Believe in "Rise of the Guardians"

Where will you find Santa, the Easter Bunny, the Tooth Fairy and Sandman working together to keep kids around the world happy? Well, in movie theaters, of course. "Rise of the Guardians" opens just in time for the holidays to bring young boys and girls a little cheer. Will it become a classic holiday film? I'm doubtful of that, but it was a fun hour and a half.

The fantastical beings are part of "the guardians," who have a big job: Protecting children from the scary realities of the world. They keep kiddies believing in Sandman's sweet dreams, the Tooth Fairy's teeth-for-cash program, the Easter Bunny's colorful eggs, and Santa's presents for good little girls and boys. And they keep kids loving life and having fun.

That world of innocence and happiness is threatened by Pitch Black, who has a grand plan to instill fear in kids around the world, as well as stop them from believing in everything the guardians represent.

Will the guardians be able to stop Pitch? Well, the wise Man on the Moon thinks they'll need a little help. Enter Jack Frost, whose sole focus has been winter mischief and fun. But it's something inside him that makes hims worthy of being part of this elite group of childhood protectors.

Check out the trailer:

The film is fun, and full of action. The voices are great, too. The voice cast includes Chris Pine (Jack Frost), Alec Baldwin (Santa), Jude Law (Pitch Black) and Hugh Jackman (Easter Bunny). At times the film can be a bit scary for younger viewers — Pitch does turn a golden, happy unicorn into an army of scary stallions. Lots of great (and maybe funny) discussions, though, for kids of all ages. They'll be talking about Santa's yetis that build toys, Santa's tattoos, the Easter Bunny's boomerang, the Tooth Fairy's feathers, etc. And you might want to discuss some topics such as personal beliefs, self confidence, childhood memories, sacrifices, perseverance and fears.

My kids, who are now 12 and 15, both enjoyed the film. My daughter asked for it on DVD, though she did say it wasn't as good as "Wreck It Ralph." I can't say, as I've not seen Ralph on the big screen yet. My grade: B-.