A Look into the Magic Behind The Rise of the Guardians
As children, we heard the legends described by our parents. Every Christmas, we would hear about the promise of presents and be told to leave milk and cookies for Santa Claus. We searched outside for colorful eggs hidden in the grass during Easter, all thanks to the Easter Bunny. We get told to place every tooth lost under our pillows, and the Tooth Fairy will exchange it for money. Every story told to us is full of the magic of childlike wonder and purity. The movie The Rise of the Guardians brings to life the legends we all heard before.
The Rise of the Guardians, directed by Peter Ramsey, is adapted from the children’s book series The Guardians of Childhood which William Joyce wrote. In the movie, the viewers are taken on a journey through the eyes of Jack Frost, one of the five guardians that protect the children living on Earth from evil. Throughout the film, we follow Jack as he searches for the answers to the questions he’s wondered since becoming Jack Frost. Who was he, and why was he created? The answers, of course, are not as easy to come by as he might have believed them to be. With radio silence from The Man in the Moon (the overseer of the Guardians), Jack’s frustration grows, leading to the motivation behind his actions throughout the film. During this journey, the movie brings up action-packed scenes full of the Guardians versus their enemy, Pitch Black (otherwise known as the Boogie Man), and tense moments where all might seem lost. Still, the movie brings to life the magic that comes to a child’s imagination and their beliefs of the legends.
While the movie may be an adaptation of The Guardians of Childhood, it stills holds a lot of significant elements from the book series represented in the film. The Guardians are the protectors of the children on Earth, and by protecting them from Pitch Black, they’re saving them from the threat of their dreams being turned into nightmares and fear by Pitch. A child’s dreams and imagination are pure. They are what allows these legends to be able to exist for every generation to come. Without the children believing in them and continuing to dream, they would cease to exist and be gone for good, forever lost in time. The movie also brings to life the message of finding yourself through the eyes of Jack Frost and his journey towards figuring out who he is and what’s his purpose on Earth. It also brings a sense of courage, especially in the children of the film, by demonstrating that hope and love can overcome fear. In the end, the movie does a great job of tying these legends together and showcasing the magic that children believe in each story. With that said, if The Rise of the Guardians sparked any interest, then check out The Guardians of Childhood as well.