LEGEND OF THE GUARDIANS: The Owls of Ga'Hoole

A children's movie that is probably too intense and violent for little

kids; just what you'd expect from the director of "300". The themes

are small-fry versions of every mythic tale from Star Wars ("Use the

force" becomes "Use your gizzard") to Lord of the Rings to the Bible

to whatever. How you respond to it will depend on if you thrill to

these kind of good vs. evil, brother-against-brother, protege-

surpassing-his-mentor-in-bravery adventures. Me: I'm a sucker for

talking animals. And the execution is meticulous. Have animated

feathers ever looked so, well... feathery? Thrilling battle scenes

(there are a lot of them) ingeniously convey carnage without actual

gore. And the cleverly named lead character Soren's facial expressions

(complimented by Jim Sturgess' voice) are standout. -- Jeff Schultz