The Legend of the Guardians, a 3-D fantasy film, is based solely on the book series Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga’Hoole, by Kathryn Lasky. A young, barn owl, named Soren, is captivated by the legendary stories of the Guardians of Ga’Hoole, the fearless group of warriors, known for fighting the Pure Ones in a historical battle of saving all of owl kind from being destroyed, and forever protecting their kingdom.
After an unfortunate event of being kidnapped by owls of St. Aggie’s, an orphanage where owlets are being brainwashed into becoming soldiers, Soren has to make a life-changing decision that will alter the way owls of their world live on. Soren must now face an army of evil rulers, who inform him of his so called “new family.” Horrified at the thought, Soren knows that it is up to him to take on a mission to escape to the island of Ga’Hoole, in order to save his world.
Soren and the other owls are picked to be trained as soldiers and are encouraged to show ultimate strength and heartlessness. However, all object to the act and are sent to be “pickers.” Now, Soren and his followers must make plans to escape the terrifying kidnappers, but are interrupted by one of the captors and questioned. It is explained to the owls why they are being held hostage against good behavior and are told how all of the owls have been waiting for owls, such as Soren and the others to lead the rest out of the Pure Ones’ layer. The plan is to teach these owls to fly, in order to warn the guardians of Ga’Hoole about what the Pure Ones are doing to these owls.
Soren and the other owls are on a mission to find the mysterious home of the legendary Guardians. Remembering the amazing stories and myths told by his father, Noctus, and letting loose from the Pure Ones, Soren is on his way to save the owl kingdoms, and earn himself a great deal of honor.
The movie has had some mixed reviews since its release, with many viewers having trouble following the plot and complaining that the violence was much too intense to attract children. Viewers said that the filmmakers tried to do too much in too short of a timeframe and that some of the “clutter” in the movie could be stripped away to make it more of the “magical” type of movie people were looking for. However, go out and see the movie and make your own decision about it, because if anything, the artistry of the animation is really worth seeing.
