Rating:  

Village Roadshow Pictures, Animal Logic, and Warner Bros. Pictures.

Written by: John Orloff and Emil Stern, adapted in part from the series of novels, “The Guardians of Ga’Hoole” by Kathryn Lasky.

All things considered, I may have cashed in my chips with Zack Snyder films after watching his first full-tilt animation effort, and latest dud, “Legends Of The Guardians: The Owls Of Ga’Hoole”. Those unfamiliar with Zack Snyder’s name are most certainly familiar with his resume. Snyder’s first feature-length film was 2004′s “Dawn of the Dead”, a rather well-received foray into the zombie film genre. Next, we had the rather vacant but visually impressive “300″ in 2007, a feature shot entirely against green-screen backgrounds. Tackling “Watchmen” in 2009, Snyder adapted a beloved graphic novel with further middling returns. Snyder’s films always present as the most exciting and innovative films you will ever see. And then we see them. With “300″ and “Watchmen”, style and visual flair only can survive so long and then the bothersome avoidance of story and plot suffocate the experience. With his latest film, the well runs dry and Snyder delivers another disappointment that only satiates a viewer’s interest for some of the film’s stunted 90 minutes.

Soren (Jim Sturgess) is a barn owl who is captivated by his father, Noctus, and his nightly stories of a group of owls who stand together in protecting the Kingdom of Ga’Hoole. Soren’s little sister, Eglantine, shares Soren’s excitement, but Soren’s older brother, Kludd, is jealous of his siblings, Soren especially, and the attention they receive from their parents. Kludd attempts to win his father’s favor but his arrogance and carelessness lead to the owlets being abducted by The Pure Ones, a gang of evil owls led by the tandem of Metalbeak and Nyra.

From there, Soren finds himself caught between what he believed to be a story or legend and the reality of those fables his father so lovingly shared. Separated from his brother, Soren makes new connections and sets out to fight against his oppressive handlers and even in the world of these owls, the battle of good and evil is a necessary and fateful one as Soren tries to find his way back home.

That in and of itself is enough of a story to shape and mold a film around, right? However, screenwriters John Orloff and Emil Stern have crafted a fine mess of a screenplay. I have no way of knowing how this jumbled, convoluted, and head-scratching script made it to the screen, but about 20-30 minutes into “…Guardians…” I grew increasingly weary of all the “stuff” you have to process, understand, and remember. As with Snyder’s last two films, I stopped caring rather quickly and just sat there bored. And tired. And lost. And annoyed.

What the film does have going for it, however, is some extraordinary visual rewards. Truth be told, the one thing Zack Snyder has mastered is an understanding of how to present a film. There are some amazing and affecting shots and scenes that drown out the white noise of the story for a few moments. The detail on the owl, certainly in their close ups, and the rather majestic backdrops that frame much of the film are top-shelf achievements. However, let’s also remind ourselves that “300″ was innovative and groundbreaking. “Watchmen” was technically accomplished with its integration of animation, CGI, and live action effects. And acknowledging all of that, do you really, truly remember much about the story the movie gave you? Yeah, it’s alright, I didn’t think so. And for me, Snyder hits the trifecta of forgettable with his good owls, his bad owls, and his trees, and that script.

Too violent for the littlest of viewers, and way too convoluted for most people to follow, I suppose the appeal for “Legend of the Guardians” comes from those who know and enjoy the novels, as well as those folks with a finer tuning for the Fantasy genre. Sometimes, it serves one better to just shrug and say, “I don’t understand.” And whether it starts with the cumbersome and laborious title, the impossibility of keeping all of these owls straight, or a comprehension of what is actually happening, I stand before you, and this film, with a shoulder shrug and the acknowledgment that I may not have understood this at all.

Should I See It?

YES

Visually stunning, the film stands, almost in spite of itself, as one of the most dazzling films to watch and take in. The 3-D presentation is also well done, although unnecessary and not really worth paying $13-$16 dollars per ticket for.

Fans of the books will want to see this and probably have no issue with everything that is going on. Without that aptitude or knowledge base going in, this is a struggle.

If you are a Zack Snyder fan and love his previous work, you might find this to be a nice and different achievement for Snyder.

NO

The film looks amazing, but is tedious and soaked in plot and unwieldy dialogue. Most kids, I have to think are not going to be able to hang with this for the full 90 minutes. Even with it in 3-D.

For those who have encountered the series, this has to be a disappointment, right? Cramming three books (roughly 700 pages) into a 90 minute movie just isn’t going to work.

If you are not a fan of Zack Snyder’s visual eye candy and absent story approach, this is not going to change your opinions.