While this season is prime back-to-school time for both kids and adults,there are a good number of family friendly fantasy themed film fare set to hit the multiplexes. Even if you don't have a kid on hand to take to one of these,a great excuse to make for seeing them by yourself is that many of them are based on books that you need to read.
First up in the pecking order is Legend of the Guardians:The Owls of Ga'Hoole,based on the series by Kathryn Lasky,which tells the story of a young owl named Soren(voiced by Jim Sturgess)who seeks out the fabled protectors of his flock to save his loved ones from invasion by a power hungry pack of warrior birds.
The likes of Emily Blunt,Hugo Weaving and Helen Mirren lend their vocals to this film and Zack Snyder(300,Watchmen)helms the director's chair here,so there should be plenty of visual pop and wonder for audiences of all ages to marvel at onscreen:
The success of the newer film versions of the Chronicles of Narnia has lead to a third one being made and set to come out this December. The Voyage of the Dawn Treader returns two of the four Penvensie siblings,along with their cousin Eustace,to Narnia and reunites them with now King Caspian aboard the title ship to find former allies who will help to save the realm once again.
Along the way,old friends will join them and a few former foes as well. I must confess to not having seen the second Narnia movie,Prince Caspian,yet but with such epic enticement as this new chapter,there's certainly strong incentive to add this to my completed list of fantasy film lore:
Last,and I suspect the least,of the films on deck in this genre is another adaptation of Jonathan Swift's Gulliver's Travels. Jack Black stars as a modern day would be travel writer eager to impress the lady of his dreams by going off on a solo ocean cruise as part of his first big assignment.
Naturally,he becomes lost at sea and winds up in Lilliput. From what I gather,most of the plot deals with that aspect of the original story and judging by the trailer,Jack Black's innate goofiness is meant to carry the rest of the movie. While Black is a funny guy there,this just seems like an Easy Bake oven version of a classic tale. Looks can be deceiving,so we'll have to wait and see on this one(or wait for home video release instead):
The one thing that these films have in common besides their genre is that they will all be available in 3D,a gimmick that's quickly wearing out it's welcome for me.
Don't get me wrong,for fantasy and action films 3D is a nice little bonus to offer to audiences(especially considering the price of admission these days)but it seems like every other mainstream movie has IMAX,3D and a partridge in a pear tree effect to make movie going more like an amusement park ride literally.
It'll even be included in the two part Harry Potter finale films,which are an event in and of themselves as it is. Then again,the fact that Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows will be more expanded in content and details than all of the other Potter movies combined is more than enough reason to want the best bells and whistles attached to it that Hollywood has to offer.
Of course,it'll be awhile until we get our Harry Potter film fix,so checking out one of the other flicks mentioned here should stave off some of that anticpation,even if only a brief moment or two:
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