The film score wasn’t fantastic and not very memorable, but wasn’t terrible. The Roadrunner and Wile Coyote short was pretty good. I’d give that a 3/5.
The tickets are just for any movie. We saw Despicable Me for my birthday last month and we all enjoyed it. Thanks for the suggestions! 
Glad to see you liked the movie.
I finally got the book! Yay! /does dance
I’m likin’ it so far 8D
(sheesh why does 8D convert into a laughing smiley)
Since this film is a very Australian production (Australian animation studio, largely Australian cast, and in my opinion the landscapes come off as very Australian), I thought people might be interested in seeing a review from a couple of Australian critics:
Click on “At the Movies: Episode 34”. I presume this works for non-Australians, but I might be wrong.
Overall, their opinions were surprisingly positive, and while they acknowledge the generally agreed flaws (owls being too difficult to tell apart), both critics agree that the movie manages to shine through those.
Australian only. Oh well. Also change of plans awhile back results in me seeing the movie on Friday. Can’t wait.
Hey everyone, if you’ve been wondering where I’ve been, I’ve been avoiding this thread for any spoilers… but so far everyone’s been nice not to give away anything.
OMFV: Nice review, fair points raised.
Badger: Alright! I can’t wait to hear what you think about it… from what I can discern about your tastes and interests, I predict you’re gonna love it! 
nintendofreakgnc: I saw M&D yesterday… I’m not too impressed Margie couldn’t tell the characters apart (probably because ‘they all looked the same’ 
), but I have to agree (well, from what I’ve read in other reviews as well) that the runtime is curiously short. For all the effort they’ve put in, they’ve condensed the story too much instead of fleshing it out to a grander Lord of the Rings or Avatar piece (which I personally wouldn’t mind watching, though the same can’t be said with those who are unfamiliar with the novels or just plain couldn’t be bothered).
I’m probably going to have the same opinion regarding the runtime. I’ll try not pay too much attention to the time elapsing, though.
Thanks for the review by the way. It turns out you didn’t need spoiler tags after all since you were courteous not to reveal too much, which is good.
Basil: I can’t wait to hear your opinion after the viewing! As for the Moviefone interview, it’s nice to see my name, but I have a few choice words to say about that one… and I haven’t seen it in its entirety yet as I was busy with assignments this week. Needless to say, there is an annoying point I want to raise, but I’m going to send a query and wait for their reply first…
Congrats on your appearance as well, though! It’s nice to have your questions posed to the filmmakers!
I finished the book in one day xD It was just so awesome I couldn’t stop reading. So yeah I will most definitely also get the rest of the series.
Yeah, I got the first three books (in one volume with a movie-based cover) and I’m about half-way through the second one. Good light reading so far.
Okay so I just saw the movie and… I’m not sure if I liked it or not. The animation and music were, of course, FANTASTIC, which is always great for an animated movie. But the story… having not read the books, it felt really rushed and unevenly paced. As opposed to actually telling a story, the movie felt more like just a sequence of events, one following another following another.
There were also quite a few things the movie could have elaborated on: [spoil]What exactly are flecks? Is Otulissa supposed to be a love interest for Soren? What happened to that whole love triangle idea? And character development?[/spoil]
All in all, my consensus: [spoil]It was okay for what it was, but it could have been done MUCH better. The potential was there, but something went wrong somewhere.[/spoil]
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Does it really matter what flecks are? It’s what they do that’s important, and in a sense that defines what they are, rather like with the One Ring. This is fantasy, everything can be explained away with “a wizard did it”, or the appropriate equivalent.
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We’d probably need to wait on a commentary to be sure, but I’d say that Otulissa is in there as a bit of a romantic sequel hook, i.e. something that could be developed if there is a sequel (which from what I gather is unlikely, unless this movie has HTTYD-esque legs at the box office). I’m currently in the middle of the second book, and while I can see how they could develop Otulissa into a proper love interest, she comes off as a lot more of a jerk in there than in the movie.
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Yeah, character development could have been improved in many ways, and I think only three characters come off fully fledged (or close enough) - Soren, Kludd and Ezylryb. In fact, the contrast between Soren and Kludd’s respective developments is one thing I think the movie pulled off very well, and Ezylryb is the best mentor character I’ve seen in a while. Movies basically have to make the call of sticking strictly to stuff that’s relevant to the protagonist, and while I stand by my belief that an extra 20 minutes could have brought in some material that could have developed the rest of the band while remaining focused on Soren, what’s there gets the job done.
