{2jtab: Movie Review}
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Rise of the Guardians, directed by Peter Ramsey, is what happens when various figures from our collective calendar holidays team up to play superhero against a soul-sucking force that threatens to steal their target audience away from them. The intelligence that sharpened the idea that brings this unlikely gang together ends right there. Manic-paced and enjoyable in the most generic sense of the word, Dreamworks Animation manages to pull off the ultimate holiday-themed cash grab thanks to a splashy visual palette and a somewhat original story.
Based on a series of books by William Joyce, screenwriter David Lindsay-Abaire attempts to retain the spirit of the original narrative while jolting audiences with an engaging background for some eye-popping 2D. Clearly, the placement of mistletoe distracted him. There’s little soul left in the script after allowing the flashy design to dominate pages and pages of exposition. Funny at times, Rise of the Guardians, even for kids fare, is void of any real characterization and hearkens back to much of Dreamworks’ soulless output prior to the phenomenal How to Train Your Dragon.
Abaire forgets to include WHY it is important for children to believe in Santa Claus (Alec Baldwin), the Easter Bunny (Hugh Jackman), and the Tooth Fairy (Isla Fisher) while adapting the stories. The focus instead is on the backstory of Jack Frost (Chris Pine) as he joins their “guardian” ranks to defeat the evil influence of Pitch Black (Jude Law) as his forces work to overthrow their own after defeating Sandman.
Jealous of their consistent joy and good time cheer, Pitch sets his eyes on a world in which children simply refuse to believe in these mascots. It’s the only world he wishes to live in and it is up to the guard to work together - a bit of a struggle as the motley gang members are used to competing for holiday attention – and defeat him. Dark tones radiate as the world is devoured by his influence.
One would think (and want to believe) that the characters we are used to (and already love) would have something to say of interest. They don’t. This is your standard adventure comedy without much of a backbone. The high-flying spirits offer an effervescent buzz of good cheer but simply do not provide the reason for the season.
Its redeeming value (you know, the thing that bumps it to three reels and not just two) is that it isn’t a sequel. This is all-new material, thank god. Most of Rise of the Guardians has been assembled in an honest attempt to entertain its audience with imaginative scenes you (maybe) haven’t seen before. From the shimmering detail of Tooth Fairy’s look to the Easter Bunny’s secret lair, the movie does try to do some different things with these fabled mascots instead of being the much too obvious dollar bill heist most kid-friendly entertainment winds up being. Yes, Madagascar 3, I am referring to you.
While the visuals – imagine a tattooed Santa Claus and a gnarly-looking gigantic warrior-themed bunny delivering gifts and/or hiding eggs (and the kids don’t run away in terror) – are definitely inspired in their re-imaginings, the characters are so tamely written that only two manage to capture your attention (and that’s through their voicing alone). Pine’s Jack Frost and Law’s Pitch Black compete for the real attention of the movie and keep things from slipping into a yuletide abyss.
It’s who-am-I middle sags more than it ought to (and its not with weighty issues, mind you) and a battle-scarred ending full of superpowers and yeti attacks, Rise of the Guardians is a troubling sign of the times as it is (are you ready for this?) equally on par with Pixar’s disappointing Brave, both in tone and spirit. Has the expected creativity in animated films run its course? With only sequels on the horizon and lots of entertainment-starved children chomping at the bit for more-more-more this holiday season, Rise of the Guardians is mediocre offerings at best.
So what’s my holiday ho-ho-ho prediction regarding the success of Rise of the Guardians? Hmmm. How ‘bout this? Three sequels and two straight to DVD spin-offs.
{2jtab: Film Details}
MPAA Rating: PG for thematic elements and some mildly scary action.
Runtime: 97 mins.
Director: Peter Ramsey
Writer: David Lindsay-Abaire
Cast: Chris Pine; Alec Baldwin; Jude Law; Isla Fisher; Hugh Jackman
Genre: Animated | Family | Comedy
Tagline: The Sandman Is More Than A Dream
Memorable Movie Quote: "Wings up, ladies, and take no prisoners!"
Distributor: Paramount Pictures
Official Site: www.riseoftheguardians.com
Release Date: November 21, 2012
DVD/Blu-ray Release Date: March 12, 2013.
Synopsis: When the Boogieman launches an assault on Earth, several mythic beings team up to stop him.
{2jtab: Blu-ray Review}
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Blu-ray Details:
Available on Blu-ray - March 12, 2013
Screen Formats: 1.85:1
Subtitles: English, English SDH, French, Spanish
Audio: English: Dolby TrueHD 7.1; French: Dolby Digital 5.1; Spanish: Dolby Digital 5.1
Discs: 50GB Blu-ray Disc; Two-disc set (1 BD, 1 DVD); UV digital copy; Digital copy (on disc); DVD copy
Region Encoding: Region A, B
The reference-level 1080p/MVC MPEG-4 encode offers a vibrant and brilliant look at Rise of the Guardians. The depth of the picture and the realism it achieves is really breathtaking. Action sequences, particularly when Jack flies through town streets, are notable and most exciting with plenty of visual gimmicks and pop-up effects that engage the viewer of this 2D presentation. The vivid and pitch-perfect contrast balances the picture with crisp, clean whites and inky blacks. Delineation within the shadows is plainly visible and that, for an animation flick, is a good thing. The color palette is rich and complicated and all colors are faithfully rendered by the transfer. Individual strands of thread in the character's outfits are distinct and, as a result, the characters are more lifelike than remembered from the one shown in theaters. The Dolby TrueHD soundtrack is beyond impressive and boldly utilizes all channels with great immersive results.
Supplements:
Commentary:
- Director Peter Ramsey and producers Christina Steinberg and Nancy Bernstein provide the commentary as they cover the film’s production from start to finish. It’s a bit dry, but anyone excited by the world of animation should give it a listen.
Special Features:
Like the characters of the movie, the supplemental material offers a nice assortment of featurettes for fans of the movie. Starting with Behind the Magic, DreamWorks gets things right as you explore the filmmakers’ journey to create Rise of the Guardians’ enthralling look, characters, effects and music. It’s broken up into parts - Dreaming Up the Look, Naughty & Nice: Designing Memorable Characters, Enchanting Effects, and Creating an Epic Score - for easy navigation. Another featurette showcases the partnership between DreamWorks Animation and author William Joyce to bring his novels to life. There’s also a look at the cast and characters of the movie and dream guide brought to you by The Sandman. Also included are two Hi-Def games where you battle Sandy in a game of Rock, paper, scissors and duck snowballs in another.
- Behind the Magic (30 min)
- The Man behind the Guardians (6 min)
- Dreamers and Believers (10 min)
- Sandy’s Dream Guide (Interactive)
- Jack Frost Snowball Showdown (Interactive)
- Rock, Paper, Scissors with Sandy (Interactive)
{2jtab: Trailer}
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