Rise of the Guardians Reviews
Top Critic
Rise of the Guardians is harmless enough, and the lack of easy pop-culture jokes represents the post-Shrek direction of DreamWorks well enough. But this is the studio's least entertaining film.
Full Review
| Original Score: 1.5/4
The conceit has its charms but too much of this movie, directed by Peter Ramsey, is more clamorous than inspired, and little kids might find parts of it too scarily intense.
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| Original Score: C+
'Rise of the Guardians' is an effervescent dose of fantasia that's pretty hard to dislike. Unless, of course, you're a cynical grump.
Full Review
| Original Score: 4/5
The script seems to have been written by committee, with members lobbying for each major character, and the action, set in vast environments all over the map, spreads itself so thin that a surfeit of motion vitiates emotion.
Too cluttered and manic to bring real pleasure.
A children's fable reimagined as a superhero flick--a peculiar but delightful hybrid that just may be the best animated offering of the year.
Like most children's movies, Rise of the Guardians mimics the patterns of adult entertainment. Where is the magic in that?
And as much as I often found myself enchanted by this 3D animated film, based on the series of books by William Joyce, I couldn't help noticing that this movie falls into a conundrum I like to call "You didn't clap loud enough -- Tinkerbell's dead."
All this feels formulaic and the believe-in-magic message is even more treacly than typical, but give first-time feature director Peter Ramsey credit for his visual panache.
Full Review
| Original Score: 2/4
A satisfying holiday treat for adults and children alike.
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| Original Score: 3/4
The joy of Peter Ramsey's clever and well-paced film is how it maintains its focus on the experience of childhood wonder rather than on holiday loot.
Full Review
| Original Score: 3.5/4
"Rise of the Guardians" seems a sure bet for kids who still believe - or wished they believed - in magic.
Full Review
| Original Score: B
You'll perhaps need a little patience to fully appreciate Rise of the Guardians, which is likely to grow in stature over time.
Full Review
| Original Score: 2.5/4
The movie's bid for distinctiveness works in lots of little ways ...
Full Review
| Original Score: 2.5/4
[A] dour animated adventure that aspires to holiday joy, but is as enjoyable as a sock full of coal.
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| Original Score: 2/5
A charming if slightly dark and cobwebbed animated feature about how believing in something makes it real, or real enough.
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| Original Score: 3/4
This 3-D cartoon manages to be frantic and bizarre, yet boring.
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| Original Score: 0.5/4
Peter Ramsey and his art team have created a crisp, colorful fantasy world, sharper-edged than many feature-length children's cartoons.
Full Review
| Original Score: 3/4
There's more "wow" factor involved than genuine charm. It's fun-enough once, but repeat visits won't be necessary.
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| Original Score: 3/5
There is a lot to savor in "Rise of the Guardians," but sometimes too much of a good thing can be exhausting.
Full Review
| Original Score: 3/5
With its fanciful razzle-dazzle, Rise of the Guardians is appealing, if slightly hectic, family fare.
Full Review
| Original Score: 2.5/4
As revisionist holiday fables go, you're better off watching Aardman's delightful Arthur Christmas than this lump of coal.
Full Review
| Original Score: 2/5
The busy, 3-D animation relies a bit too much on madcap flight sequences and vast, vaulted spaces, but the character design has real warmth, and the animation is frequently witty and sometimes mesmerizing.
Full Review
| Original Score: 3.5/5
Innocence and joy are threatened by the Boogeyman, and from there the plot comes pretty close to mirroring this summer's The Avengers movie. Mostly in a good way.
Full Review
| Original Score: 2.5/4
This animated, 3-D film is essentially a Marvel-ized version of old fairy tales, but "Rise of the Guardians" has several things going for it.
Full Review
| Original Score: 2.5/4
At times, it approaches some of Pixar's best.
Mostly, the movie keeps things on the near side of fun, and pushes a not-entirely-insipid life perspective. The ratio of staggering craft to innocuous content brings this to a level of better-than-average-contemporary children's fare.
Full Review
| Original Score: 3.5/5
Rise of the Guardians is enjoyable as a stand-alone adventure - not groundbreaking animation but a solidly entertaining 90 minutes for older children and adults.
Full Review
| Original Score: 3/4
A lively and derivative 3D storybook spree for some unlikely action heroes.
Even tots may emerge feeling slightly browbeaten by this colorful, strenuous and hyperactive fantasy, which has moments of charm and beauty but often resembles an exploding toy factory rather than a work of honest enchantment.
