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Sam Neill, Geoffrey Rush, Hugo Weaving, David Wenham, Emily Barclay ... see more see more... , Abbie Cornish , Emilie De Ravin , Adrienne DeFaria , Ryan Kwanten , Sacha Horler , Jay Laga'aia , Miriam Margolyes , Helen Mirren , Jim Sturgess , Essie Davis , Joel Edgerton , Angus Sampson , Leigh Whannell , Deborra-Lee Furness , Gareth Young , Barry Otto , Bill Hunter , Anthony LaPaglia , Richard Roxburgh , Tony Cogin , James Evans , Amanda Bishop , Lelda Kapsis , John Xintavelonis , Trent Dalzell , Andrew McDonnell

Acclaimed filmmaker Zack Snyder makes his animation debut with the fantasy family adventure "Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga'Hoole" based on the beloved Guardians of Ga'Hoole books by Kathryn ... read more read more...Lasky. The film follows Soren, a young owl enthralled by his father's epic stories of the Guardians of Ga' Hoole, a mythic band of winged warriors who had fought a great battle to save all of owlkind from the evil Pure Ones. While Soren dreams of someday joining his heroes, his older brother, Kludd, scoffs at the notion, and yearns to hunt, fly and steal his father's favor from his younger sibling. But Kludd's jealousy has terrible consequences--causing both owlets to fall from their treetop home and right into the talons of the Pure Ones. Now it is up to Soren to make a daring escape with the help of other brave young owls. Together they soar across the sea and through the mist to find the Great Tree, home of the legendary Guardians--Soren's only hope of defeating the Pure Ones and saving the owl kingdoms. -- (C) Warner Bros

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64% liked it

65,291 ratings

Critics

50% liked it

119 critics

PG, 1 hr. 30 min.

Directed by: Zack Snyder

Release Date: September 24, 2010

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DVD Release Date: December 17, 2010

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Stats: 4,873 reviews

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Flixster Reviews (4,873)

  • jmanard52
    February 8, 2011
    jmanard52
    A very visually pleasing movie, amazing animation! An interesting tale with an excellent voice cast and of course Zack Snyder's trademark super slo mo everywhere. Enjoyed this one with my daughter.
  • scottgreen96
    March 24, 2012
    scottgreen96
    Zack Snyder has stooped very low to male a film like this but there are a few good cinematics.
  • cosmo313
    October 12, 2011
    cosmo313
    This is a film based on some literature (man, I've been watching, reviewing, and re-reviewing a lot of these lately) about a young owlet who yearns for adventure and ends up being a part of a great one involving epic battles, action, and the need to save the world fro mtyrrany. Z... read moreack Snyder made an interesting career turn with this one, as it marked not only his first animated feature, but his first film to not be rated R.

    Yes, it is about owls, and I'm sure the book are for a slightly younger crowd, but you know what? I liked this movie. It's cool. Granted, I've always liked owls and thought they were cool, but still. For an animated fantasy adventure type film, it could be a whole lot worse. The film does follow a standard formulaic plot of the domination, hero's quest, and good evrsus evil varieties, but what it lacks in original plotting and underdeveloped characters that more than just archetypes, it more than makes up for it with good direction, a great voice cast made up of a few Brits and a boatload of Aussies including Sam Neill, Geoffrey Rush, Helen Mirren, Ryan Kwanten, Jim Sturgess, and Hugo Weaving among others and, the real star of the show: an absolutely gorgeous look with some wonderfully detaied photorealistic visuals. These owls and other creatures truly come alive and look real down to the smallest details. I saw this in 2D, but I got the sense that some of the 3D probably looked great and worked well in places, but not in all of them. Also, being a Zack Snyder film, the action set pieces (complete with slow-mo) are really well done and look great.

    Despite being a typical genre film, this is still quite entertaining and decent. If only the way it was executed and the story/characters could have been developed more and better, then this could have been like the owl version of Star Wars to a degree, and yes I'm serious, and will discuss it further if asked.

