owls that cant act cats

ATTENTION: If you plan on taking the little ones to see this "Owl Cartoon", DON'T. Yes it is from the makers of "Happy Feet", however, it is definitely NOT like Happy Feet. It is sinister, dreary, and downright scary...From mean spirited owls to baby owls coughing up dead mice pellets. This is NOT a family movie to bring children under 12 to! My 3 yr old granddaughter kept asking why the owls were so "mean" and "when are they going to sing and dance?". Because the movie promoted itself as a production from the makers of "Happy Feet", we expected a joyous adventure. What we got was a wonderful artistry of blow-yer-mind graphics involving the kidnapping of young owlets thrown into a concentration camp to pick at dead mice pellets amid dark and dreary scenery. It was more like Lord of the Ring meets artists of Happy Feet. After the scene where the helpless bluebird is captured by the throat, we exited the theater and I demanded a refund. A film much too intense for little ones.

I am probably the age this is set for (11-13)and I thought it was absolutley amazing! I mean I have never been an effects person but the plot was cute and well thought out. That's the way ti always is with movies that were first books. The Christian element was settle but strong which I liked. It's one of those movies where the adults get it and the kids think the owls are cool. I am still shocked about how the critics poo pooed on it I was for sure this would be the next Lion King but you never know what goes on in other people minds.

The CGI renderings are phenomenal: you can see every nuance of feathers, every vein in the leaves of the trees. Go see the movie for a beautiful visual experience. I had 2 problems with the movie: 1) I couldn't understand moments of dialogue, due to the British (or maybe Aussie) accents of the actors. 2) The movie had pacing problems: for instance, the owlets' capture was a scene that lost my interest early in the movie, because the scene dragged on too long to make its point: yeah, these are cute owlets. Yeah, they're in big danger. . . Several scenes involving Twilight's singing were also slow. I never understood the purpose of the Snake (Mrs. P). After the owlets were captured, Mrs. P didn't contribute plot-wise to the movie, and yet she was hauled around by the owls as they flew over the ocean. Whatever for? 'Course, the "Mrs. P problem" may have been a plot failing in the book, and the movie was just trying to stay "true" to the author's original story.

Honestly, are we so desensitized to violence that it's ok to put metal claws on birds and hack their enemies, impale them on sticks, burn them etc.? Overall, a visually stunning move and enjoyable. But NOT for little kids!