So yesterday I paid a trip to the Darling Harbour IMAX to watch Legend of the Guardians in 3D. The crowd only filled three-quarters of the theatre even though it was a public holiday and they were strangely unresponsive to the jokes (except the one where Twilight [spoil]sings about sleeping[/spoil]). My movie partner also arrived for the last third of the movie, so I was constantly distracted and couldn’t enjoy it as much as I could, so I may go for a second viewing in a smaller conventional theatre to see it in 2D, but here are my thoughts (SUPER LONG REVIEW AHEAD):
On a technical level, LOTG surpasses much of the competition by a long mile, and has to be the most visually-magnificent film since Avatar. Like Happy Feet back in 2006, Animal Logic has set the industry benchmark for photorealism, but unlike the ‘uncanny valley’ syndrome that afflicted Mumble and his friends, the birds in this movie are much more emotive. Soren still has a slightly creepy look about him, as does Otulissa and Kludd, but others like Gylfie, Digger and Eglantine are incredibly charming and have a surprising range of expressions. The environments and special effects are truly spectacular and sublime; the swooping aerial shots of waterfalls and forests, free-falling down canyons, and ‘that slow-motion rain scene’ deserve to be seen on the widest screen possible. There are moments where you’d swear you were in a dream-like version of the Australian outback, in a land of eternal sunsets and glowing embers. You can see how each shot is lovingly crafted and framed for maximum impact, and all the little attentions to detail like the feathers floating in the room or the Aboriginal-style art on the walls.
I was also emotionally-vested in the characters from the beginning, although this may be because I’ve read the books. Even the villains are endearing in a way, like Nyra’s love for her husband Metalbeak, or [spoil]Kludd[/spoil] being upset about not being understood by his family, and hence his motivation to become the antagonist. I can see how those unfamiliar with the books might get confused by the various owls, but it’s not really much different from watching LOTR as a newbie and being unable to tell Merry and Pippin apart. It’s just a matter of paying attention and listening when the characters address each other (which is a lot of times).
Now I agree with most of the critics that the story is the weakest aspect of the film. I find it surprising that my one quibble is that the movie could’ve been longer! There were some character developments that were glossed over or entirely dropped out, like [spoil]Grimble training Soren and Gylfie to fly within a matter of hours[/spoil], or that they left out mentioning [spoil]Digger losing his family to the owl-snatchers[/spoil]. I personally wouldn’t mind they drop the [spoil]bluebird chase sequence[/spoil] or the [spoil]Echidna scene[/spoil] (which I don’t recall being in the book) so that they could flesh out some of the supporting characters. Or extending the runtime to Lord of the Rings or Avatar length, though that would be pushing the patience of the little rugrats in the crowd.
Some of the characters like Digger and Twilight were changed, the former made to look like a goof instead of the pathos he brought as a true orphan in the books, and the latter having his poet talent emphasized over his fighting skills (although that was later redeemed when he showed off some nifty combat skills in the climax). Curiously, I found the movie Digger more engaging than the one in the books, although again, I was a little disappointed he had no backstory in the film. Metalbeak seems to have been added only to [spoil]give a reason for Kludd to pick up the mantle for the ‘sequel’[/spoil], but Joel Edgerton did what he could with the role with devilish relish. Gylfie remains my favourite character, and Emily Barclay and the production team succeeded in making her the most adorable animated character since Wall-E or Toothless in my books. As for Soren, his guilless naivety about heroism and ‘doing the right thing’ is so refreshing after recent tormented screen heroes with inner conflicts and all that emotional baggage. Until, of course, he learns the hard truth about war from his mentor Ezylryb, voiced by Geoffrey Rush, who voiced another bird in an Australian-set Pixar movie not too long ago.
Oh, and with regards to the soundtrack, I found the main theme very distinctive. I can practically hum it, which is the mark of any memorable theme really. The rest of the soundtrack is pretty impressive, and does the job of delivering the appropriate emotional response during key scenes. All I’ll say is, it’s much better than TS3 (Really sorry, Mr Newman) and just as good as HTTYD. The only upcoming contender is Tangled, which will really have to pull out the stops to beat this one.
In summary, LOTG is without a doubt the most beautiful film of the year in many ways. It is let down by a poorly paced script that leaves you wanting more, but its sheer earnestness in delivering a grand tale of adventure just sweeps you along for the ride. In a way, it is much like Avatar and HTTYD in that while it may be telling a story you’ve heard before, it does it with such panache and conviction that you can’t help but listen to it in wonder.
P.S. Make sure you show up early for the Road Runner/Wil.E. Coyote short. Good ol’ classic cartoon violence is back! 
Oh good, TDIT has seen this, so now we can start talking.
