Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga’hoole
Director: Zach Snyder
Cast: Jim Sturgess, David Wenham, Hugo Weaving, Essie Davis, Helen Mirren, Ryan Kwanten, Emily Barclay, Sam Neill, Adrienne DeFaria, Miriam Margolyes, Geoffrey Rush, Anthony LaPaglia, Abbie Cornish, Sacha Horler, Angus Sampson, Leigh Wannell, Richard Roxburgh, Joel Edgerton, Deborra-Lee Furness,
A father owl's tales of the legendary Guardians of Ga'Hoole enthrall his son Soren (Jim Sturgess), but older son, Kludd, scoffs at the stories of winged warriors who fought an epic battle to save all of owl kind from the evil Pure Ones. Later, the brothers become captives of the Pure Ones, but Soren makes a daring escape and, with the help of other young owls, Soren seeks out the Guardians and brings them back to defend their people, once again.
Courage and cowardice are equally powerful themes in this film, and they are reflected, in equal measure, in the characters of Soren, and his brother, Kludd and how each of these brothers define these traits that are reflected in their characters.
Soren’s courage comes from his heart. Although this young owl is mocked and bullied by his older brother, Kludd, for believing his father’s stories about the legendary owls of Ga’Hoole, Soren still saves Kludd from the creature that attacked him, while Kludd, in turn, does nothing to save his brother, when Soren was in danger and needed saving. Although he is terrified when he and his brother are taken from their nest, and enslaved by Queen Nyra, Soren shows great courage on his journey by bravely defending his brother, when the two are attacked by a vicious, wild beast, and protecting a little Elf Owl, named Gylfie, when Queen Nyra is tormenting her. Although he is exhausted by the long journey to the Tree of Ga’Hoole, Soren bravely watches over Gylfie and Digger as they sleep, even shushing Twilight, so the bigger owl’s singing doesn’t awaken his friends. Soren’s courage is reflected in his child-like faith of the stories his father tells Soren and his siblings about the wise and noble Guardians of Ga’Hoole and how these brave owls protect the kingdoms from evil. Although Kludd finds his brother’s belief in the stories to be childish dreams, it is this very belief which gives Soren the courage to journey to the Great Tree of Ga’Hoole, itself, at the heart of the Sea of Hoolemere, and bring the Guardians back to rescue his brother and the other owlets from the cruel and tyrannical Queen Nyra. When the King of Ga’Hoole is listening to Soren’s plea for help, Soren convinces the wise King to support his cause when he says, “I am telling you the truth. The Pure Ones exist. Yes, the only proof I have is my words…but words were the only proof I had that you were real…and still, I believed. The wise Owl King grants Soren’s request for help because he recognizes the young owl’s courage. The veracity of these stories is also the catalyst which allows Soren to break through the moon blink trance that has ensnared his sister and allows Eglantine’s soul to be restored.
While Soren possesses a brave and noble heart, his brother, Kludd, possesses a heart made of stone. Kludd is deeply jealous of his younger brother’s ability to fly and this jealous rivalry, coupled with his own cowardly heart, is soon transformed into unabashed hatred for his brother when Kludd meets the Pure Ones and their Queen, Nyra, who give Kludd the favoritism and praise that he longed for with his family. Kludd betrays Soren not once, not twice, but three times as the story unfolds. Kludd’s first betrayal comes when he chooses to remain with Queen Nyra, rather than following his brother and Gylfie when they are first captured. Kludd betrays Soren again when Soren and Gylfie are escaping from Queen Nyra’s fortress and Kludd chooses to join with Queen Nyra, rather than return to his family. Kludd’s lust for power and his blind devotion to Nyra are what compel Kludd to betray his little sister, Eglantine, when he abducts her to be part of Queen Nyra’s cruel scheme. Kludd is also the one who compels his sister to moon blink so that she would be entranced, and at the mercy of Queen Nyra. Kludd’s final act of betrayal and cowardice comes when he attacks Soren, once again, and this act costs Kludd his very life, when he tries to trick his brother and winds up falling to his death.
While I had my doubts about the worthiness of this film, considering how deeply I despised Zach Snyder’s take on the Batman movies, Justice League and Aquaman, I confess, Legend Of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga’Hoole truly impressed me. The animation in this film – particularly for the various owl characters – is stunning, the story is very heartfelt, and I found myself having a very deep and emotional connection to Soren’s character. Being a lover of stories, myself, I appreciated his deep love of his father’s tales and how they shaped his belief in the Guardians as his heroes. The casting is stellar (particularly for Helen Mirren who voices Queen Nyra and Jim Sturgess, who brings Soren to life onscreen. I would highly recommend this film.
© 2022 Keriane Kellogg. All rights reserved.
