Rise of the Guardians

Plot synopsis:
Jack Frost awakens from a frozen pond with amnesia. Upon realizing no one can see or hear him, he disappears. Three hundred years later Jack, as the spirit of Winter, enjoys delivering snow days to school kids, but resents that they don't believe in him. At the North Pole, the Man in the Moon warns Nicholas St. North that Pitch Black is threatening the children of the world with his nightmares. He calls E. Aster Bunnymund, Sandy, and Tooth, to arms. They are then told that Jack Frost has been chosen to be a new Guardian. Jack is unimpressed by this position, as he still resents not being believed in, but North convinces him to aid them.
Visiting Tooth's world, Jack learns that baby teeth contain childhood memories of the children who lost them; Jack's teeth are included, but tells Tooth he doesn't remember. However, Pitch raids Tooth's home in order to kidnap all of her subordinate tooth fairies except Baby Tooth, whom Jack saved, so that the children's teeth can't be collected and steals all the teeth, thus preventing Tooth from sharing Jack's memories and causing children to not believe in Tooth. In order to thwart Pitch's plan, the group decides to collect children's teeth. During their journey, a quarrel between North and Bunnymund awakens a boy, Jamie. Since he still believes, he can see everybody except for Jack. Pitch's nightmares then attack, provoking Sandy as the Guardian of Dreams. Jack aids, but Sandy is killed by Pitch.
As Easter approaches, the dejected Guardians gather in Bunnymund's home. With the unexpected aid of Jamie's little sister, Sophie, they begin the process of painting eggs for Easter. After Jack takes Sophie home, he is lured to Pitch's lair by a voice. Pitch taunts him with his memories and fear of non-belief, distracting him long enough for Pitch to destroy the eggs, causing children to stop believing in Easter and Bunnymund. Losing his trust in the Guardians, Jack isolates himself in Antarctica, where Pitch tries to convince him to join his side. When Jack refuses, Pitch threatens to kill Baby Tooth unless Jack gives him his staff. He agrees, but Pitch breaks Jack's staff and throws him down a chasm. Unlocking his memories, he learns that he was a mortal teenager who fell into ice while saving his younger sister. Inspired, Jack fixes his staff and returns to the lair to rescue the kidnapped baby fairies.
Due to Pitch, every child in the world except Jamie disbelieves, weakening the Guardians. Finding Jamie's belief wavering, Jack makes it snow in his room, renewing belief and causing Jack to be seen and heard for the first time. Jack and Jamie gather the boy's friends, whose renewed belief bolsters their fight against Pitch. Pitch threatens them, but their dreams prove stronger than his nightmares, resulting in Sandy's resurrection. Defeated and disbelieved in, Pitch tries to retreat, but his nightmares turn on him and trap him in his lair. Afterward, Jamie and his friends bid goodbye to the Guardians as Jack accepts his place as the Guardian of Fun.

Tags: whimsical, cute, fantasy, action

Review:
I thought I was probably in a period of time where it would be difficult to sit back and enjoy what is an animated film aimed squarely at kids, but I was indeed surprised by how Rise of the Guardians, based upon The Guardians of Childhood series created by William Joyce, actually encapsulated all the good stuff, from quality of animation, voice casting and to characterization that was pretty basic but good fun.
There are many in the same class of late that tried to be too intellectual, but by keeping things simpler, and never forgetting the fun element, Rise of the Guardians stand out from the pack, and dare I say one of the most enjoyable animated movies of the year.This is the story of a new Guardian, Jack Frost (voiced by Chris Pine), who's about to join the ranks of other luminaries such as Santa Claus (Alec Baldwin), The Tooth Fairy (Isla Fisher), Easter Bunny (Hugh Jackman) and very silent Mr Sandman, all of whom thrive in today's world being the beacon of hope, and everything good, to all the little children of the world.
Wholesome themes somewhat, for young ones to be able to sit through and enjoy.We would already be very familiar with the many main characters such as Santa Claus, Tooth Fairy, Sandman and Easter Bunny, but what Rise of the Guardians managed to do, is to introduce a little spin of fresh air into these characters, making them unique yet retaining many of their iconic traits that make them who they are.
And they offer a lot more in terms of abilities, cause and what they bring to the table, limited only by the powers of the filmmakers' imagination.It's preaching fun, and never to lose sight of having a little fun in life, and the movie walked the talk by filling itself with plenty of side gags, contributed by the many supporting acts each established Guardian came with, such as Santa's tiny elves, and Tooth Fairy's lovelorn fairies who swoon at the presence of Jack Frost, for his perfect pearly whites of course.
