Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga'Hoole

Though the title is nearly longer than the 97-minute runtime, Legends has an unusual amount of depth for a children’s film, and it accomplishes this without being condescending. The story—about sentient owls kidnapped by owl-Nazis, who then join up with freedom-loving owl warriors—is weird and complex, but director Zack Snyder (300, Watchmen) manages it with reasonable ease. There’s a lot of exposition, but it’s woven subtly into the dialogue, and the visual effects are stunning. Floating feathers pop out of the screen in glittery 3-D, and a world of light and mist and fire is cleanly and enchantingly illustrated. Fans of the under-heralded series of books on which the film is based will be very satisfied (though there are significant departures from the written source), and parents won’t be bored taking their owl-loving 10-year-olds to see this mercifully brief and beautiful movie.