quick film review - Legend of the Guardians: the Owls of Ga'hoole

Based on books by Kathryn Lasky, the story of this animated film is the usual fantasy fluff: a coming-of-age tale nested in the battle between the noble and the base, the wise and the fascist. The twist is that the characters are owls, who somehow manage to forge helmets and steel talons among other technological goodies. But forget the plot, which is serviceable despite feeling like the cliff notes presentation of a much more elaborate tale – this is film that invites immersion in its astonishing visuals. Proving that Zack Snyder does have the skill of a visionary, however stunted by the lack of a signature vision, Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga'hoole features jaw-dropping attention to detail, the whole experience draped in a lush realism that employs motion so effectively it’s hard not to feel the wind in one’s hair. And that is just about all that needs to be said; a beautiful presentation of a lacklustre story.