These unique perspectives, seen and told through the eyes of the protagonist Jack Frost, makes it a journey that we're emotionally vested into from the start, right until the end, and to me they did not disappoint a bit.While I hadn't watched this in 3D or IMAX versions, there are enough set action pieces that tried to exploit these formats, which I suppose either format would have enveloped the viewer and provided a more vivid experience, especially with characters being made to pursue and battle each other in the air, or the numerous extravaganza moments where the prowess of the characters will wow.
By the end, the entire movie theater was in applause.Rise of the Guardians is a cute, adventurous, and heartwarming family film that focuses on hanging on to the best thing about childhood: belief..
Well, let's just say that there is one for it does drag a bit on the middle, but there isn't anything else to fault this epic adventure with.Some people may find the story of this movie predictable due to it's good vs evil concept, but for me, I don't think it was that bad.
I would've like to see the origins on some of the other childhood icons like Santa Claus, the Easter Bunny, the Sandman, and the Tooth Fairy, but I think that Dreamworks Animation is saving those for the sequels if they ever make them.
Jack Frost is a charming lead, Nicholas St. North (or Santa Claus) is a bada** character with his Russian accent and has a sleigh machine, the Sandman is silent, but that's what makes him more interesting and his comedic moments is funny, the Tooth Fairy (or Toothiana) is a beautiful female character and the way she explains her ways of getting all of the children's tooth is well thought out, and Bunnymund, the easter bunny, is a great fighter and by the far the most hilarious character that most people would adore.
Looks like Dreamworks Animation never fails to amuse me with their beautiful animation.Overall, Rise of the Guardians is by no means a classic and with all of my heart, this deserves some recommendation to those who haven't seen it yet.
The animation is great, and makes real good use of the 3D, which I fully admit I normally dislike.The voice casting is superb, Chris Pine holds his own as Jack Frost, while Alec Balwin is almost unrecognizable as North (Santa).
Rise of the Guardians is probably one of the best movies I've seen in a while, besides seeing Wreck It Ralph last weekend (also a must see movie for a blast-to-the-past) I loved this movie, cried during most of Jack's story, I know the feeling of being alone and feeling like I'm invisible/under appreciated/ignored/looked down upon.
As a big animation fanatic, I was very keen to see Rise of the Guardians as it did look like an very interesting film.
The first major family flick of the holidays, this Avengers-for-children boasts the most epic line-up of characters you're likely to see this Summer: Santa (Alec Baldwin), Easter Bunny (Hugh Jackman), Tooth Fairy (Isla Fisher), Jack Frost (Chris Pine) and the dream-making Sandman going up against fear himself, Pitch Black (Jude Law).
The Guardians here are not the owls of Ga'hoole, nor Green Lantern's Oans, but rather fairy-tale creatures from Earthly legend — Santa Claus (here called North and Russian from the sound of him), Bunny (guess which holiday, and sporting an Australian accent and golden boomerangs), Tooth (leader of, and only adult in, a veritable air corps of fairies), and Sandy (the Sandman, where they saved on casting costs by giving him no dialog) — and the thing they're supposed to guard is, I guess, the innocent sense of wonder of the world's children.
Since my attention wandered often during the movie, I imagined a method actor approaching the director (Peter Ramsey, in case you care) and asking "What's my motivation here?", because ole Pitch is out to replace all children's dreams with nightmares for no obvious reason other than that's his thing.Invited into this mix by the Man in the Moon (who seems to pull a lot of strings without ever saying a word) is Jack Frost, a young guy who walks around barefoot on frozen lakes and has been doing so for 3 centuries without any idea of who he used to be or why he got stuck with the job of frostifying stuff.
To counter this, Santa, the Easter Bunny, the Tooth Fairy and the Sandman all seek out a new guardian--a strange character that will help them fight Mr. Boogey.
The film revolves around baddie Black Pitch's(Jude Law) attempts to bring Nightmares to children that are safely apprehended by Jack Frost (Chris Pine), Santa Claus(Alec Baldwin), the Tooth Fairy (Isla Fisher), the Easter Bunny(Hugh Jackman) and the Sandman.
It just didn't mesh for me, and I even went in with an open heart and interest despite crummy reviews and box office opening.I suggest, search for something better for the kids, like a Pixar movie, or practically any *other* Dreamworks animated film.
