Rise of the Guardians

While Marvel Comics has The Avengers, Folklore now has The Guardians. It's a superteam first assembled by author William Joyce in the book series, The Guardians of Childhood. And now, they are here for their first film, the 3D animated Rise of the Guardians.

Bunnymund the Easter Bunny (Hugh Jackman), Sandy the Sandman, Tooth the Tooth Fairy (Isla Fisher) and North, aka Santa Claus (Alec Baldwin), are all real. Together, they are The Guardians, assembled by the Man in the Moon to preserve the happiness of all the kids in the world. Meanwhile, Jack Frost (Chris Pine) enjoys his snow life, but he doesn't enjoy the fact that no one can see him.

The Guardians are forced to recruit Jack when Pitch Black the Boogeyman (Jude Law) decides to bring misery to all the kids in the world. Since the Guardians are preserved by the happiness they preserve, this is a problem. Only Jack, who actually has had the time to interact with kids, unlike the others, has what they need to shine a light on Pitch Black.

Whether in 3D or on Flatscreen, this is one of the best looking animated films around. It has colorful scenery and an amazing display of animated superpowers. When combined with Alexandre Desplat's score, the results are just enchanting. It truly must be seen to be believed.

Its screenplay, by playwright David Lindsay-Abaire (Rabbit Hole), keeps it moving quite nicely in its 97 minute runtime. It may run too fast for some, but that's a story flaw I found barely noticeable. That's because its heroes, especially the mute Sandy, are all a fine ensemble of animated folks. Meanwhile, the Guardians' supporting creatures, whether they be Yeti or Elves, provide some well-needed comic relief.

Overall, Rise of the Guardians is an animated film that's enjoyable for both kids and believing adults. As Dreamworks's last animated film to be distributed by Paramount, it is also one of their greatest.

Jethro's Note: Stay tuned to March, when Dreamworks Animation switches over to Fox, for The Croods.