The audiences at the screenings I’ve been to were in hysterics pretty much any time Twilight or Digger were talking. I really want to learn to play the lute with my feet now. I for one was actually laughing the most when Ezylryb matter-of-factly reveals [spoil]that he’s Lyze of Kiel[/spoil]. Geoffrey Rush nailed the delivery on those lines.
I’m afraid I’m going to have to politely disagree there. Soren’s expression is often one of awe, but I found it perfectly understandable and not at all creepy. Kludd and Otulisa came off as creepy, but the former was probably supposed to be.
Now, how did I not notice that? Clearly, I was too busy wiping off my drool.
I agree that more character development was needed, but compressing [spoil]Soren and Gylfie learning to fly[/spoil] is an example of the fairly standard film technique of time compression, which keeps the tension going much better than stretching it out. A montage could have worked though, and that would also have helped during [spoil]the journey to Ga’Hoole[/spoil].
The [spoil]bluebird chase scene[/spoil] was utterly crucial to Kludd’s development in my opinion, and since the filmmakers (no idea whether this basic decision came from the screenwriters, Zack Snyder, or a concensus) used the parallel development of him and Soren to such great effect, I’d hate to see it go. The fact that it looks pretty also helps. The [spoil]echidna scene[/spoil] (which certainly wasn’t in the first three books, although an element of the bit preceding that was) is a bit more debateable. Since it was quite funny, I’m willing to overlook it, especially since it also does a good job of quickly defining each character’s role.
I’ve got a few things that I’d like to discuss, but it will have to wait until tomorrow.
My audience was peculiarly unresponsive… and my theatre mate and I were the only ones who stayed back throughout the entire credits (which had gorgeous shadow puppet animation all the way to the end, like KFP if I recall correctly). And a baby cried once or twice during the scary scenes… what kind of parent would bring an infant to watch this intense movie instead of something like Mickey Mouse Choo Choo Express or Bob the Builder? Groan.
While we’re on Ezylryb, I wished they had fleshed out his mentor relationship with Soren more (though I wasn’t paying attention during the ‘Take to the Sky’ montage because I was contacting my two-thirds-of-the-movie-late friend). And his beef with Soren over [spoil]not being a Tyto[/spoil] felt like manufactured drama to me (I don’t recall Soren actually provoking him or saying anything hurtful).
Hmm… I suppose so. I still think he reminds me of Mumble at times (Wood and Sturgess sound alike, and both film’s climaxes involved a [spoil]‘death leap’[/spoil] which looked almost the same shot-for-shot). Soren does have a more appealing face, though.
I’m sure there are a lot more devil-in-the-details moments, which is why I’m eager for a rewatch.
The impression I had was that they stayed at St Aegolius for two days at the most, since the only time lapse we saw was during the [spoil]moon-blinking[/spoil] sequence. The rest of the events took place simultaneously and in real-time, at least, to me. I think they stayed there for a few weeks in the book. A training montage would have worked for [spoil]Grimble’s flight lessons[/spoil], instead of them miraculously [spoil]growing feather primaries overnight[/spoil] (which was revealed in a close-shot after [spoil]their escape[/spoil], but not explained to the audience).
Maybe the author Ms Lasky suggested it during their consulattions? On hindsight, I’d have to agree with you. It does reveal more on Kludd’s competitive nature, and serves to further his character’s relationship with [spoil]Nyra as ‘trusted lieutenant’ and future Metalbeak[/spoil]. I still think the echidna scene was a little unnecessary, especially with the way he not-too-subtly pointed out each character archetype in a ‘Joseph Campbell 101’ exposition exercise.
…
For those interested in the technical side of things, there’s a picture gallery of Animal Logic’s offsite render farm. I just can’t begin to fathom the amount of processing power needed to render a single frame… any frame from the movie, really.
I learnt from one of the comments on IGN’s review (Dirk_Lightstar) that they had five guys make a custom animation engine for the feathers alone. If that’s not dedication, I don’t know what is.
P.S. I find it interesting that some people have came to the movie’s defense after IGN gave it an unfavourable review. As I’ve said many times before, I don’t buy the ‘recycled plot’ excuse. Movies like Star Wars, Lord of the Rings, The Matrix, and Wall-E are hardly original in their plotlines or character archetypes, but their stories are told with imagination and passion. The same can be said for LOTG, IMO.
Usually I have a disdain for Spill.com’s reviews because their methods of p**s-taking get a bit too vulgar for my taste, but their review for LOTG was pretty fair and covered all the points I’ve been harping on about (familiar plot, but spectacular visuals). Just don’t watch past 5:21 lest you want to be scarred for life. 
