Chock Full Of Messages And A Few Cutesy Moments

Rating: 5/10 (18 December 2012)

I get the message from this, or, maybe I should say the messages. There's more than one. There's the power of belief and the importance of believing. Then there's the heartache of being the one who blends in and never gets noticed. Little children can make a big difference. I get all that, and they're fine messages. And yet, with all those fine messages packed in, I thought this was at best a very average movie; not one that captivated me.
It uses a variety of legendary beings (including Santa Claus, the Easter Bunny, the Tooth Fairy and the Sand Man) and turn them into super-hero sorts, whose role as "Guardians" is to protect little children. But the source of their power is the belief of the children, and if the children stop believing, then the Guardians are helpless. Into the mix at the beginning of the movie comes Jack Frost. We don't know where he comes from. He just rises out of a frozen pond as the movie starts; a boy without a past called - to something. He finds his purpose (and his past) when the Boogey Man shows up to wreak havoc and to destroy the belief of the world's children, and we end up with a titanic battle between Jack Frost and the Boogey Man to climax the movie, with the other Guardians and the world's children playing supporting roles in the battle.
It was OK. In addition to the good messages there were the requisite "cutesy" moments - most revolving around Santa's somewhat gnome-like elves, but also around the Easter Bunny when he's reduced to a mere baby. Jack's past (when it's finally revealed) is also rather sad and at the same time, strangely, happy. This didn't really captivate me, and it won't qualify as a classic to me. (5/10)