Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga’Hoole parents guide

Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga’Hoole Parent Guide

Offering a surprisingly compelling story with tremendous performances, the production is absolutely spectacular with impeccable details on these feathered creatures.

Overall B+

Caught in desperate times, a young barn owl named Soren (voice of Jim Sturgess) rallies his feathered friends and embarks on a dangerous journey in search of help from the legendary guardians of Ga'Hoole.

Release date September 24, 2010

Violence C+
Sexual Content A
Profanity A
Substance Use A

Why is Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga’Hoole rated PG? The MPAA rated Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga’Hoole PG for some sequences of scary action.

Run Time: 100 minutes

Official Movie Site

Parent Movie Review

Soren (voice of Jim Sturgess) is a young owl that loves nothing more than to listen to his father’s stories about an elusive team of winged warriors known as the Guardians of Ga’Hoole. The legends tell of battles fought to free and protect the oppressed. Fully believing these tales are true, the little critter’s greatest goal is to one day soar with his heroes.

On the other hand, his brother Kludd (voice of Ryan Kwanten) thinks the whole noble notion is rubbish. Instead, he has his mind set on learning to fly, hunt and gain the respect of his father, whom he secretly fears favors his younger sibling. Unfortunately his determination to grow up fast gets both boys into trouble after they tumble from the trees onto the ground. Immediately two massive owls pick them up—both are members of a group called the Pure Ones.

Brought back to the gang’s hideaway, the brothers learn of a plan to snatch up owlets from the surrounding areas and turn them into slaves or soldiers. The Pure Ones’ other mysterious activities seem focused on creating a powerful weapon that will overcome all other owl populations and cement their kingdom solidly in control. When Soren unexpectedly gets a chance to escape, he manages to flee the fortress. But now he must find the Great Tree home of the Guardians and ask for their help… that is, if they really do exist.

Based on a series of novels by the same name, this adventure offers a serious tale of good versus evil that is never condescending to its young audience. In fact the greatest concern here may be parents assuming this animation with talking owls is appropriate for virtually any age of child. Not so. Instead this story of difficult choices in loyalty between family and friends is much more appropriate for adolescents, both due to its complexities and the accompanying conflicts. (You can expect a similar level of violence to that found in The Chronicles of Narnia series.)

Many scenes feature birds battling with each other, and some are left with bloody scars as a consequence. Other elements of concern include red-eyed bats that attempt to kill the owls and the process of “moon-blinking” baby owlets (which leaves them with clouded eyes and no memory). Along with the frequent moments of peril, there are implied deaths and one direct attack to a trusted main character who is dragged off to meet his demise.

Offering a surprisingly compelling story with tremendous performances, the production is absolutely spectacular with impeccable details on these feathered creatures. The 3D experience is also stellar, with the effect put to very good use during flying sequences. Assuming your owlets are old enough to understand the plot and tolerate the violence, this well crafted adventure’s positive messages and engaging script may leave all of you hooting for more.

Directed by Zack Snyder . Starring Jim Sturgess, Hugo Weaving, David Wenham. Running time: 100 minutes. Theatrical release September 24, 2010. Updated

Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga’Hoole
Rating & Content Info

Why is Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga’Hoole rated PG? Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga’Hoole is rated PG by the MPAA for some sequences of scary action.

Violence: Characters, including those child and youth aged, are in peril throughout this film. Battle sequences, sometimes shown in slow motion, frequently portray owls engaged in life and death conflicts. Animals and birds are impaled with talons, knocked out of the air while in flight, thrown against cliffs, engulfed in flames and subjected to agonizing pain. Youngsters are kidnapped and turned into a zombie-like state. Warriors have bloodstained feathers.

Sexual Content: None.

Language: None.

Drug and Alcohol Use: None.

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Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga’Hoole Parents' Guide

Some of the characters in this story don’t believe in the existence of either the Guardians or the Pure ones. What advantage does an enemy have if you don’t believe they are real or capable of attack? What hope may be lost if there is no faith in heroes? What are some dangers in our world that we may be tempted to think are not real?

It may sound yucky, but owl pellets (which are discussed in this movie) can provide an amazing educational experience. To learn more, check this site: kidwings.com/owlpellets/

Home Video

The most recent home video release of Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga’Hoole movie is December 17, 2010. Here are some details…

Legends of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga’Hoole releases on DVD and Blu-ray on December 17, 2010 with the following bonus extras:

- True Guardians of the Earth

- Looney Tunes Short: Fur of Flying

- WB Maximum Kid Mode - Explore the World of Ga’Hoole

- Interactive Challenges: Armor Up with Soren & Eglantine, Match the Owl Treats and Rise of the Guardians .

- 4 Artwork Galleries: The Guardians, The Locations, The Villains and Soren & Friends

- Music Video: To the Sky by Owl City

Related home video titles:

This animated film is an adaptation of the first three books in a series written by Kathryn Lasky.

Pigeons take flight to help fight a war in Valiant. A frightened field mouse seeks the wisdom of an ancient owl in The Secret of NIMH.