'Legend of the Guardians' is a soaring visual masterpiece

Who gives a hoot about owls? Director Zack Snyder does, and after seeing his first foray into animation, Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga’Hoole, you probably will too. Legend of the Guardians, an adaptation of the first three books of the owl-centric epic fantasy series Guardians of Ga’Hoole by Kathryn Lasky, is a classic hero’s journey and good versus evil story…with wings. The hero is Soren (voiced by Jim Sturgess), a young barn owl who is only just learning how to fly. His head is filled with stories of the mythical Guardians, a band of owl warriors from the Kingdom of Ga’Hoole who are sworn to defend the oppressed--they’re like the owl equivalent of King Arthur’s Knights of the Round Table. When Soren and his older brother Kludd (voiced by True Blood's Ryan Kwanten) fall off their tree during an unsupervised flying lesson, they are rescued from a predator by two large owls and are brought to St. Aegolius Academy for Orphaned Owls a.k.a. St. Aggie’s. Out of the pan and into the fire: St. Aggie’s, as it turns out, is a front for the “recruitment efforts" of a sinister group called the Pure Ones. Led by a mysterious masked owl known as Metal Beak (Joel Edgerton) and his mate Nyra (Helen Mirren), the Pure Ones believe that barn owls are superior to all other species of owls, and they aim to conquer the other owl kingdoms. As Metal Beak is poised to wage war against Ga’Hoole, Soren receives his personal call to adventure, and he flies off to go where no owlet has gone before. While it’s easy to figure out how the story will unfold, the film does have some other surprises. This is an animated film, and far from Zack Snyder’s usual fare (Dawn of the Dead, 300, Watchmen), but it’s interesting to see his creative stamp on something like Legend of the Guardians. That means, though, that the movie has dark undertones that parents may want to look into first before taking very young kids to the screening. The action scenes are bloodless but violent, with owls in battle armor wielding metal talons and knives clawing and slashing at each other in the air. Even non-battle scenes can be unsettling, as when Soren was forced to work for the Pure Ones as a moon-blinked (hypnotized) gatherer of regurgitated owl pellets. In fact, it can be all “why so serious, owl movie?" and contrary to what you would expect from something that involves cute talking birds. The film is generally marketed for younger viewers, but the more mature themes suggest it’s also aiming to cater to adults. It’s a great strategy, but Snyder and Co. don’t quite manage to strike a balance that works for both audiences from start to finish. The first act of the film nicely details the Pure Ones’ propaganda, presents the more personal conflict involving Soren and Kludd, and tries to convince the audience that finding the Guardians is as difficult as getting to Mordor. People will wait patiently thinking “this must be building up to the most awesome avian journey and battle ever seen in 3D," but no. The set-up is almost cerebral--something adults will appreciate--but the last act is hurried, and the pay-off isn’t all that epic. Some of the film’s aesthetic also takes a dive whenever the filmmakers try to please both ends of the audience spectrum, as when Owl City’s “To the Sky" plays over a cute training montage--yes, an owl training montage!—just as people are getting goose bumps from David Hirschfelder’s sweeping musical score and calling to mind 30 Seconds to Mars’ “Kings and Queens" from the edgy trailers. So what really makes the film worth seeing? Well, everyone in the voice cast led by Jim Sturgess and Helen Mirren are great, and their performances make the computer-generated characters come to life. But the epic-level pay-off here, especially for those who will venture to see it in 3D, is the gorgeous and well-conceptualized animation. Designed and created by Animal Logic, the Australian company responsible for the 2006 animated musical hit Happy Feet, the owls and the landscapes are a sight to behold. All the animals look realistic enough without unsettling viewers and plunging them into the “uncanny valley", although trying to tell the owls apart can be quite a challenge. [More about the concept of the Uncanny Valley in animation here.] Snyder’s signature slow-motion and close-up shots also used 3D effectively, making the action scenes even more exciting. There’s an entire sequence with Soren flying into a storm that showcases some of the best visuals the film has to offer. Legend of the Guardians may not end up being all that, well, legendary, but Snyder has created a visual masterpiece that surpasses some of the best 3D efforts seen in cinemas recently. And despite the hiccups in the tone and the storytelling, it’s still an enjoyable film with engaging characters that you cannot help but hoot for. Rating: 7 out of 10 owl pellets - GMANews.TV Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga’Hoole is now screening in IMAX 3D, Digital 3D, and regular cinemas, distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures (Phils.)