Review: 'Rise of the Guardians' starring Chris Pine and Alec Baldwin

Easily the most original animated film of the year, Rise of the Guardians is like an amped up holiday superhero adventure, think The Avengers if the team consisted of the Easter Bunny, Santa Clause, the Sandman, Tooth Fairy, and Jack Frost. A fresh approach to characters we've seen a lot as of late, the film reimagines these mythical icons as an international force fighting to defend the wishes, dreams, and imaginations of children all over the world. With its hopeful spirit, impressive visuals, and emphasis on action Rise of the Guardians seems poised to be a new holiday season classic.

Based on the books of William Joyce, the story is mostly seen through the eyes of young Jack Frost(voiced by Chris Pine), who emerges amnesiac from the ice uncertain of his purpose in the world. His origin instantly compelling, the mystery of who he was before drives much of the narrative adding a great deal of weight to what was is generally a straight-forward good vs. evil affair. After spending three hundred causing mischief and hijinks, but being unable to convince people to believe he exists, Jack is recruited by the Man in the Moon to join the Guardians, a prospect which not all of the team are happy with. A combustible group of heroes even before Jack's arrival, the team consists of a burly, awesomely-tattooed Russian Santa Claus(Alec Baldwin); an Aussie warrior Easter Bunny(Hugh Jackman naturally) with a special dislike for Jack; a Tooth Fairy(Isla Fisher) who's more like a fairy from Peter Pan; and the silent but powerful dreamweaver known as the Sandman.

Jack has no intention of becoming a Guardian, even when the evil Pitch the Boogeyman(Jude Law) threatens to steal all dreams and turn them into nightmares. But given the chance to learn more about his past, Jack jumps the chance and enters the surprisingly dark and thrilling fight. As with any film of this sort, it's only as good as the bad guy, and Pitch's reason for enveloping the world in darkness is logical. There's commonality between him and Jack as mythical beings most people don't believe in, and a simple twist could see them as allies rather than foes. There's barely a breather once the action gets going, and we're swept up, often in Santa's sleigh which "everyone loves", from the North Pole to the Tooth Fairy's hide out and the Easter Bunny's lair. Each of these are so full of wonderful little artistic touches, from the Yetis and elves(who will remind many of Despicable Me's minions) who do all the work, to the little cutesy baby "teeth" the Tooth Fairy takes care of.  There's so much wondrous about this film that it's almost required viewing to see it more than once and take everything in. While the story focuses mainly on Jack Frost, it's Sandman who is the real star of the show. His magical, golden displays of childhood dreams are simply breath-taking, from giant shimmering dinosaurs to soaring manta rays. But at the same time he's arguably the most fearsome fighter of them all. He's a character made for the stunning 3D visuals the film has to offer.

Parents shouldn't be worried that the aggressive tone of the film will dilute any of the holiday spirit. In fact, it reinforces a belief in the true reasons these holidays exist. But it also gets pretty dark at times. Characters die and others are shattered in some terrible ways, and for some it may be too much to handle. It's all balanced out nicely by a sense of joy and wonder that could drive the inevitable franchise far. Rise of the Guardians may not be the most conventional holiday family film, but it's already one of the most enjoyable and will be a seasonal fixture for a long time to come.