FanReviews also had some positive vox populi comments that would make Mr Snyder and the Animal Logic team proud. The quote at 00:57 should more than ruffle a few feathers of the more close-minded Pixar fans… 
Just got back from seeing it in 3D at a local Showcase Cinema, it was a good film but it needed to slow down A LOT. Too many pivotal scenes were rushed =/ As a result while it was fun to watch, the film didn’t have the emotional pay off I was expecting 
Also, I have to say in regard to the woman at 1:00 or so in that video, it was good, but not even a PATCH on Toy Story 3 in my eyes. It could have been though, oh god it could have been if it had been better paced.
Alright, well, I think I’ll post my opinions on the film now, as I saw it last week…
The visuals were so engrossing. The color palette and lifelike backgrounds remind me of big-budget Hollywood movies of the past, like Lord of the Rings. The flying scenes were especially well-done.
As for the story - it was nicely wrought, but somehow, I kept feeling like I was being taken out of it, even if something really action-based were taking place. Maybe I was just disoriented that night (it was late and we made a rush-drive to go see it), but there were some parts where I felt it was a bit unclear. I think it fumbled around a tad with the climax as well, we expect this grand finale and while it delivers, it’s done in a sort of rushed way that left me a tad unsatisfied. Kind of have to agree with Leon K Fox on the matter of pacing in the movie. It felt like the beginning happened all too quickly.
The dialogue definitely isn’t as cheesy or bad as people told me initially (which is what made me worry), but I can’t think of any lines at the top of my head that stick out as memorable.
Now, the score I was impressed with, but it didn’t exactly stay with me like How to Train Your Dragon. I liked the use of Owl City music even if I’m not exactly a fan of theirs (I enjoy their music tho), it was used in a way that really aided the atmosphere and feeling. Vocal work is nice as I expected.
The cinematography in this movie is truly top-notch, all the characters and designs are beautiful and feel real, but animated at the same time like they should. Don’t want any uncanny valley
Though, I must say, am I the only one reminded of The Lion King when his brother “dies” by falling into the fire? 
Unfortunately, my dad laughed at this coincidence and kind of ruined the impact of the scene for me…
Overall, it’s a really enjoyable movie for me, but there isn’t an especially satisfying payoff in the end. The kind of film you sit back and enjoy with some really great action and scenes, but somewhat lacking at its core. I’d still recommend this one to anyone who’s got tickets and needs a movie to see. I tend to sound far more judgemental of a movie than I really am when it comes to writing my thoughts on it. It’s a lovely movie and at least deserves a nomination at the academy.
So, Warner Bros. has their awards site up for this year and… wait, what?
warnerbros2010.warnerbros.com/#/ … ideration/
They… don’t seem to be pushing LotG for a Best Animated Feature nod! They include Best Picture and Best Director, but not animation. Hm. Do they just think it’s a given, or are they seriously not taking it into that category?
I would say it at least nipped TS3’s tail a bit. The animation (And I’m not talking special-effects wise only, but character animation as well) was convincing and much harder to pull off than TS3, so I’ll give them props for that. But as you mentioned, it really felt like a film in a hurry, and I really wished they’d ease up on the gas a bit.
Leirin: Laugh out loud, I’ll never see the ending the same way again! 
I agree with all your points. I really am a bit let down (but not truly disappointed) by the story, to the same degree as I felt for TS3. Only HTTYD and Despicable Me had the most satisfying plots and pacing for animation movies this year, IMO. It bewilders me why they put so much passion into such a short time to tell it, I wouldn’t have mind if they spent another year or so to animate and render some new scenes to make it at least 2 hours. But knowing Hollywood’s production cycle and high turnover rate nowadays, I could probably see why they needed to get this film done as soon as possible before their budget ran out.
I agree with your point on successfully avoiding the ‘UV’. I was watching a trailer for Happy Feet and I can’t believe how much they’ve improved in 4 years. Though, as I mentioned in my review, Soren and Kludd do look a bit glassy-eyed at parts. I’d have to say I loved Gylfie and Digger’s animations the best, their expressions and movements are so natural and endearing!
Basil: I’m really surprised by their bold gambit. I mean, shouldn’t they at least insure themselves with a ‘Best Animated Ghetto’ (It’s just my derogatory term for this award, personally I think animated films should be treated on the same level as live-action ones)?
IMO, they wouldn’t (and shouldn’t) get a Best Pic Win, as much as I loved the film. There are other movies which are more all-rounded in their qualities that deserve that. I would be pleasantly surprised though if the Academy does give them a chance, and you can be sure I’ll be cheering them for a Win if they do get a Nom nod.
