Reviewed by Kevin Finnerty
“It is our job to protect the children of the world. Now we face a threat greater than ever before,” says Santa (voiced by Alec Baldwin) to Jack Frost (voiced by Chris Pine) who has been selected to join the mighty four and become a guardian in the animated adventure Rise of the Guardians.
Jack Frost loves having fun and creating a snow day for the kids to play around in and have a day off from school. His only wish is that he would get a little credit for his work. Unlike the other famous Immortals – Santa, The Tooth Fairy, The Sandman and the Easter Bunny – all the young, innocent children just don’t know of or believe in Jack.
When the evil Pitch (voiced by Jude Law), the Lord of Fear, decides to launch an attack on all the children in the world, Santa gets a message from the mysterious Man in the Moon that the only way they will be able to stop him is to make Jack a fellow Guardian. This is going to be harder than even Santa thinks, especially since Jack is a fun-loving and irresponsible soul who doesn’t get along at all with the Easter Bunny (voiced by Hugh Jackman).
Fast-paced and funny, Rise of the Guardians is an animated adventure that puts a very different spin on some of the classic holiday icons. The film has a solid cast of voice talent bringing to life the classic holiday characters that are extremely different this time around from what moviegoing audiences are used to.
Alec Baldwin is great as the voice of Santa, the designated leader of the group who sounds as though he’s originally from Russia. This isn’t the round jolly old elf the world has always envisioned but a big, burly tough old man who looks as though he lifts weights when he’s not playing with his toy train at the North Pole.
Hugh Jackman is the scene-stealer as the voice of the Easter Bunny. He gives the egg-hiding rabbit an Aussie edge that’s sure to remind the audience a little of Crocodile Dundee. He also provides plenty of laughs in the final showdown between the Guardians and Pitch. And Jude Law is perfect as the voice of the evil boogieman, Pitch. He gives the villain a real essence of style and malice.
Rise of the Guardians is visually breathtaking, with the stunning animation and look of all the characters and the world they live in. The golden glow of the Sandman and his dreams as they streak the dark night sky is a feast for the eyes. The 3D technology really enhances the action in the film, making the audience feel as though they are flying along with Santa, Bunny and Jack on Santa’s magical sled or needing to duck to avoid getting hit in a snowball fight.
The only flaw with the film is after the opening scene when Jack Frost creates a snow day for the kids and chaos ensues. The action is so frenzied and hectic that it’s impossible to follow and the images on the screen become almost a blur.
Creative and fun, Rise of the Guardians is an engaging, visually impressive film that is sure to entertain the entire family and is the perfect way to kick off the holiday season.
GRADE: B
Rise of the Guardians hits theaters on November 21, 2012 and is rated PG for thematic elements and some mildly scary action.
