DVD Review: Legends of the Guardians

Christian Symbolism in The Legends of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga’Hoole
Rated: PG

I watched this DVD with my daughter (18 years old and still a kid at heart). I would not recommend this movie for young children as there are dark themes and imagery that would be upsetting for the under 10 crowd. For older children it is an entertaining movie with plenty of food for thought regarding sibling animosity and the battle of good vs. evil and right vs. wrong.

I’m going to stick my Christian analogies in brackets. Watch the movie and tell me if you agree.

This animated story begins with a family of owls living an idyllic life in a forest where the parents provide for all that the young owls need [Garden of Eden where God provided for all that we needed]. A younger brother loves and dreams the stories of legend about winged warriors that saved owlkind from the evil Pure Ones [Bible stories], told by his father, while the older brother scorns them. In learning to fly, the younger owl is able to use the imagery in those legends to envision his flight path [the Bible gives us the stories that help us know what God wants us to choose for our own path], while the older owl has trouble because he isn’t listening to his inner voice and tries to make it happen on his own steam. Ironically, a snake is given the characterization of the loving nursemaid, talk about the lamb lying down with the lion. Owls eat snakes!

After being told to stay in the tree while the parents go hunting, the two owls venture out to practice their flying [disobedience to the Father] and end up falling to the forest floor where they are in danger and can not yet fly up to the safer branches [falling from Grace]. They are scooped up by evil owls and carried off to a world where they are made either a slave or a soldier/oppressor [the world of sin in which we live separated from God]. There, the younger owl, Soren, seeks to protect a smaller younger owl and is sent off to be a slave with her; already his calling as a Guardian is showing [Jesus]. The older brother, Kludd, denies Soren is his brother (didn’t catch if it was three times, but definitely twice…hmmm Peter anyone?), and is offered the opportunity to be a soldier, which he accepts thinking it would be a position of respect. Through the rest of the story the older owl will betray his younger brother and sister at least two more times.

In a show of inner wisdom and strength, the younger female owl and Soren defy the slave master’s order to gaze into the moon, thereby avoiding the moon-daze that falls over the hundreds of other young abducted owls also enslaved. One of the guards (a rebel at heart) spots their deception and secrets them away to train them in flight so that they may escape to find the Guardians of legend to bring rescue to all the enslaved. [Hmmm…who might those Guardians be?]

The story continues with battles of the good owls vs. the evil owls, with learning your true calling and using the gifts you have been given, and with salvation of the abducted owls coming from the Guardians, ultimately because of the acts and knowledge of Soren who has to make choices between what is right and what is wrong. There is even a scene where our young Soren is silhouetted by backlighting and we seen him suspended vertically in the night sky with wings [arms] outstretched just before diving into battle and possible death. [Crucifixion anyone?] The story is full of sibling rivalry or betrayal which brought to mind the Biblical stories of Cain and Able, Jacob and Esau, or Joseph and his brothers.

(SPOILER ALERT) In the end, of course, good triumphs over evil and the enslaved are set free, yet there is foreshadowing that the evil has not yet been eliminated from the owl kingdom and there may be more movies to come. There are humorous owl characters that lighten the story and heartwarming moments that make your eyes tear.

This movie is based on a series of books by Kathryn Lasky about The Owls of Ga’Hoole. My children and nephews devoured them eagerly. Even at 18, my daughter wanted to watch it for her second time while I watched it for the first. It clearly strikes a chord with the kids, but the themes of child abduction and enslavement are dark and terrifying themes for young children, even if there is rescue in the end. The animation/cinematography is breathtaking, if somewhat dark, after all owls do roam at night. This movie is definitely one to enjoy, but take care with the younger children.

Seen the movie? Agree or disagree with me? Write a comment. I’d love to hear your point of view.