Zack Snyder has had the complaint leveled at his movies (mainly 300 and Watchmen) that they're style over substance. Hogwash I say! 300 might not have much to say but it's still a compelling character story of a driven King and Watchmen works politically, socially and psychologically on several levels. But with Zack's latest, The Legend Of The Guardians: The Owls Of Ga'Hoole, I think I might have to side with his detractors. It's one of the best looking animated features I've laid my eyes on; detailed and realistic, beautifully lit and imaginatively designed. But...
The story's a bit so-so and the characters a bit limp. It's basically Star Wars revamped for Owls, complete with a super-weapon designed to obliterate the enemy and it's got The Force too ("Trust your Gizzard Soren!"). Apart from a few exceptions (step forward Hugo Weaving and Helen Mirren) the Aussie voice cast sound a little unenthused and similar, which doesn't help when many of the owls look similar to each other to begin with. There's Snyders trademark freeze frames and camera speed ramp-ups to keep the action fresh and exciting...but it's all a bit too flat and familiar to get too worked up about.
I'm pretty sure I won't be saying that next March when Snyder's Suckerpunch is released; hot chicks fighting giant Samurai, Dragons and Nazi Zepplins with machine guns. Hell, even I won't need substance for that movie.
1 comment:
Sounds like a real hoot!
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