Rise of the Guardians

Well, Christmas time is here once again. Seeing a whole bunch of lights up, shopping marts being overcrowded for the right gift, trying to pay up on the years final payments, and best of all...Christmas movies. Every year, there are film studios that try to make the next Holiday classic, or just re-release their old ones in theaters, such as "Home Alone" and "A Christmas Story." But for now, we're going to take a look at one I've seen recently in theaters, "Rise of the Guardians."

Now, when I first heard word about the film, I thought it wasn't going to be anything special, even if it had a good cast and the fact that Guillermo del Toro was producing it. But when trailers started showing up and that my friend Zack was talking about it so much when it did, I took a look and got very interested in it. Further trailers also had it look very epic, almost like Dreamworks was trying to make their own little "Avengers-esque" movie. However, I didn't quite see it the day it came out, but I've heard good things from it, so I decided to give it a chance.
So what did I think of it?...Well, I can definitely say that this is, by far, Dreamworks Animation's best movie, and that's saying a lot!

"Rise of the Guardians" tells the story of Jack Frost, the spirit of snow, who apparently not everyone believes in. When he's called upon by Santa, the Easter Bunny, Tooth Fairy, and Sandman, he is told to beto be the new guardian by the man in the moon, to fight Pitch Black, the Boogeyman. During this time, Jack has to learn why he was chosen to be a guardian, as well as find out about his memories in his past life.

What really stands out in this film is how it doesn't pander to its audience, and adds a lot more to the logic and rules of this world. I really thought the idea that believing in these spirits is what gives them their powers is really clever. When it really got down to the tender moments of the story, I really felt their sympathy for it.

The character of Jack Frost was a very well developed character. He's the mischievous underdog with a heart of gold, who only becomes interested in his work until he finds out something that catches his attention very. Yeah, it's cliche, but if done well, then it can work.Not only that, but am I the only one who thought he looked like Danny Phantom? That means, I see a full result for a "Danny Phantom" movie to be made. While it does have Santa and the other guardians, and make them so likable, it still stands as Jack Frost's story. We do see the corruption that can be brought upon him, when he's confronted by Pitch, who is a great villain. He knows how to push at Jack's buttons, but it's done so well, and his ways of world domination are very well done.

The animation in the film was absolutely great, and some of the best CG animation I've seen from Dreamworks. Hell, I'd even say it's better than "Brave," and that's saying a lot. It's fast paced, it's colorful, and the action scenes are very good! This film is often compared as "The Avengers" of CG animated films, but I'd say that this was BETTER than "The Avengers," by a long-shot!

Overall, "Rise of the Guardians" is a fantastic movie that's fun for the whole family. With great voice acting, fantastic animation, and a strong story, it's easily one of the best this year, and one of my favorites.

Rating: 10/10