Tired of being relegated to the shadows, the evil and mischievous villain Pitch plots to rid the world of magic and hope. Thankfully the Immortal Guardians – North, Tooth, Sandman, Bunnymund with the help of Jack Frost – attempt to restore the children’s belief in fairy tales and legends and defeat the darkness.

Who knew that a fanciful tale of Jack Frost, Santa Claus and the Easter Bunny could be so infectiously entertaining? In the new feature from DreamWorks Animation RISE OF THE GUARDIANS the characters created by children’s author William Joyce come to life. Well, obviously the iconic figures that make up the Guardians were not invented by Joyce, yet he successfully reinvented them into modern day folk heroes. His detailed mythology has been translated into a feature film extraordinarily well thanks to director Peter Ramsey and screenwriter David Lindsey-Abaire – also with the help of executive producer Guillermo del Toro.

Smartly, the latest DreamWorks animated adventure takes a decidedly different direction than its predecessors and mostly avoids the obvious jokes and pop culture references in lieu of a good story. The ideas of hope, remembrance and acceptance are explored in an entertaining and a universal way. Even Pitch and his rottenness come across as slightly sympathetic, making him a terrific villain. North, Bunnymund and Tooth are all well drawn out and even a little inspiring – Tooth’s tiny helpers are really super adorable. This is a well-structured cinematic journey that is smart enough for adults looking for something for their kids that is not overly cute or obnoxiously crude.

Great animation, characters and a warm and satisfying story make this a true family film worth seeing. I can almost guarantee that years from now GUARDIANS will be watched every holiday season by children and adults alike - a holiday classic in the making. [EDITED]


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