Parents' Guide to

Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga'Hoole

By Sandie Angulo Chen, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 8+

Sweeping owl fantasy adventure is impressive but intense.

Movie PG 2010 91 minutes
Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga'Hoole Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

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

Community Reviews

See all
age 9+

Based on 51 parent reviews

Another Dad
Another Dad Parent of 7 and 13-year-old
May 1, 2022
age 10+

Shockingly heartless

Shows parents joyful after the death of their son. Says words about the horror of war, but shows it only as noble and exciting.

This title has:

Too much violence
User1209
User1209 Adult
January 7, 2021
age 9+

Why this movie is trash.

I think this movie is terrible. Well, it's a great movie by itself, but if you have ever read the books like me, you think otherwise. The movie goes up to book three when there are thirty-one books. It leaves out most of characters from the books and most of the story line. But, that is all my opinion, I just thought some people might want to know this.
See all 51 parent reviews

What's the Story?

Based on Kathryn Lasky's fantasy book series, LEGEND OF THE GUARDIANS follows young Tyto owlet Soren (voiced by Jim Sturgess), who loves his father's tales about the Guardians of Ga'Hoole, a legendary band of warriors that protects the owl kingdom from danger. But his brother, Kludd (Ryan Kwanten), thinks the stories are just silly fantasies. One day the brothers are kidnapped by two menacing owls that take them to the faraway lair of Metalbeak (Joel Edgerton), the "Pure One" who believes that the Tyto owls are supreme to all other owl species. Soren and his new elf-owl friend, Gylfie (Emily Barclay), are taught how to fly by a resistance-fighting owl who tells them that the Guardians are real and that Soren and Gylfie must warn them about Metalbeak's plans to rule the owl kingdom. With help from Twilight (Anthony LaPaglia), a "warrior-poet" Great Gray Owl; Digger (David Wenham), a jittery Burrowing Owl; and Mrs. P. (Miriam Margolyes), the friends fly to the Tree of Ga'Hoole to train and eventually fight as Guardians.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (51):
Kids say (62):

The collaboration between director Zack Snyder and Animal Logic, the Australian effects and animation company responsible for Happy Feet, has yielded a visually stunning animated film. Despite featuring animal characters, LEGEND OF THE GUARDIANS will appeal to tweens and teens. With many 3-D movies, the glasses feel like an unnecessary accessory, but here the technology is used artistically and imaginatively. The extreme close-ups and slow-motion shots are impressive, as are the intense moments that focus on a single feather, an eye, a claw. It's stylized action reminiscent of Snyder's 300 -- without all the blood and gore.

Soren's story is compelling and original -- even as it will remind you of many other heroes' journeys. There are so many layers to the plot -- from sibling rivalry (Kladd stays behind) to hero worship (Geoffrey Rush plays the wise legendary warrior that Soren idolizes) to family loyalty to political intrigue. It's obvious from the movie's ending that the filmmakers would love to make more films in the series, which is always a gamble -- but this story is in-depth enough and the visuals so captivating that it wouldn't be unwelcome.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about the movie's overall message about owl equality. How does that translate into human culture? Is it ever right for a group to decide that they should be served by others?

  • How does the movie's violence compare to that in other animated movies you've seen? Is it more or less scary because the characters are animals? Why?

  • For kids who've read the books, how does the movie compare? Were the changes understandable, or did they impact how much you enjoyed the movie?

  • How does Soren's journey remind you of other cinematic heroes, like Frodo, the Pevensie children, or even Harry Potter?

Movie Details

Did we miss something on diversity?

Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.

See all recommended movie lists

Related Topics

Want suggestions based on your streaming services? Get personalized recommendations

Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.

See how we rate