Poster art for "Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga'Hoole."

Gifts + Promos

Fandango Gift Card

Give the gift of movies with Fandango Bucks Gift Certificates! Design your own gift card, or choose from our collection.

Rock of Ages GWP

Buy Rock of Ages tickets to any Regal Theater Showing & receive a FREE song download!

Madagascar 3 Sweeps

Enter for a chance to win a wild family getaway to San Diego!

Need Help?
So-so
Avg. Critic Score: 53 out of 100 Mixed or average reviews Metascore® based on all critic reviews
Information for Parents:
8 OK for kids 8+
Read Common Sense Media review

Critic scores range from 0 to 100, with higher scores indicating more favorable reviews.

  • 83
    Entertainment Weekly |

    Director Zack Snyder (300) has crafted the rare 3-D eyegasm that's worth the premium ticket price. Read full review

  • 75
    USA Today | Scott Bowles

    The film is surprisingly deft and entertains at both the adult and juvenile levels. If something in Guardians catches your eye, trust your gizzard. Read full review

  • 70
    The Hollywood Reporter | Stephen Farber

    This picture sometimes rivals "Avatar" in its spectacular landscapes and thrilling flying sequences, but of course it won't come anywhere near those megagrosses, and it's too scary to be wholeheartedly embraced by children. Read full review

  • 70
    Los Angeles Times | Betsy Sharkey

    There's a confusion that you can sense as well, with the film pulled between its light and dark sides just as the owls struggle with forces of good and evil. That hesitation keeps "Guardians" from reaching the deep, emotionally rich center that confers greatness in the animation world. Read full review

  • 63
    Boston Globe | Tom Russo

    The result is sometimes charming and always visually astonishing. Read full review

  • 63
    Orlando Sentinel | Roger Moore

    A gorgeously animated combat fantasy - "The Lord of the Rings" meets "Happy Feet." Read full review

  • 63
    Philadelphia Inquirer | Carrie Rickey

    The movie is beautiful but, for one unfamiliar with the source material, confusing. I needed an owl scorecard. Read full review

  • 60
    L.A. Weekly |

    Issues of faith, courage, loyalty, sacrifice and betrayal (the last perpetrated by Soren's brother) are all tackled by Snyder with understated maturity, though a series of slightly repetitive aerial skirmishes can't quite match the inventiveness of Feet's buoyant song-and-dance mash-ups. Read full review

  • 50
    The New York Times |

    Legend of the Guardians may be a hoot, but for all its pyrotechnics, it fails to soar. Read full review

  • 50
    Variety |

    Though visually stunning and blessed with immaculate 3D work, film is fatally bogged down by tackling an essentially ridiculous premise (gladiator-attired owls fight genocide) with stony solemnity, and by subsisting on a note of sustained menace and terror in what is ostensibly a children's film. Read full review

View more reviews for Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga'Hoole on Metacritic

Information for Parents
Common Sense Media says OK for kids 8+ Sweeping owl fantasy adventure is impressive but intense.
What Parents Need to Know Parents need to know that this 3-D adaptation of Kathryn Lasky's best-selling Legend of the Guardians books is more intense and violent than most animated adventures -- even though the characters are all owls. The movie focuses on the conflict between a group of owls that considers themselves a master race entitled to enslave "lower species" of owls and the Guardians, a hidden group of warriors that fights to defend all owls from evil. With such a heavy plot and many action-packed battle sequences, this isn't age-appropriate for all young children. But kids old enough to read the books and mature enough to handle the themes will benefit from the movie's message that all owls (and therefore people) are worthy, not just those whom one group thinks are better than the rest. Note: The 3-D factor makes many of the movie's battle/fight scenes much more intense.
  • Families can talk about the movie's overall message about owl equality. How does that translate into human culture? Is it ever right for a group to decide that they should be served by others?
  • How does the movie's violence compare to that in other animated movies you've seen? Is it more or less scary because the characters are animals? Why?
  • For kids who've read the books, how does the movie compare? Were the changes understandable, or did they impact how much you enjoyed the movie?
  • How does Soren's journey remind you of other cinematic heroes, like Frodo, the Pevensie children, or even Harry Potter?
The good stuff
  • educationalvalue true2 Educational value: Kids will learn the importance of listening to historical stories and legends, as well as treating others like you'd want to be treated, regardless of their background. Obedience is called into question if it's to a suspect authority, so children may realize that it's sometimes the right thing to act against the rules. Kids interested in nature and animals will learn about a few different species of owls, particularly the Tyto and elf owl -- that they're nocturnal, live in different habitats, and expel pellets of their undigested food.
  • message true3 Positive messages: The movie's overall messages are positive, with the primary take-away being that believing in your dreams is what makes you strong and focused. Another positive message includes the idea that family and friends are more important than the promise of power and strength. The movie also demonstrates the power of myths, defending others, and and standing up to evil. The evil owls are very "species-ist" and think that other owl species are sub-par and meant to be enslaved -- but the Guardians see the worth and contribution of all owls.
  • rolemodels true3 Positive role models: Soren is a strong positive role model: He's kind, selfless, and brave. He cares for his friends and family and believes the best of everyone. Gylfie is small but willing to fly away with Soren and later acts bravely despite her diminutive size. Ezylryb sagely explains that war isn't pretty and glorious -- that it's ugly and horrible and should be avoided if possible.
What to watch for
  • violence false3 Violence and scariness: Lots of animated violence, confrontations, and battles. The scenes with owl-to-owl combat are dark and often feature extreme slow-motion close-ups. Several owls die -- one falls into fire, and others are killed during combat. It's obvious that the owls are dead or injured, even if there's no blood. The 3-D makes the violence much more intense.
  • sex false1 Sexy stuff: A young male owl flirts with a female owl, and married owls embrace a couple of times.
  • language false1 Language: "Hell," plus some insulting, demeaning language about other owls, like "you're weak," "soft," "old," "what a waste," etc.
  • consumerism false0 Consumerism: Not an issue
  • drugsalcoholtobacco false0 Drinking, drugs and smoking: Not an issue
An independent nonprofit dedicated to providing families the information they need to help kids thrive in a world of media and technology. © Common Sense Media Inc. 2010. All rights reserved.

Looking for more reviews? Movies.com Critics Say:

Dave White

3.5

Dave White Profile See Dave White's Profile

A dark ride for serious kids. Read full review See Dave White's on MOVIENAME on Movies.com

Jen Yamato

3.0

Jen Yamato Profile See Jen Yamato's Profile

Cute, cuddly... and terrifying! Read full review See Dave Jen Yamato's on MOVIENAME on Movies.com

Read more movie reviews at Movies.com

Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga'Hoole Movie Ratings + Reviews

Fans say

Go 722 fan reviews

Critics say

So-so See all critic reviews

Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga'Hoole Featured Trailers + Video Clips

Watch All Videos

Facebook Movie Fans

Fan Fandango on Facebook

Exclusive Features

Fandango 3D Movie Guide Fandango's 3D Movie Guide -- All the Upcoming Movies in 3D! What's coming to theaters in 2010 in 3D and IMAX 3D? Here's your guide and calendar to all of the movies headed your way in the extra dimension. Family Friendly Guide From Toy Story 3 to Tron, get the lowdown on all the cool family friendly movies for 2010!