Rise of the Guardians (3/12/2013)

Rated PG for thematic elements and some mildly scary action.

Starring Chris Pine (voice), Alec Baldwin (voice), Hugh Jackman (voice), Isla Fisher (voice) and Jude Law (voice)

Directed by Peter Ramsey

Dreamworks does it again!

More than a collection of the well-known childhood legends, Rise of the Guardians tells the story of a group of heroes – each with extraordinary abilities. When an evil spirit known as Pitch lays down the gauntlet to take over the world, the immortal Guardians must join forces for the first time to protect the hopes, beliefs and imagination of children all over the world.

I love my family and I love movies…and I really love when I can watch a movie with my family. With Easter just a few weeks away, we were all excited to see the Easter Bunny in Rise of the Guardians. And this is definitely the coolest Easter Bunny ever. Voice by Hugh Jackman, he looks as cool as he sounds.

Then there is the buff Santa with tattoos…that’s just awesome! The one character I wish they went in a different direction with was the Tooth Fairy. Why, she’s more of a bird… I still haven’t figured her out. But that is my only criticism. Everything else was fantastic.

Working on this review I found out that several years ago, when writer/illustrator/filmmaker William Joyce was telling his kids stories about Santa Claus and the Easter Bunny, Jack Frost and the Tooth Fairy, when he realized he didn’t really have any stories to tell. “There wasn’t a mythology,” he explained in a radio interview last year. “We have a mythology for Superman and Batman and The Green Lantern and all those guys, yet the one group of fellows that we grew up believing in—actually believing in—have no unifying mythology.”

So he set about writing one. The result was his “Guardians of Childhood” series (consisting of two picture books and three novels to date), which in turn inspired the animated film Rise of the Guardians. Once you understand that the question “Why do we know more about Batman than the Easter Bunny?” was the driving force, it shouldn’t surprise you that the story of your favorite childhood character looks more like a superhero flick. What did surprise me was just how much my whole family enjoyed it.

Besides a fun, new take on classic characters, Rise of the Guardians has a great story about team-work, courage and helping someone who is lost find their way.

There are some great laughs, some decent cartoon action and a heartwarming story. It’s “Theater Worthy” for sure.

SHOULD KIDS SEE IT?
Definitely. This is a great one for the whole family. The only concern is some of the “fighting” may be a little scary for younger viewers.

CONVERSATION STARTER

1. How would you describe Jack Frost when we first meet him?


2. What changes do we see in him by the end of the movie?


3. What is one of the biggest reasons for the change? (try to get them to say something like The Guardians do not give up on him)


4. Read Galatians 6:1, Dear brothers and sisters, if another believer is overcome by some sin, you who are godly should gently and humbly help that person back onto the right path. And be careful not to fall into the same temptation yourself.

   How did the Guardians help Jack Frost get on the right path?



5. What are some lessons that we as the Church can learn from them?