    All in all, not bad. It's a little silly at times, but it doesn't insult the audience's intelligence a whole lot, so that's good. Give it a shot, you might like it.
  • StarCrossedVoyager
    September 25, 2011
    StarCrossedVoyager
    Whilst the voice performances were brilliant and the visual effects were absolutely stunning, the story just doesn't take off. It's very simple, common and predictable. Nothing new was added to take the story of a young and inexperienced but talented boy that goes on a journey of... read more courage and growth to become a hero into anything more than what we've seen countless times in children's and teens movies. Generic but beautiful.
  • ythelastman89
    August 13, 2011
    ythelastman89
    Maybe I'm in the minority, but I loved this a lot. At the end of the day, you have to like cute little owls to find this interesting because this movie does nothing but showcase their beauty and elegance as creatures. That being said, Legend of The Guardians has it all in my opin... read moreion; Flawless animation, a great story, fun characters and a strikingly good voice cast. Who would've thought that you could make a fantasy story about owls so incredibly emotional and dynamic? Zack Snyder always does a great job in the visual department and this is no exception, except I think he works even better when he doesn't have to abide to laws of physics and a practical backdrop. He's got all of his gratuitous slow motion and action sequences, but it's so bizarre when it's being used with owls (in a good way though). I guess I can see why a lot of people simply can't get into the story, mainly because it's so odd, but I really liked it and it's totally original. I think it's got a similar vibe to The Secret of Nihm, only a better structure and visuals that are unmatched. Honestly, just from a visual standpoint this movie is incredible. The amount of detail put into every frame is something i've never quite seen before. I mean Pixar and ILM are about the best when it comes to CG animation, but this is just so much more realistic than anything those companies have done with their animated features. Now the voice casting to me was almost unbelievable. Headlined with british superstar Jim Sturgess as the angelic Soren, the entire cast of characters is chalk full of great performances. Geoffrey Rush as the crazy owl codger Ezylryb, Helen Mirren as an evil Owl and Hugo Weaving as a nurturing father owl. This was just an all around great animated movie in my opinion and has enough dark and serious tones to please more than just small children. In fact, there's enough owl violence in this movie to make it a little too scary for kids. That's what I kind've liked about it; it reminds me of an older animated movie from the 70s or 80s with a kooky fantasy plot and animals thrown in. I'd say if you enjoy those types of movies, this will definitely fill the void.
  • itsjustme2004
    August 13, 2011
    itsjustme2004
    Cute little owls. This was a film that I really wanted to see, and sometimes my expectations are just too much. I expect this was one of those cases. I wanted to love this, but I ended up just saying, "that was pretty good". Bummer...
  • skeletonking101
    August 9, 2011
    skeletonking101
    This is probably one of the most beautifully animated CG films I've ever seen. The director did a fantastic job at telling this story,which figures since he did Watchmen and 300, and if you've seen those movies you'll see some similarities to those movies in this, such as A LOT o... read moref slow-motion, especially during the fights. The cast all did a fantastic job and were all wisely chosen, such as Helen Mirren as the villains wife, Geoffrey Rush as the good, worn down old warrior, now story writer, and the best being Hugo Weaving as the villain (of course) Metal Beak. But the other actors do good jobs as well, Digger and Twilight both being the funniest. The conflict between the main two brothers is very well done and told, and the ending fight between the two is so satisfying to watch.
  • DerekA101
    July 11, 2011
    DerekA101
    Flat and boring... I expected more from Zack Snyder. It did, however, "look" good. Owls are cute and all, but they tend to look the same. I didn't know who was who for a while. But maybe that's just me...
  • fb100002384654145
    June 2, 2011
    fb100002384654145
    With fantastic computer animation, Zack Snyder delivers a film that is mesmerizing to watch. The voice cast is excellent. The biggest drawback comes with the story. Despite its daring dark tone, the film falls short on a story that leaves much to be desired. Overall, this is ... read morea pasable fantasy adventure.
  • fb732260458
    March 14, 2011
    fb732260458
    It's 300 meets Pixar - and the outcome is certainly to be entertained by.

View All Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga'Hoole Reviews

Critic Reviews

Stephen Cole
September 24, 2010
Stephen Cole, Globe and Mail

A splendid adventure sure to thrill children and fantasy buffs, while leaving everyone else passably entertained. Full Review

Adam Graham
September 24, 2010
Adam Graham, Detroit News

The film's look can't overcome all its shortcomings, but it helps them go down easier than its title. Full Review

James Rocchi
September 24, 2010
James Rocchi, MSN Movies

Snyder and his crew have made a film for an improbably narrow audience -- I can imagine 12 1/2-year-old boys being enthralled by it -- but they've made it with such skill and care it's more a shame th... Full Review

Andy Webster
September 24, 2010
Andy Webster, New York Times

May be a hoot, but for all its pyrotechnics, it fails to soar. Full Review

Elizabeth Weitzman
September 24, 2010
Elizabeth Weitzman, New York Daily News

The script is merely serviceable and too reminiscent of similar fantasy tales. But kids will instantly relate to the gentle Soren, while watching wide-eyed as he faces each challenge. Full Review

Kyle Smith
September 24, 2010
Kyle Smith, New York Post

[It] has some nicely designed animation, and it deserves credit for trying to break the Disney mold of animated critter movies. But there's mold-breaking, and then there's weird. Full Review

Dan Kois
September 24, 2010
Dan Kois, Washington Post

Children with a particular affection for epic tales, no matter how derivative or cacophonous, will probably enjoy Legend of the Guardians. Full Review

Jason Anderson
September 23, 2010
Jason Anderson, Toronto Star

Despite the odds, Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga'Hoole may be the season's most dramatically compelling and most visually sumptuous animated feature. Who could have predicted that? Full Review

Betsy Sharkey
September 23, 2010
Betsy Sharkey, Los Angeles Times

The animation itself is startlingly beautiful, as is the ancient owl world it imagines. The battles are complex and, in true Snyder tradition, heavy on the action. Full Review

Carrie Rickey
September 23, 2010
Carrie Rickey, Philadelphia Inquirer

After its soaring beginning, Guardians of Ga'Hoole plummets to more generic ground. It's well-made, but how can you care about its owl heroes and villains when you can't always tell them apart? Full Review

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    • Boron: Trust your gizzard!
    • Twilight: Into battle, we're gonna die.
    • Digger: Oh no! Not the Lute!
    • Soren: We need to find the Guardians. They're the only ones who can save us!
Submit a Fact | View All

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