Animal Logic, the digital-effects studio responsible for both dancing penguin phenomenon Happy Feet and Zack Snyder phenomenon 300, creates more anatomically accurate, anthropomorphic protagonists and expressionistic landscape panoramas in Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga'Hoole. Directed by Snyder and based on Kathryn Lasky's children's books, Legend of the Guardians involves the coming of age of a young bird during an adventurous quest across foreign lands, a classical heroic odyssey, which is enhanced by sumptuous 3-D CGI that would make Pixar blush. This mythological fable centers on dreamer Soren (voiced by Jim Sturgess), who escapes forced servitude to villainous deposed king Metal Beak (Joel Edgerton) and endeavors to locate, and then join in battle, his legendary owl idols the Guardians of Ga'Hoole. Issues of faith, courage, loyalty, sacrifice, and betrayal (the last perpetrated by Soren's brother) are all tackled by Snyder with understated maturity.
