RISE OF THE GUARDIANS (A-)

Bottom Line: Destined to become a winter classic, this clever tale of holiday icons as super-powered keepers of belief and defenders of good (The Jolly Justice League, if you will), is delightful, wondrous and eye-popping joy for the entire family! The message is pretty simple – be true to who you are and always believe. Yeah, okay, maybe we’ve heard it all before – but I guarantee you’ve never seen it presented quite like this… It’s colorfully crazy, creatively action-packed, wildly heartfelt, vividly inventive and oozes charm at almost every turn. And it’s certain to dazzle both young and old alike as evidenced by the glowing reviews from my five-year old son (A+++) and my mother (A; who in no way falls in to that ‘old’ category; sorry mom). In a year of solid animated movies, GUARDIANS rises above most of the others and ties WRECK-IT RALPH as one of my favorites of the year.

Starring the voices of: Alex Baldwin, Chris Pine, Isla Fisher, Hugh Jackman and Jude Law
Rated: PG
Running time: 97 minutes
Story: Rise of the Guardians is an epic and magical adventure that tells the story of Santa Claus, the Easter Bunny, the Tooth Fairy, the Sandman, and Jack Frost – legendary characters with previously unknown extraordinary abilities. When an evil spirit known as Pitch lays down the gauntlet to take over the world, the immortal Guardians must join forces to protect the hopes, beliefs and imagination of children everywhere. (Paramount Pictures)

Trailer: www.riseoftheguardians.com