kid's thing. While the kids did love it, I was astounded at the solid good vs evil story, awesome flying and aerial combat scenes. The owls actually look like their speaking. The dramatic depiction of a very stormy ocean... mountains. I can't say enough about the graphic imagery. Just spell-binding. This is a winner.Honest reviews on Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga'hoole (2010)
The Owls of Ga'hoole was definitely the most beautiful movie I've ever seen. And it's use of 3D was amazing. I liked the use of 3D in this even better than the 3D in Avatar. It was that good.When I first saw it on the theater screen I was blown away, even from the first credits. This movie has a depth and "realism" that truly shows what 3D is capable of, without getting at all gimmicky.
The story is a general coming of age story, of myths and legends and people who still believe. It's about family, and dreams, and all the things that touch us most. The design of the owls was outstanding, giving a natural expressiveness and uniqueness to each owl was a big feat considering how expressionless and similar looking owls actually are. But the subtleties in the expressions in this movie were simply amazing to see, and each owl had it's own distinct character, look, and voice.
The backgrounds were beautifully rendered, but also very real looking. It was that golden mix of a fantasy world that looks real, without losing any of the power and message of the fantasy.
This is a good vs evil story, and the scenery reflects that, from the comfortable, normal, forest home in the beginning, to the dark and sinister mines of the "Pure Ones," to the busy and optimistic bustle of the great Tree of Ga'Hoole.
Even the water scenes in this movie were outstanding, and water can be a nightmare to animate, much less when animating feathers, and wet feathers at that.
I agree with the other reviewer who said they need an art book for this movie. Truly, if you see no other movie this year, go see Legend of the Guardians in 3D. This is one of those memories that stays with you forever. One of the GOOD ones.
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I watched this movie in 3d with my lady. This movie will just WOW your eyes. I am a movie buff, and this was the most stunning visuals i have ever seen. The owls are freaking gorgeous...lol...while watching this movie i thought to myself i actually wanted that white owl:0 The 2d version is great also. A friend came over and the kids were watching the dvd on their 37 inch hd tv...my friend was like WHAT IS THAT! lol. he couldn't stop looking at it(no joke it was that gorgeous). Had he seen it in 3d on my panny, he'd have tripped for real. If you want to get the most out your tv's visual's...this is a must buy. The 3d was better than Tangled 3d(which i still love) Step Up 3d(which is cool) and Tron 3d can't even come close...The trees, water, flying and fighting of the owls, the shiny feathers of the owls...everything about this movie...ridiculous in detail. GET THIS MOVIE!!! I know my review is saying the same thing...but i mean...you just got to see it to know what I mean. I have a panny gt25 3d tv also if that helps anyone out there looking to buy this movie. The greatest thing about this movie is that the story keeps you interested. Its not a movie where you buy only for the 3d. You will actually watch this movie...the 3d and beauty will just AMAZE you and the story is quite suspenseful. Also, I treat my 3d movies like a movie theater...meaning I wait til its nighttime, turn off the lights and enjoy.
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