Parents' Guide to

Rise of the Guardians

By Sandie Angulo Chen, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 7+

Holiday icons defend childhood in gorgeous adventure.

Movie PG 2012 98 minutes
Rise of the Guardians Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this movie.

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  • Rise of the Guardians Movie: Scene #1
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age 7+

Based on 35 parent reviews

Laleh the Ghost
Laleh the Ghost Adult
August 25, 2019
age 7+

Liked it, with a few caveats

Overall, this is a fun movie. I loved the characters, and there was a lot of humor for children and adults. It was fun seeing Santa as a tattooed Russian, Bunny as a boomerang-wielding Australian, Tooth as part hummingbird, and Sandman as a surprisingly good fighter (I did kind of wish one of the guardians were non-white (would have been easy to do this with Tooth) to balance out Pitch being dark). The yetis, huge eggs, and mini-fairies were a nice touch as well. Some parts may be scary for younger kids; my almost-seven-year-old wasn't scared. (Sensitive kid warning: at one point, it appeared as though a main character had died; if my sensitive kid was bothered she didn't say so, but it might bother some kids.) There were a few things I didn't like, two regarding appropriateness and one regarding quality: 1. I had to tell my daughter that no, she shouldn't say "Rack off, you bloody show pony." 2. During the snowball fights, Jack and the kids were aiming the snowballs at heads and faces. I'm not sure which writer thought that was okay. 3. (Quality issue) In some parts, it's really unclear what's going on, and I couldn't understand it until I read the Wiki. I bet some explanatory scenes were deleted for length, leaving "holes."
Plastics
Plastics Parent of 5-year-old
December 24, 2012
age 18+

Don't expect a happy holiday film!

I was terribly disappointed! A Christmas movie with a Santa clause with Tatoos and wielding two swords!? Violent and dark with nightmare Stallions and constant fighting/battling. Is this what we must expect for children's holiday movies now!? What a shame!
See all 35 parent reviews

What's the Story?

Based on the books by author/illustrator William Joyce, RISE OF THE GUARDIANS follows Jack Frost (voiced by Chris Pine), a carefree immortal figure who creates winter fun for children who don't really believe in him. Everything changes when Pitch Black (Jude Law) rallies his nightmare forces to cause worldwide despair and make children stop believing in the Guardians of Childhood: Santa Claus (Alec Baldwin), the Easter Bunny (Hugh Jackman), the Tooth Fairy (Isla Fisher), and the Sandman. When the Man in the Moon tells the existing Guardians that Jack Frost has been chosen to join them, they must convince him to take up the cause before Pitch can snuff out the light of hope in every child of the world.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (35 ):
Kids say (71 ):

Rise of the Guardians (not to be confused with Legends of Guardians: The Owls of Ga'Hoole) is an exquisitely crafted 3-D adventure. It has an ingenious plot and surprisingly substantive messages that make it just as appropriate for tweens/teens who are still into animation as for younger elementary-aged audiences. The voice performances are all fantastic. Baldwin is hilarious (and nearly unrecognizable) as a tough, tattooed Santa who can wield two swords one moment and play with his workshop's toys (made not by elves but by yetis!) the next. The Easter Bunny (Jackman, for once using his native Aussie accent) is a strapping buck rabbit (but never call him a kangaroo), and Fisher's Tooth Fairy is lovely and amusingly obsessed with teeth.

As the contemplative Jack Frost, Pine nearly reprises some of the characteristics of his young Captain Kirk in Star Trek -- both characters are impulsive loners who don't know how to work on a team until they come into their own and spring into action. The movie's visuals are dazzling (especially in each of the Guardians' headquarters), the dialogue funny, and the threat from the villain real and disturbing (and wow, Law has a creepy accent). It's such a refreshing treat to see an animated film so thoughtfully made that didn't come from Pixar. Director Peter Ramsey has made an impressive, imaginative fantasy where the wonder of childhood reigns supreme.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about the importance of childhood beliefs and memories in the story. How are the characters who believe in these childhood heroes the ones who ultimately save the day? What's lost when kids stop believing?

  • How are the depictions of Santa, the Easter Bunny, and the Tooth Fairy different than in other childhood films/stories?

  • What does Santa mean when he tells Jack he has to find his "center"? Do you think real people have a "center" that dictates what they're passionate about and how they act?

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