New in Theaters: "Rise of the Guardians" Will Make You Believe

Photo Credit: DreamWorks

Like the Josh Groban song from The Polar Express, anything is possible if you just Believe. Indeed, belief is the key to the story in the new animated film Rise of the Guardians, which features Santa Claus, the Tooth Fairy, the Easter Bunny, Sandman, Jack Frost and even the Boogeyman! As children, we may or may not have believed in the aforementioned and well known legends, many of whom are known as the Guardians in the new film, which is based on William Joyce's book The Guardians of Childhood. Even though the Guardians are alive and well, a renewed threat from the an old nemesis, Pitch Black (the Boogeyman), threatens their existence.

Pitch Black (Jude Law) wants to stop children from believing in their childhood idols and hopes to snuff out all belief on Earth, which is displayed on Santa's huge globe. Pitch begins by dispatching the Sandman, also known as Sandy, who does not speak, but wields immense power. Once Sandy is gone, it is up to Santa Claus, the Easter Bunny and the Tooth Fairy to avenge him and halt the plan hatched by Pitch Black. With help from the Man in the Moon, the Guardians suspect that young Jack Frost may be able to join their ranks, but Jack is not so sure. He is frustrated that no one believes in him and that he cannot be seen by others when he wants to play and have a good time. Jack enjoys starting snowball fights between children and also saves them from injury from time to time, but he never gets any credit. On the other hand, the Guardians can be seen because children believe in them, but their time may be ending if Pitch Black's plan comes to fruition.

Jack is unable to remember his early life, but Pitch Black apparently does. He also understands that Jack may be powerful enough to be a Guardian, so he lures him away from the others by kidnapping one of the Tooth Fairy's little helpers. Pitch tricks Jack and then proceeds to break his staff, which is the source of his power. Having defeated two Guardians, Pitch's plan is set in motion.

Rise of the Guardians features unconventional representations of the aforementioned characters. For instance, Santa Claus (Alex Baldwin) displays a Russian accent, a kick-ass attitude and is a wild sleigh rider. In addition, the Easter Bunny (Hugh Jackman), sports an Australian accent and is also a no-nonsense tough guy, but does not possess the diplomacy of Santa, who appears to be the group leader. Then there is the lovable and beguiling Sandy, who uses images made out of sand to communicate with the others. He is, perhaps, the most powerful Guardian, but since he falls asleep on the job, he is not the best choice to be the leader.

I always imagined the Tooth Fairy to be a male, but the female version depicted here works well, thanks to the energy and enthusiasm of Isla Fisher. Tooth appears to be constantly happy and proves to be a good caretaker for her mini-fairies, who are threatened by Pitch. Rounding out the Guardians is, of course, their potential newest member, Jack Frost (Chris Pine), whose youth seems out of character, but his back story explains a great deal. Jack's journey is the centerpiece of the film and conveys the message that it is amazing what someone can do when he/she is surrounded by people who believe in him/her.

The adapted screenplay, by David Lindsay-Abaire, is targeted to the younger demographic, although the sometimes dark subject matter and the limited violence may be too disturbing for some children. Of course, older viewers are likely to be familiar with all of the Guardians from their own childhood, in one form or another. In addition, the animation is beautifully presented and the 3D technology does add some enjoyment to the film, but is not essential to fully appreciate the effort put forth here.

I was surprised that the film is set during springtime, since Santa Claus and Jack Frost may remind viewers of the winter months and the holiday season is now upon us. Perhaps the filmmakers, including director Peter Ramsey, wanted to shine a light on the underrated Easter Bunny, whose land of mini-eggs is showcased and will surely make viewers smile. In any event, Rise of the Guardians is a wonderful family film that has cross generational appeal and may make choosing a holiday movie that everyone can enjoy a little easier this year.