Rise of the Guardians is a delightful film for the whole family, telling the story of how Santa Claus, the Easter Bunny, the Tooth Fairy and the Sandman protect children and they thrive on children's beliefs.
But when an old threat awakens the group needs to find a new guardian to help them, Jack Frost (Chris Pine).Rise of the Guardians is a wonderfully animated film from first time director Peter Ramsey perfectly mixes the comedy, drama and action.
Law gave a sinister performance as the voice, also playing it straight and Alec Baldwin was having fun being a Russian accented Santa.Alexandre Desplat supplies another excellent music, giving the film both an epic score for scale of the action and giving the seasonal sound when needed.Rise of the Guardians will certainly make Christmas viewing, working as a fantasy drama and a comedy and it is easy for the young and the young at heart can enjoy.I saw the 3D Blu-ray version and the 3D effort were very score..
So Jack Frost is the new recruit that is all about fun and games and he is asked to join the Guardians a group of myth and holiday characters that watch over and protect the children.
Some parts drag a bit (Mostly with the villain) but in the end they just add to the massively joyous tone of the film what hits every season so flawlessly I just wish they had a Halloween charter as after you think about it you just feel like that is what it missed.still the show carries it self not selling out by being some sappy tat about your most loved fairy tail icons which would have been easy for it to do and sadly what I thought it did whist in theaters.
I know that Rise of the Guardians has been the talk of the movie world because of it's net losses and how it is one of DreamWorks Animation's lowest-grossing films.
As for adults, this is entertaining enough because of the zany brightness and visuals, the action-packed story, and the short running time.Peter Ramsey directed a film that brings together Santa Claus, the Easter Bunny, the Tooth Fairy, Sandman, and Jack Frost as they join forces as Guardians to protect the innocence and dreams of children that the evil Pitch, known as Boogeyman is trying to take away.This film has a solid voice-cast which adds personality to each character.
Isla Fisher makes for a good Tooth Fairy and Alec Baldwin surprisingly, is a solid Santa.Overall, Rise of the Guardians is a rather fun, action-packed adventure for kids and adults alike.
Much to everyone's surprise, it is presumed that Frost is to play a vital role in defending the children of the world from the growing threat of the Boogeyman, a malevolent entity who aims to infest civilisation with nothing but nightmares.'Rise of the Guardians' is not a festive film, but its use of the Santa Claus legend and the focus on wintry weather leave it gravitating towards a holiday atmosphere.
Jack Frost is joined by the Toothfairy, Sandman, Easter Bunny, and Santa Claus.This is a DreamWorks Animation, and it looks good.
A cute story about keeping children's beliefs alive - belief in the Easter Bunny, Tooth Fairy, Santa Claus, Sandman, and Jack Frost - as the Boogeyman tries to destroy their belief.
Great animation and an overall positive theme ensure a feel-good movie that is probably best enjoyed around the Festive Season.
Bringing in a concept of what is sadly true, the fact that childhood is dying and with it is hope and faith and childlike belief of whimsical characters like Santa and the Easter Bunny, the Rise of the Guardians gets one thinking about the metaphorical fears and dangers threatening mankind, showcased throughout the entire film.Animation lovers will especially enjoy the final few minutes of the film where there is an obvious interpretation from a scene in The Lion King staring Scar (Let me know if you can find the correlation just like I did ).
There's so many other great reviews here, but I'd just like to add couple of things I didn't read.We bought this film and have played it many times much to our 3 year old's delight, and like many animated features there's plenty here for adults to like as well.
Quite the contrary, I had a lot of fun watching it and laughing throughout.I'm guessing everyone will have a favorite character, which is a great thing for an animated picture like this.
It's too bad, because the majority of the film is original, enticing and incredibly entertaining.Rise of the Guardians has great characters, music, and animation and an awesome first half to boot, but it ends up ending too fast and plays it too safe.
Jack Frost himself is a very cocky upstart and the interaction between these characters proves very entertaining to watch, with plenty of jokes.The animation and the action itself looks spectacular, the winter setting proving a real spectacle that dazzles on screen.
Something regarding "Rise of the Guardians" that stuck with me was that it did come across as a bit childish and saccharine at times, especially in the scenes involving Jack Frost and others interacting with a group of child characters.
This year's honour belongs to DreamWorks Animation's 'Rise of the Guardians'- the first big screen adaptation of children's author William Joyce's book series 'The Guardians of Childhood' – but instead of just relying on Santa, 'Guardians' brings along with it other mythical childhood figures like Tooth Fairy, Sandman and Easter Bunny to reinforce the message.To be sure, the Santa here isn't your typical bearded old man in a red suit; instead, this Santa (voiced by Alec Baldwin) is a burly muscular Norse god-like figure with 'Naughty' tattooed on one forearm and 'Nice' on the other.
