Rise of the Guardians: A Fantastical Adventure
A lavishly produced, beautifully written, and hilarious fantasy that both children and adults will equally enjoy.
The enigmatic Guardians unite to thwart the plans of the villainous Pitch Black, who has returned to the world. He threatens them by making children cease to believe in them. However, Santa Claus, the Easter Bunny, and others are joined by a new hero, the mischievous Jack Frost.
The beginning of “Rise of the Guardians” is slightly disconcerting, as it strongly resembles the opening of “The Bourne Identity.” An insensible young man’s body floats to the surface from the dark depths. Upon regaining consciousness, he discovers that he remembers neither who he is nor how he got there. The only difference lies in their abilities: Jack Frost (the moon informs our hero that this is his name) can fly and turn everything into ice; nothing like Bourne’s talent for killing people with a rolled-up copy of Anglers Weekly.
Jack’s quest is to discover who he really is and why he became one of the Guardians, a group of “mythical” beings that includes Santa Claus, the Easter Bunny, the Tooth Fairy, and the Sandman. The Guardians’ task is to bring joy to children and protect them from fear, which has taken the form of Pitch Black. However, each of them exists because children believe in them. Will Jack, who doesn’t even have his own holiday, be able to make people believe in him?
“Rise of the Guardians” is based on the books by William Joyce, a children’s author with the mannerisms of a wacky uncle, who participated in the creation of many animated films – from “Toy Story” to “Robots” and the captivating short film “The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore.”
A Well-Crafted Universe
A hallmark of a well-crafted fantasy universe is that it can be imagined even outside the confines of a specific plot. The universe of “Rise of the Guardians” is not just a backdrop, but an entire world. Screenwriter David Lindsay-Abaire and director Peter Ramsey, for whom this is his first feature film, seem to have considered absolutely everything, including how the main characters are seen in different countries (did you know that in France, children believe not in the Tooth Fairy, but in the Tooth Mouse?). The film’s humorous details never cease to amaze.
A Fast-Paced Plot
For a family film, “Rise of the Guardians” has a surprisingly intense plot. There is no question of a sedate development of the action. On the contrary: the plot never sags for a moment, the story rushes towards the climax without pauses, and the authors extract maximum benefit from this pace. One plot encompasses quests to learn about one’s past and find a purpose in life, death, a child intruding into a fantasy world, the approach of the apocalypse, and at least three major chase scenes.
This would have been enough for several sequels. The only thing missing from the plot is Christmas, which, with Santa Claus present, is almost a crime.
However, since everything else is in the film, this omission can be forgiven.