  
Rise of the Guardians also known as “El origen de los guardianes,” “Origem dos Guardiões”MPAA Rating:
 for thematic elements and some mildly scary action.Reviewed by: Cassandra Hsiao Average
Moviemaking Quality:
Primary Audience:
Kids Family
Genre:
Animation Fantasy Adventure Family Comedy Drama 3D
Length:
1 hr. 37 min.
Year of Release:
2012
USA Release:
November 21, 2012 (wide—3,500+ theaters)
 
Relevant Issues
FEAR, Anxiety and Worry—What does the Bible say? Answer
True meaning of Easter
Why do we celebrate Easter? Answer
The story of the resurrection—God’s Story: From Creation to Eternity What is the origin of Easter? Answer Easter—WebBible™ Encyclopedia Is Easter mentioned in the Bible? Answer being a hero humility versus pride How did Jesus greatly humble himself for us? Answer childhood story characters
books: The Guardians of Childhood series by William Joyce
“Legends unite.” “Rise of the Guardians” is simply magical. It takes a very different view of the legends that we have all grown up with, bringing back nostalgia for adults and magic for kids. It attempts to truly make you believe in the childhood fables with its hair-raising battles, lovable characters, and spectacular wonders of lands beyond us. The myths of the holidays come together with the four immortal Guardians—the jolly yet tough Santa Claus, the warrior-like Easter Bunny, the entrancing Tooth Fairy, and the silent but adorable Sandman. It is their job to protect and bring joy to children all around the world. When evil Pitch (the Boogeyman) threatens to overtake the world with fear, teenager legend Jack Frost is appointed as a new Guardian. The Guardians must learn to work together as a team and get children to believe in them before it is too late. Jack embarks on his own personal journey, as well, finding his purpose in being a Guardian. It’s the “Rise of the Avengers” from our childhoods, and in a good way, too. “Rise of the Guardians” is visually stunning, especially in 3D. The sight of legends at work will make everyone believers once more. There are a lot of laughs and more heart than I expected. The poignant moments are expressive, especially when Jack bonds with the only boy, Jamie, who still believes in the Guardians. This is a movie for the entire family to enjoy without any innuendos, because the mere idea of legends uniting and epic battles in the night sky will make your jaw drop, cracking even the hardest of critics with its playful nostalgia. It also puts a fun twist on the characters, as well, bringing each one to life with a very distinct personality. The film portrays Jack as a fun-loving, mischievous teenage rascal who first rejects his new title as a Guardian, frustrated by centuries of disbelief in him. For three hundred years, he feels unwanted because no children believe in him—and therefore can’t see him. He declines the responsibility that comes with being a Guardian because he doesn’t understand why he’s chosen. When he asks, “Why me?” Santa tells him, “You have something very special inside, and we can’t do it without you.” Jack discovers that he has the makings of a true hero—selfless, courageous, and, surprisingly, kindness. The movie has two heartwarming messages. The first is about how everyone has a different role to play and a special “center”. Santa’s center is to bring wonder to the children, and Jack Frost must find his own center. God has also put “centers” into our own heart, things that we are passionate about and love to do. Just like Jack faces questions about his past and purpose, we also must deal with questions like “Who am I? Why am I here?” We can only find our purpose and destiny in God, who is the Creator of all. The Bible says in Colossians 1:16,
Another message is about hope versus fear. Sandman and Pitch (the Boogeyman) are the exact opposites of each other—one brings sweet dreams, while the other overtakes the minds of children with nightmares. Pitch declares, “It’s time for fear to rule the world.” In the end, even though the children acknowledge Pitch’s existence, they declare that they are not afraid of him because they have the Guardians by their side. As Christians, we should not be afraid, because we have God on our side. Psalm 118:6 says,
Objectionable Content There is mild name-calling between the Guardians, such as words like “bloody” and “coward”. Families can also talk about the worldly portrayal of Christian holidays. Christmas is supposed to be when we celebrate the birth of Christ, while Easter is when we celebrate Jesus’ resurrection, but the secular view turns it into a mishmash of Santa, Christmas trees, the Easter Bunny and Easter eggs. Also, the Guardians look up to the mythical deity-like “Man on the Moon” for direction and guidance, instead of God. Another warning to parents is that younger children may be frightened by the idea that Pitch spreads fear through dreams and some battle scenes may be too intense for them. I would recommend this movie to any family looking for a whimsical, slightly quirky, magical movie. The voice-overs are commendable and the movie’s feel-good, keep believin’ tenors will draw the entire family into a world of hope, joy, and child-like innocence. All in all, this movie was a joy to watch. The uplifting morals will find their way to not only your heart, but to your dreams as well. Violence: Heavy (for the genre) / Profanity: None / Sex/Nudity: Minor See list of Relevant Issues—questions-and-answers.   Comments below:
Positive
Positive—My husband and I both saw this movie last night. I was prepared to enjoy a simple holiday movie, but was very surprised by the moviemaking quality and depth of characters that were portrayed. I would recommend that parents be cautious when bringing younger children, due to several scary scenes. Parents could also use this movie as a way to talk to their children regarding their own beliefs and fears which could lead to a good discussion about faith.