For that matter, none of the other figures are depicted quite the way you would expect them to be – Bunny (voiced by Hugh Jackman) looks almost like a kangaroo with a perpetually gruff attitude; Sandman is gold, tubby and always smiley; and Fairy (voiced by Isla Fisher) resembles a hummingbird with a chirpy delightful demeanour.Even more surprising perhaps is how none of these aforementioned characters are in fact the lead; that goes to Jack Frost (voiced by Chris Pine), a less well-known figure in this part of the world who is most commonly associated with his ability to turn anything he touches into snow.
Revisionist fairy tales rarely come as lively and inspired as this, and this one that reimagines Santa, Tooth Fairy, Easter Bunny, Sandman and Jack Frost as guardians of childlike hope and wonder is a definitive holiday classic.
All of them, as you already know, are traditional characters that most people, especially in Europe and the United States, know since their childhood; we have Santa Claus, the Tooth Fairy, Sandman, the Easter Bunny and the already mentioned Jack Frost (as well as the bogeyman).
Speaking of the animation it was so delightful with imagery so colorful that small children will love the look of it even if they did not completely grasp the depth of the story with the Guardians fighting for hope, wonder, fund memories and fun.
The characters were so interesting,and very different from what we've grown to expect from Santa, the Easter Bunny, the Sandman and Jack Frost.
Santa Clause (Alec Baldwin), Easter Bunny (Hugh Jack man), Tooth Fairy (Isla Fisher), Sandman and Jack Frost (Chris Pine) are chosen by the man in the moon to guard the children.
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.
The Man in the Man resurrects Jack Frost (Chris Pine) from a frozen  pond in order for him to help Santa Claus (Alec Baldwin), the Easter  Bunny (Hugh Jackman), the Tooth Fairy and the Sandman stop the Bogeyman  (Jude Law) from convincing children that the guardians don't exist.
Jack Frost(Chris Pine) who has the power of freeze, has no memory of who is, or what his life was like before, is recruited by Santa Claus(Alec Baldwin), Tooth Fairy(Isle Fisher),The Easter Bunny(Hugh Jackman), and Sandman, to stop the bogyman(Jude Law) from creating fear by invading people, and losing there spirits for the holidays.
It also delivered a little action and made each "guardian" (Santa Claus, Tooth Fairy, Easter Bunny, Sandman and Jack Frost) a little "cooler."If you have "FEARS" about whether or not this movie will be good for you and your family than don't because the boogie-man will ...
Rise of The Guardians focuses on the big four protectors of children: Santa Clause aka North (Alec Baldwin), Sandman, Tooth Fairy (Isla Fisher), and the Easter Bunny (Hugh Jackman).
Yet what's an animated movie without good voice work to help add more character to this cast.
And while this film might not necessarily be a "Christmas" film (it's events actually take place closer to Easter), I think it's a good counterpoint to other "cold" animated films like "Frozen", especially for the young boys who might not be interested in Disney princesses.An action-packed film with great, well-known characters and stunning visuals, I give Rise of the Guardians 4.5 stars out of 5..
The film gives you the joy of believing in a concept quite beautiful and magical at the same time.The personalities for santa, easter bunny, tooth fairy, jack frost, sandman, are all interesting and new.
In this particular instance, all your childhood stories are real, from Santa Claus to Tooth Fairy, from Easter Bunny to our protagonist, Jack Frost.
In the end Rise of the Guardians is a well-paced animated action movie that you should definitely check out..
No doubt it's a killer concept to see such beloved fairytale characters of Santa Claus, Easter Bunny, Tooth Fairy, Jack Frost and Sandman combined together into one movie.
The movie's plot is about the Guardians which were North or Santa Claus (Alec Baldwin), the Tooth Fairy (Isla Fisher), Bunnymund or the Easter Bunny (Hugh Jackman), and the Sandman.
But it also depends on its story and it was an imaginative take on some of Holiday's Mythical characters ie the tooth fairy, Easter bunny, Santa and Jack Frost (who by the way doesn't have a Holiday)and kind of a Avengers light premise.
The Sandman, The Tooth Fairy, The Easter Bunny, Santa Claus and Jack Frost.
i would say that this is one of the best animated movie I've seen in along time as a lot of films do let you down, only showing the good bits in adverts then letting you down with the story.