Legend of the Guardians

Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga'Hoole - Dir. Zack Snyder (2010)

Legend of the Guardians could be considered Watership Down with owls instead of rabbits. Though it may be an animated film with talking animals, it's hardly a shiny happy movie for kids. Guardians is a little darker and a little more violent than your normal children's fare.

Soren (Jim Sturgess) and Kludd (Ryan Kwanten) are brothers still learning how to fly. Kludd is jealous of the attention his family heaps on Soren, an idealistic dreamer fascinated with bedtime stories about the heroic Guardians of Ga'Hoole. After falling out of their tree one night, the brothers are snatched away and press-ganged into the army of Metalbeak (Joel Edgerton) and his queen Nyra (Helen Mirren). Calling themselves the Pure Ones, Metalbeak and Nyra ready their forces to attack other owl kingdoms to weed out the weak. In addition to their soldiers, the Pure Ones have slaves called pickers whose task is to gather large amounts of metal flecks. When accumulated, they generate a magnetic field that interferes with an owl's ability to fly.

Soren and an Elf Owl named Gylfie (Emily Barclay) manage to escape and traverse long, arduous distances to seek out the legendary Guardians who live in an ancient, Avatar-looking tree. After finding the Guardians, Soren is taken under the wing (pun slightly intended) of a grizzled old war veteran voiced by Geoffrey Rush. Meanwhile, Kludd willingly chooses to stay with Nyra, becoming a loyal warrior to their supremacist cause.

Guardians is based off the first three volumes of the fifteen book series, Guardians of Ga'Hoole, written by Kathryn Lasky. The film was directed by Zack Snyder and it is both his first animated movie and his first non-R-rated picture. Guardians is packed with the Snyder's trademark flourishes, mainly slow motion shots. Similar looking owls swoop at one another like WWII fighter planes. The slow motion actually helps since the action tend to look like undulating blobs of feathers. Despite that, the animation by Animal Logic (Happy Feet) is well done and the images are breathtaking.

Snyder's production is strong in visuals, but weak in story. The plot is a Cliff Notes version of the familiar hero's journey seen in countless other adventures. Snyder's desire for a darker film doesn't mesh with the studio's desire for a more family friendly tone. Serious themes of enslavement and genetic cleansing clash with scenes featuring comic relief sidekicks. Guardians simply lacks the deeper emotional resonance that Pixar has been able to capture time and time again.

Rating: * ½

Australia

Australia - Dir. Baz Luhrmann (2008)

Australia is a stirring epic that acts as a love letter to classic Hollywood and as a rallying point for national pride. At least, that’s what Mr. Lurhmann’s intentions were. Alas, his intentions far exceeded his talent as a storyteller. Ironically, the film is all about telling stories. Australia doesn’t have a hint of an original idea within its bloated two hour and forty minute runtime. Lurhmann attempts to meld new school CGI with old school Hollywood filmmaking, invoking David Lean and George Stevens. There’s even a John Ford shot that looks to be lifted right out of The Searchers.

The film begins as a romantic comedy with Nicole Kidman as the prim and proper Lady Ashley arriving in Australia to find her husband murdered and is forced to take over his ramshackle cattle farm. There, she meets the rough and rugged Drover played by People Magazine’s sexiest man of the year, Hugh Jackman. They hate each other instantly which, of course, means they’ll fall in love by the end of the first act. Lady Ashley also cares for a half-Aborigine/half-Caucasian boy who is in danger of being taken away to a Catholic-run orphanage. The purpose, to ”breed the black out of him.” Don’t forget the film’s villain, played by David Wenham (300, The Lord of the Rings), who does everything short of twirling a handlebar moustache. The movie turns into a Western where Lady Ashley and the Drover assemble a motley crew to herd the cattle into Darwin. Had Australia ended here; I’d be giving it a more glowing review.

The plot unfolds in an utterly predictable fashion and Kidman overacts a bit too much in the beginning, but the production is lavish and entertaining. Unfortunately, the film plods along into a war drama that’s as emotionally riveting as Pearl Harbor. Kidman is separated from those she loves as CGI planes bomb CGI buildings leading to big CGI explosions. The film attempts to bring to light the racial tensions that existed at the time, but tends to whitewash class and ethnic relations. It borders on condescension with its portrayal of Aboriginal mysticism.

Luhrmann hasn’t made a film since the garish musical Moulin Rouge due to developing Australia and, before that, a failed attempt at an Alexander the Great biopic. Directing-wise, Luhrmann hasn’t lost a step as he’s created a visually immaculate production. It’s a stunning picture at every level. The acting is good with Jackman in particular ably stepping into the Clark Gable role. But, the story isn’t there to back it up.

Rating: ** ½