By Danielle Cortes, Staff Writer
Rise of the Guardians is a 2012 American 3D computer-animated fantasy-adventure film based on William Joyce’s The Guardians of Childhood book series and The Man in the Moon short film by Joyce and Reel FX. Peter Ramsey directed the film, while Joyce and Guillermo del Toro were executive producers. Produced by DreamWorks Animation and distributed by Paramount Pictures, it was released on November 21, 2012, with mixed and critical reception.
Rise of the Guardians tells the story of a group of heroes with extraordinary abilities. When an evil spirit, known as Pitch, lays down the gauntlet to take over the world, the immortal Guardians must join forces for the first time to protect the hopes, beliefs, and imagination of children all over the world.
Set about 200 years after the book series, the film tells a story about the Guardians (North or Santa Claus, the Tooth Fairy, Bunnymund or the Easter Bunny, and the Sandman), who enlist Jack Frost to stop Pitch from engulfing the world in darkness. It features the voices of Chris Pine (Jack Frost), Alec Baldwin (Santa Claus), Hugh Jackman (The Easter Bunny), Isla Fisher (The Tooth Fairy), and Jude Law (Pitch).
The spirit of winter, Jack Frost, describes how he came to be hundreds of years ago, and how he wishes to know of his past life. In the present, he creates a snow day for the children of a small town. At the North Pole, North, better known as Santa Claus, is alerted that Pitch, the Bogeyman, has returned and is threatening childhood with fear. After summoning fellow Guardians the Tooth Fairy (Tooth), the Easter Bunny (Bunnymund), and the Sandman (Sandy), North learns from the Man in the Moon that they are to induct Jack as their new member. The Easter Bunny, although reluctant to include this mischievous trickster, dutifully brings Jack to North’s headquarters and they attempt to swear him in. Jack, frustrated by centuries of isolation caused by children’s disbelief in him, declines to join. Regardless, North persuades him to cooperate by explaining their mission and the looming threat of Pitch.
Although the film is based on Joyce’s book series, it contains differences from the books. The book series, begun in 2011, explains the origins of the characters, while the film takes place about 200 years after the books, and shows how the characters function in the present time.
Joyce explained, “Because I don’t want people to read the book and then go see the movie and go, ‘Oh, I like the book better, and I also didn’t want them to know what happens in the movie. And I also knew that during the progress of film production, a lot of things can change. So I wanted to have a sort of distance, so we were able to invoke the books and use them to help us figure out the world of the movie, but I didn’t want them to be openly competitive to each other.”
The idea for the Guardians came from Joyce’s daughter who asked him “if he thought Santa Claus had ever met the Easter Bunny.” The film includes a dedication to her, as well as a song, “Still Dream” sung over the end credits.
This film is definitely a movie for all ages and brings back the Christmas spirit in all. This film receives high marks and comes highly recommended, especially for this holiday season. To all those who might feel as if they need a little reminder for this Christmas season, “You don’t always have to see to believe.”