I usually do not write a review, but feel that this Web site has helped me so much to discern what movies to watch. Biblically, this movie does involve the mention of spirits, which could lead to deeper discussions with adults and children of what the Bible says about evil and Jesus” victory over death and fear. The movie quality deserves some recognition, and my husband wants to see it again, it had so much action and humor. Thanks for letting us post. Moral rating: Offensive / Moviemaking quality: 4½ —Holly, age 41 (USA) Positive—An excellent film! I love that the film so greatly encourages faith in God. The “man in the moon” is a metaphor for God’s existence, and the film is about accepting the call that God has given one in life. Satan is greatly personified in the “boogeyman,” who is presented as Jack Frost’s, and therefore our, personal adversary. A great film for the whole family!
Moral rating: Excellent! / Moviemaking quality: 5 —Aaron Ploof, age 24 (USA) Positive—If you look for the spiritual message that you can apply to your life from a Christian perspective, this is a great movie. Its the battle between good and evil, and I loved how they stood up to the evil and told them they were not afraid of it (sure you can only do that with the power of God, and they weren’t, but I looked at it that way). It talks about your destiny, fulfilling why you were put here and to get in touch with that. Again, they do it from superficial methods, it is not a Christian film, but if you can apply your faith and belief when watching it, its really good.
Don’t think I would want a young kid watching this, the dark, evil parts are kind of scary for kids and I was surprised there was so much of it. However, if you have a child mature enough to talk about the things above and the difference between where Christians get this power and direction compared to the world, it could be a great conversation starter. And no I don’t like all the sorcery stuff, however that is every “hero” movie. The graphics are some of the best I have seen in an animated film. Moral rating: Average / Moviemaking quality: 5 Samantha, age 38 (USA) Positive—I rated this movie as good, but offensive; the reason I did this is because the movie is a good tool to teach your children about the enemy. It is very offensive towards Christ, because He is completely omitted, although that’s how Satan works, to remove Jesus from the world so people won’t look to Him. But you can take this movie and reverse what Satan sold and show Jesus throughout this movie. You can give a solid teaching to your kids, if you flip the movie… Here are some examples: more »
Moral rating: Offensive / Moviemaking quality: 5 Tariq Haque, age 32 (Canada) Negative
Negative—The movie felt devoid of anything of substance. There was no spirit, it was just commercialism. The Jack Frost character had a self sacrificing moment, but the message seemed to be torn between “seeing is believing” and “kids keep holidays alive in their heart.” I found it wanting. I should have left a review earlier, because I’m already forgetting it.
Moral rating: Offensive / Moviemaking quality: 5 —Trina, age 45 (USA) Comments from young people
Positive—“Rise of the Guardians” was a great movie that I would recommend to everyone. There are a few things that you might not like. Specifically, minor language, some disrespect to God (not like using His name in vain), a few creepy villains, and minor violence. Most of the “profanity” was when the Easter Bunny said “bloody” in a cursing way. Though I heard it two times, I might have missed it one or two times.
In addition the villain, “Pitch Black” The Bogeyman, told the Easter Bunny to “Go suck an Egg,” which is supposed to be a joke. In this movie, the Guardians (The Tooth Fairy, Santa, The Easter Bunny, Sandman, and in the end Jack Frost) talk about the Man in the Moon like he is God. They show him as all powerful and all knowing. The Bogeyman lives off of fear and is fear. In this story, unless people believe in a mystical character, that character is invisible, and no one even knows that they exist. That is what the main character Jack Frost has to deal with. This is also the problem of The Bogeyman. Because of the Guardians, after the Dark Ages people stopped believing in The Bogeyman, so he is going to make all the kids not believe in the Guardians by destroying their holidays. Then by scaring the children of the world, he will be seen and feared. The bogeyman invades the kids’ dreams and gains minions. At one point the Sandman is killed and there are suspenseful battles. In another scene, during a flashback, Jack sees himself give his life to save his little sister. Overall, there were some things not needed. This is an amazing and great movie that you should try your best to see. Moral rating: Better than Average / Moviemaking quality: 4½ —D'artagnan, age 12 (USA) Comments from non-viewers
Negative—I am tired of this “magical brotherhood” stuff with the mythological figures. I quit the whole Santa and Easter bunny stuff and replaced them with Jesus a long time ago. Does the sandman ever sleep? Somewhere on this planet, there are people falling asleep and waking up EVERY second. What was once a playful pretend thing for kids is starting to become idolatry. If I ever have kids, they will be taught that Jesus gave the greatest gift of all, not this ho ho ho Easter egg stuff that is polluting our kids minds. The true meanings of Christmas and Easter have been disgraced. I’m just glad there are still genuine Christians who remember their true meanings. I also hear they get their powers from a man on the moon, who is their boss; the only reason I can’t say for certain whether or not that’s occult is I can’t tell whether the moon man is a spirit or not. My Lord and Savior’s gift is far greater than the junk this movie promotes.
Moral rating: / Moviemaking quality: —Peter, age 22 (USA) Sorry, no viewer comments received yet. If you have seen this movie and would like to share your observations and insights with others to be posted here, please contact us! |
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