Just think of Ramsey’s Rise of the Guardians as a holiday version of The Avengers, and you are on the right track.
Directed by Peter Ramsey and based on William Joyce’s The Guardians of Childhood book series, Rise of the Guardians is unique in the landscape of kids’ animated holiday adventures for featuring our heroes: Santa Claus, the Easter Bunny, the Tooth Fairy, the Sandman, and the mischievous Jack Frost. Just think of Ramsey’s film as a holiday version of The Avengers, and you are on the right track.
The Guardians are a slightly dysfunctional troop of folklore heroes who protect the Earth and all its children, but as our story opens, Jack Frost (Chris Pine) isn’t a part of this heroic band. Instead, Jack walks the Earth alone with no special day to mark his importance. He feels ignored and unsure of his place in the world and of what it means to him and the children he entertains during the winter months. But when the evil Pitch Black (Jude Law) threatens to plunge the world into darkness by destroying every child’s belief in the Guardians, Jack finds himself accepted into the fold alongside Santa (Alec Baldwin), E. Aster Bunnymund (Hugh Jackman), Tooth Fairy (Isla Fisher) and the mute Sandman.
Ramsey’s movie is alive with colour, energy, and wonder, and holds surprising emotional depth, particularly in Jack’s journey. The world doesn’t believe in Jack; it bypasses him despite his important seasonal role. One could argue that this is a discussion of mental health, belonging, and the need to be seen. But, for me, it represents something far more complex: our relationship with nature. Jack is the only hero in our movie who represents the Earth. Maybe he is forgotten because the Earth itself is ignored in favour of magical heroes. These ‘other’ heroes give us chocolate eggs, toys, dreams or new teeth, yet only the Earth-bound Jack can ultimately save them all from the darkness.
It may be a stretch to suggest that Rise of the Guardians carries an underlying environmental message. But maybe Jack Frost is our hero because he represents the importance of the spinning blue ball suspended in space that holds all our dreams, celebrations, and stories together.
Rise of the Guardians is a beautifully uplifting film that revels in the holiday spirit and the childhood wonder of our shared folklore and traditions. Unfortunately, despite the film performing well for DreamWorks, we never got the sequel we deserved. But maybe one day, the Guardians will rise again.
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