December Review: Rise of the Guardians (2012) (Patreon)

Look I have a serious review of this movie but before we get to that, I need to talk about the biggest question I had while watching, what's up with the canonicity of Punxsutawney Phil in this universe?

But we can circle back to that, Rise of the Guardians (2012) is an animated feature that imagines a world where holiday spirits protect the hopes, dreams, and often lives, of children. Also the rest of the world, presumably. It is an inventive flick based on the literary work of William Joyce, and presents unique versions of festive icons like the Easter Bunny and Santa Claus. It is also a film perhaps best known for being 1/4th of a Tumblr trend in the 2010s. Wherever you know Jack Frost and co. from, we're here to talk about the film on it's cinematic merits.

CGI ages faster than just about any kind of animation, relying on technology changing so rapidly no film could hope to hold up perfectly for more than a few years. That said, the animation in Rise of the Guardians (2012) looks clean, and lets the designs of the characters take center stage as opposed to strong artistic animation choices. Those character designs are perhaps the high point of the film, imbuing unique personality into well-known holidays, and allowing the characters to be at once immediately identifiable and mysteries to get to know better. Take old St. Nick, who still rocks his classic red coat, while also boasting "Naughty" and "Nice" tattoos. The character design holds much of Rise of the Guardians (2012) world together.

While the designs give the characters life their cast gives them voices, and for the most part everyone is doing a perfectly fine day on set. Jude Law is the closest to a stand out, bringing a lot of villainous panache to Pitch Black, but overall there isn't much to say about this cast. Star-studded, with the likes of Chris Pine (Jack Frost), Alec Baldwin (North), and Isla Fisher (Tooth Fairy), but no one is breaking the mold to voice their otherwise unique roles.

Rise of the Guardians (2012) promises a lot, with design sensibilities that are intriguing, but when it comes to the plot itself, it presents a rather standard heroes journey, without nearly enough time spent exploring the world it has created. Jack Frost has a want, his want aligns with the four Guardians' mission, they fail briefly, and after learning to bring joy to children, they rally and defeat the nightmares. The most interesting parts of the film are those where the Guardians' are showing off their various lairs and systems, from Tooth's fairy dental delivery service to the down under burrows of the Easter Bunny, eggs with legs and all. These moments are all too brief however, as the pressure of the main plot intrudes on these moments of wonder, forcing us back into the same old story.

I am left to once again acknowledge that I am not the target audience for Rise of the Guardians (2012). Even while watching for this review, I was aware that to a 12 year old Sophia, the mystical world where my favorite holidays could be whimsical protectors, where I could give Punxsutawney Phil a little sharpened wooden stick he could fight crime with, this would be riveting. Ultimately, Rise of the Guardians (2012) is a film without the imagination it promises, but that leaves the viewer, the children watching, room to fill in the gaps. For an adult however, burdened with an understanding of the lifespan of groundhogs, it is another mediocre entry into the CGI animated 2000s children's genre.

5 out of 10 Pointy Jingling Elves