Film Review: Rise of the Guardians
I remember the day my cousin told me that Santa Claus wasn’t real. I was devastated. Angry. Hurt. How dare he tear down the faith of a six year old? What gave him the right? As I grew older everyone else became faded memories. I stopped putting teeth under my pillows, started painting my own Easter eggs and Mr. Sandman became Nick-at-Night. However, my child-like faith was hoping for a larger spark in the new film Rise of the Guardians.
The storyline centers on Jack Frost the newest member of the troupe. As Jack is trying to find his reason for existence his fellow members are attempting to convince him that he’s been chosen to become a Guardian, the sacred elite who protect the children of the world. Although Jack doubts his calling he’s thrust into this battle of good versus evil. With the children of the world losing their sense of hope,Santa Claus, The Easter Bunny, Sandman, The Tooth Fairy, and Jack must form a holiday bond to rid the world of The Boogie Man. Thus begins the collaborativeseasonal adventure that proves that all is possible when one child believes.
Rise of the Guardians was a fun adventure but it still lacked the necessary storyline to really hook an adult audience. I found myself more engrossed in the quality of the picture than the characters that were portrayed. Although the film gave a profound message it felt like a message alreadyreceived from so many holiday movies. There is a quaint emotional draw that does exist but it stops after you realize that the characters are merely shadows of themselves.
What was most relatablewas the age-old question of “Why are we here?” “What is our purpose?” Many religions and philosophies all havetheir concept of this reality. However, in the film, Jack Frost would ask this question to The Man in Moon. Ironically, the Man in the Moon was the only character that was not voiced nor was he given a visual animation.Yet you could find yourself able to relate to the concept of sitting quietly within and asking “why?”
Chris Pine, Hugh Jackman and Jude Law are only a few of the actors that brought about such a creative rendition of our childhood fantasies. Nevertheless, the star power did very little to help with the screenplay. I think most audiences will enjoy the film for what they see but once they leave the theater they’ll forget why the guardians rose.
I have to give it to the writer that decided to put all of our childhood into one movie. It was a unique attempt on the long forgotten. Undoubtedly, this one will be a fair adventure for your children, but when the movie is finished, you’ll tuck your child in, andthe next morningits back to Playstations, MP3’s , and iPads. Why, because Rise of the Guardians merely rose to the surface and sunk again.