I’d say its best chances lie with ‘Best Art Direction’, ‘Best Visual Effects’ (It seriously deserves a Win in this category) and ‘Best Original Score’. I would give ‘Best Adapted Screenplay’ to HTTYD cos’ they changed characters and plotlines that actually made the movie better than the original book, IMHO.
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I really am disappointed with LOTG’s mediocre box-office performance. It truly deserved better. As of last week, the showtime schedulers have knocked it down to the ‘graveyard’ morning and late night shifts for mainstream cinemas after only three weeks. The Darling Harbour IMAX is running a re-release season for Toy Story 3 even though it already had its run… And this week, LOTGs only playing for one session a day in the suburbs to make way for derivative fare like Resident Evil and Paranormal Activity 2. And Despicable Me, which was released two months ago, is still running in some cinemas (Interestingly, it has become a surprise box-office hit here)!
I’m probably gonna give it a rewatch to ‘help’ its takings, but also because this is one of the films I really enjoyed (next to HTTYD) this year, and I won’t mind supporting them again. The Darling Harbour IMAX is doing a 30% matinee discount this month, so I’m taking advantage of it sometime next week before it ends its theatrical run, even though I’ve already seen it for the first time there. I think next to Avatar and HTTYD, it really did make full use of that massive screen, and I didn’t enjoy it the first time round due to waiting for my friend arriving super-late two-thirds way through the film, so this time I’m ‘flying solo’.
Regarding the ending, I wasn’t [spoiler]reminded of The Lion King, mainly because Kludd doesn’t get eaten alive by anything. To be honest, I was actually more reminded of the climax of Goldeneye, which got Bond and the treacherous villain into a very similar situation without the fire, where they had the following famous exchange;
Travelyan ‘006’: For England, James?
Bond ‘007’: No, for me. Drops Travelyan to his death.
So naturally, I was half-expecting Kludd and Soren to have the following exchange:
Kludd: Soren, I’m your brother.
Soren: I don’t know you at all. Drops Kludd to his non-death.
Then I realise that this would have been grossly out-of-character for Soren.[/spoiler]
This is bizarre. I can only think of two possible explanations:
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Like you said, they just think it’s a given that any animated film that’s being put forward for anything will be looking for the Best Animated Feature award. That’s dangerous thinking.
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Someone at WB really hates the notion of the Best Animated Feature category, and just wants to ignore it. Have WB had any animated films nominated in the past? Was Happy Feet released by WB?
I’m just going to take this moment to say that if LotG doesn’t win Best Visual Effects, then the Academy’s credibility is going to take another major hit. This film blew every other film this year out of the water for visuals the moment Noctus flew over the water, which is only about a minute into the film. It got better from then on, as well.
Then again, this is the same Academy that gave this very Oscar to The Golden Compass instead of Transformers. I don’t exactly have much confidence in them.
[quoteI really am disappointed with LOTG’s mediocre box-office performance. It truly deserved better. As of last week, the showtime schedulers have knocked it down to the ‘graveyard’ morning and late night shifts for mainstream cinemas after only three weeks. The Darling Harbour IMAX is running a re-release season for Toy Story 3 even though it already had its run… And this week, LOTGs only playing for one session a day in the suburbs to make way for derivative fare like Resident Evil and Paranormal Activity 2. And Despicable Me, which was released two months ago, is still running in some cinemas (Interestingly, it has become a surprise box-office hit here)![/quote]
I honestly have no idea why LotG has flopped so much worldwide. It’s a fantastic-looking film with plenty of action and a good helping of cuteness to match, and this was all evident in the trailers. It’s directed by a popular action director (Zack Snyder) and has a talented voice cast featuring several famous names. Admittedly, this aspect wasn’t well advertised, but it was on IMDB. More important than that, though, it was animated by the same studio that did Happy Feet, a popular movie that managed to beat Pixar at the Oscars (not saying for a moment that it deserved to, but evidently many people thought it did). It just makes no sense to me.
I’ll tell you why it failed in Australia, though. No. Smegging. Advertising. Seriously, outside of cinemas and the movie session pages in the newspaper, I saw no ads for this film at all. Despicable Me had more ads, and thus did better. It’s that simple. If there’s one thing I hate more than bad ads, it’s people who won’t advertise their good product, and will then probably go on to blame the product and its makers for the bad sales. [/spoiler]
Exactly, but that was a big problem for me. When the main character’s brother, whose name escapes me atm, falls to his death in the fire, we had spent such a short, rushed amount of time with the two characters interacting that it made it hard for me to care, and I really did want to =/
Toy Story 3 however had me in tears, laughing etc at numerous points.