ViewGuide

Created Oct 27, 2010 09:50PM PST • Edited Nov 20, 2016 11:52PM PST

1. Quality

2. Summary

   Barely OK 2.0

   Who can pronounce Ga’Hoole? Who enjoys the joke that owls suffer from “daymares?” Who can keep straight similar looking owls with names like Gylfie, Eglantine and Allomere? Who indeed.

   Hooey. This animated fantasy movie is for the birds, ironically suffering from too much ambition and too much triteness. While it has its moments and works for an acceptable family movie outing, don’t expect an easy to follow story or easy to identify characters.

   Fans of the Guardians of Ga’Hoole books (and their parents) will no doubt have an easier time with it. For the rest of us, not so much.

4. Acting

   OK 2.5

   Helen Mirren, Sam Neill, Anthony LaPaglia and other solid actors are thrown into the maw of this animated blender. None survive with their personas intact.

5. Male Stars OK 2.5

6. Female Stars OK 2.5

7. Female Costars OK 2.5

8. Male Costars OK 2.5

10. Film

    Barely OK 2.0

    Where to start? Having a snake serve as a nursemaid is hardly a warm and cuddly notion. Next, what was up with the kryptonite-like flecks? Weird. Finally, the “moon-blinking” zombification of owl slaves doesn’t make sense. All in all, a tortured story.

    For director Zach Snyder, 300 this ain’t.

11. Direction OK 2.5

12. Play Bad 1.0

13. Music OK 2.5

14. Visuals Good 3.0

    RealD always looks good.

15. Content

16. Edge

    Tame 1.3

    Celebrates warriors in an old fashioned way.

17. Sex Innocent 1.0

18. Violence Fierce 1.7

19. Rudeness Polite 1.1

21. Reality

    Fantasy 5.0

    Animated fantasy.

22. Circumstantial Fantasy 5.0

23. Biological Fantasy 5.0

24. Physical Fantasy 5.0