Director: Zach Snyder
Cast: Jim Sturgess, David Wenham, Hugo Weaving, Essie Davis, Helen Mirren, Ryan Kwanten, Emily Barclay, Sam Neill, Adrienne DeFaria, Miriam Margolyes, Geoffrey Rush, Anthony LaPaglia, Abbie Cornish, Sacha Horler, Angus Sampson, Leigh Wannell, Richard Roxburgh, Joel Edgerton, Deborra-Lee Furness,
A father owl's tales of the legendary Guardians of Ga'Hoole enthrall his son Soren (Jim Sturgess), but older son, Kludd, scoffs at the stories of winged warriors who fought an epic battle to save all of owl kind from the evil Pure Ones. Later, the brothers become captives of the Pure Ones, but Soren makes a daring escape and, with the help of other young owls, Soren seeks out the Guardians and brings them back to defend their people, once again.
Courage and cowardice are equally powerful themes in this film, and they are reflected, in equal measure, in the characters of Soren, and his brother, Kludd and how each of these brothers define these traits that are reflected in their characters.
Soren’s courage comes from his heart. Although this young owl is mocked and bullied by his older brother, Kludd, for believing his father’s stories about the legendary owls of Ga’Hoole, Soren still saves Kludd from the creature that attacked him, while Kludd, in turn, does nothing to save his brother, when Soren was in danger and needed saving. Although he is terrified when he and his brother are taken from their nest, and enslaved by Queen Nyra, Soren shows great courage on his journey by bravely defending his brother, when the two are attacked by a vicious, wild beast, and protecting a little Elf Owl, named Gylfie, when Queen Nyra is tormenting her. Although he is exhausted by the long journey to the Tree of Ga’Hoole, Soren bravely watches over Gylfie and Digger as they sleep, even shushing Twilight, so the bigger owl’s singing doesn’t awaken his friends. Soren’s courage is reflected in his child-like faith of the stories his father tells Soren and his siblings about the wise and noble Guardians of Ga’Hoole and how these brave owls protect the kingdoms from evil. Although Kludd finds his brother’s belief in the stories to be childish dreams, it is this very belief which gives Soren the courage to journey to the Great Tree of Ga’Hoole, itself, at the heart of the Sea of Hoolemere, and bring the Guardians back to rescue his brother and the other owlets from the cruel and tyrannical Queen Nyra. When the King of Ga’Hoole is listening to Soren’s plea for help, Soren convinces the wise King to support his cause when he says, “I am telling you the truth. The Pure Ones exist. Yes, the only proof I have is my words…but words were the only proof I had that you were real…and still, I believed. The wise Owl King grants Soren’s request for help because he recognizes the young owl’s courage. The veracity of these stories is also the catalyst which allows Soren to break through the moon blink trance that has ensnared his sister and allows Eglantine’s soul to be restored.
While Soren possesses a brave and noble heart, his brother, Kludd, possesses a heart made of stone. Kludd is deeply jealous of his younger brother’s ability to fly and this jealous rivalry, coupled with his own cowardly heart, is soon transformed into unabashed hatred for his brother when Kludd meets the Pure Ones and their Queen, Nyra, who give Kludd the favoritism and praise that he longed for with his family. Kludd betrays Soren not once, not twice, but three times as the story unfolds. Kludd’s first betrayal comes when he chooses to remain with Queen Nyra, rather than following his brother and Gylfie when they are first captured. Kludd betrays Soren again when Soren and Gylfie are escaping from Queen Nyra’s fortress and Kludd chooses to join with Queen Nyra, rather than return to his family. Kludd’s lust for power and his blind devotion to Nyra are what compel Kludd to betray his little sister, Eglantine, when he abducts her to be part of Queen Nyra’s cruel scheme. Kludd is also the one who compels his sister to moon blink so that she would be entranced, and at the mercy of Queen Nyra. Kludd’s final act of betrayal and cowardice comes when he attacks Soren, once again, and this act costs Kludd his very life, when he tries to trick his brother and winds up falling to his death.
While I had my doubts about the worthiness of this film, considering how deeply I despised Zach Snyder’s take on the Batman movies, Justice League and Aquaman, I confess, Legend Of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga’Hoole truly impressed me. The animation in this film – particularly for the various owl characters – is stunning, the story is very heartfelt, and I found myself having a very deep and emotional connection to Soren’s character. Being a lover of stories, myself, I appreciated his deep love of his father’s tales and how they shaped his belief in the Guardians as his heroes. The casting is stellar (particularly for Helen Mirren who voices Queen Nyra and Jim Sturgess, who brings Soren to life onscreen. I would highly recommend this film.
© 2022 Keriane Kellogg. All rights reserved.