Rise of the Guardians
Jack Frost wanders the world creating his special brand of chilly mischief until he is recruited by The Guardians. The Guardians, consisting of Santa Claus, the Tooth Fairy, the Sandman, and the Easter Bunny, have sworn to protect children. When Pitch, aka The Boogie Man, finds a way to turn dreams into nightmares and destroy holidays, Jack Frost and the Guardians must come together to keep the children’s lights of belief burning.
ClearPlay In Action!
ClearPlay has little to do in this family friendly adventure besides some very minor language mutes. Parents may want to preview the film before letting younger children watch it as Pitch’s nightmare horses and other elements might turn the young one’s dreams into nightmares for real.
Will Jack Frost Nip My Nose?…
The concept of Rise of the Guardians is clever, merging the Avengers–like team of heroes idea with cultural icons like Santa Claus and the Tooth Fairy. For me, the cleverness of the concept didn’t fully translate into the execution. The action, humor, and emotional notes by and large didn’t rise above “meh.” That said, I am not the target audience, and children may find a story about some of their beloved candy, present, and money delivering heroes more compelling. At the very least, Rise of the Guardians deserves credit for choosing the high road on content.
Brian Fuller — ClearPlay De–JackFroster
Rated PG for thematic elements and some mildly scary action; 97 min; Directed by Peter Ramsey
Family Movie Night Activity: Rise of the Guardians
“It is our job to protect the children of the world. For as long as they believe in us, we will guard them with our lives…”
Pitch, the Boogie Man, is tired of lurking under children’s beds and decides it’s time for him to replace The Guardians (Santa Claus, the Easter Bunny, Tooth Fairy and the Sandman). His plan to destroy the hope of children could be stopped with the help of a new guardian, but Jack Frost is reluctant to take the job. To find out if Jack becomes one of the Guardians, enjoy this great film and these fun Movie Night activities with your whole family.
Movie Snacks:
*The first time you see North, he’s calling for more cookies. Be sure to have plenty of cookies and milk for your family to enjoy while they watch Santa Claus gather all the Guardians together to fight against Pitch.
*Have a movie themed dinner by serving something that represents each character. You can make simple connections like SANDwiches for Sandy, Hard Boiled Easter Eggs for Bunnymund, Chilled Peach Soup for Jack Frost, Pitch Blackened Chicken for Pitch, Pearly Whites Pearl Onions or Sweet-tooth Sweet Potato Pie for Tooth. Tie in the other parts of the movie, like where the characters are from by serving North’s Borscht and Bunnymund Meat Pie. Top off the whole meal with a Jack Frost-ed mug of soda or juice.
*You know all those great treats and desserts that you only make once a year for a certain holiday? Now is your chance to use those great recipes again. Have a Rise of the Guardians holiday dessert buffet. Make your favorite dessert from each holiday, or invite friends over for a movie night and a treat swap. Who wouldn’t want to come enjoy a little of each special occasion all in one night?
Must Pause Moments:
*Jack can cover any surface with frost and ice. Make your own home look like a winter wonderland by making paper snowflakes and hanging them up. You can stop the movie and show your family how to make them and keep making more each time Jack makes something icy in the movie.
*North tries to help Jack find his center. Pause the movie and find a different kind of center by playing a few rounds of bean bag toss. Get jars or cans and label them with words like fun, wonder, love, excitement, anticipation or friendship and see what “center” your kids get.
*While Jack is making a silhouette of the bunny in the frost on the window, let your kids make their own bunnies. Pull out the finger paint and paper and let them each copy the rabbit image that Jack makes for Jamie to help him know the Easter Bunny is real.
Other Activities:
*Have a snowball fight with your family, just like Jamie, his friends and even the Guardians do. Since it probably isn’t snowing at your place right now, consider using Styrofoam balls or even balled up pieces of scratch paper instead of real snowballs.
*Jack loves creating snow days so the kids get to stay home from school. On one of these snow days he ices up the road and Jamie goes slipping and sliding all over town on his sled. While you probably won’t be able to find somewhere to go sledding this time of year, your family would probably enjoy an outing to the nearest ice skating rink. See which of your family members can maneuver on the ice most like Jack Frost.
*Just like all the Guardians help Tooth to gather all the lost teeth, have your own Guardian scavenger hunt with your family. Make a list of items that represent each character from different parts of the movie, then break into teams and see who can find the items first. Here are some ideas of things to look for: a stick like Jack’s staff, an ice cube tray, something pitch black, a pillow, something you’ve dreamed about, a bell, a candy cane or something peppermint flavored, something you got for Christmas, a toothbrush, a quarter, an egg, a carrot, and anything else your family would have fun looking for.
*LyndiLou* - Official Family Movie Night Guardian
Rated PG for thematic elements and some mildly scary action; 97 min; Directed by Peter Ramsey