Bird's Eye View

The film is visually enthralling with its stunning 3-D animation and vivacious colors that take your breath away, making it seem like you yourself are a bird; travelling across the sky among the majestic clouds or flying above the vast ocean as the last remaining rays of the dying sun caressing the feathers on your body, careless and free.

Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga'Hoole is a tale of courage, bravery and nobility as a young idealistic owl named Soren, who is an avid fan of the Guardians, a legendary alliance of owls that are sworn to protect the Kingdom of Ga'Hoole, and his older brother, Kludd who is the exact opposite of his brother, are kidnapped by owls working for the evil Metalbeak one night as they fell from their tree. They are forced to become Tytos or, ironically, “Pure Ones”, Metalbeak’s army against the Guardians. Soren refuses along with his new found friend Gylfie, thus they do not become Tytos and become “pickers” instead. Kludd denies Soren and goes away with the ruthless Tytos, as he trains to defeat the Guardians. Soren and Gylfie then set out to find the Guardians, even finding themselves friends along the way.

Aside from the classic war between the forces of good and evil, sibling rivalry is also evident in this film, as Soren and Kludd battle it out brother to brother, whose relationship noticeably parallels Cain and Abel’s, claws out and feathers flying. There is no bloodshed in Ga'Hoole and no owl really dies, there are a lot of raging battles as the owls put on their masks and steel-plated talons, and it might be a tad bit overwhelming for the little ones who are used to animated films with a lighter and a much less action-packed plot, so I suggest parents use discretion before taking their kids to see this particular film.

In conclusion, the movie’s rich and seductive visuals and enjoyable musical score make up for its cliché storyline and ordinary script. That aside, Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga’Hoole is a wonderful movie that carries along its viewers into a wild and exciting ride.