Rise of the Guardians Is Animation's Greatest Tragedy

[@aceunavailable9141]

Cutting in that footage of Brave gave me violent flashbacks to that era of shipping characters from Brave, How to Train Your Dragon, Rise of the Guardians, Tangled, and Frozen. All together. Elsa x Jack Frost for no other reason than ice boy and ice girl. A forgotten era up there in cursedness with the Onceler craze

[@astra_elysian]

You mean Rise of the Brave Tangled Frozen Dragons? (Your comment brings me back PTSD😭)

[@perseusapollon1926]

Man those fanfiction were peak for young me

[@LilyShimizu]

I kind of preferred the pre-Frozen chapter of the Rise of the Brave Tangled Dragons fandom. I loved the aspects of making the core 4 all seasonal themed guardians of their own, or putting them in Hogwarts houses and how different people interpreted their sorting differently. I never got into fanfics but really enjoyed the plethora of art and edits tumblr had blessed us with.

[@DannyDevitoOffical-TrustMeBro]

I was so young at the time these movies were being made that I had zero awareness of the internet beyond google, let alone tumblr and it’s…interesting community, but I _do_ remember websites like girlsgogames going nuts with the rise of the brave frozen dragons stuff. I remember being super confused about the whole Jack Frost/Elsa thing, since I was under the impression that jack’s a teenager, but Elsa is in her 20’s. In fact, I’m still pretty confused about it lol

[@108wee]

@@DannyDevitoOffical-TrustMeBro Jack is 300 year old teenager, it’s really not that weird.

[@kingpin1498]

Some people didn’t like Chris Pine for Jack because he sounds too old, but I actually think it fits. Having a deep, smooth voice not only contrasts Jack’s innocent, childlike demeanor, but it’s very comforting to listen to, which makes sense for a guardian of children.

[@silashurd3597]

Chris Pine was great as Jack. People are dumb

[@captaincanterberrystudios6920]

Wait, the guy from DnD HAT? He's Jack Frost?

[@westerfrost3701]

@@silashurd3597I agree with you. Besides, while this version of Jack Frost looks like a teenager, he’s actually over 300 years old.

[@maellesaliou5871]

Not to forget, jack is canonically 400 years old at this point, so yeah he's old ^^'

[@mariaenn]

I loved how his voice betrayed how old he really was, it totally added to the character

[@njivwathomassilavwe2056]

This movie deserves more attention. Fun characters, story and animation. Unfortunately money talks and not making enough hurts

[@bearerofbadnews1375]

But not to much attention where it gets noticed by Dreamworks and they make a sequel and tv series with low quality animation. Edit: lessons should be learned from Megamid 2.

[@ThePrincessCH]

I don't think it's going to get any. The project was such a big financial loss that the studio was forced to lay people off.

[@Victoria-_]

Right??

[@Dustinlove102]

FR 💙😭💙

[@valkyrieagainsttheworld]

Agreed! It’s always been one of my favorite animated movies and I’m so sad it never got the attention it deserves. For how popular this iteration of Jack Frost is, this movie really doesn’t get the recognition it deserves. It sucks because a sequel would be amazing but because of its financial failure, I doubt they’d ever reprise it less there is a noticeable popularity that spawns in the internet space for the movie

[@bearerofbadnews1375]

The rise of the guardians is a perfect standalone movie. It’s just as underrated as Megamind 1.

[@vaclavmacgregor2464]

Well a sequel(or anything in fact could work ver well as there is so much here and so much we didnt see.)

[@mrblue___]

Megamind is not even underrated anymore. It’s like a cult classic now

[@davidhong1934]

​@@vaclavmacgregor2464 Given the current state of events (Kung Fu Panda 4, Megamind 2), I don't think we should ask for a sequel That said, stars may align and give us something on par with Puss in Boots: The Last Wish

[@dokkaebi_king]

Megamind. Just Megamind. We don't talk about 2.

[@goobergabe]

The fact we even have to say Megamind 1 is so depressing… I can’t believe Dreamworks made that.

[@lilpandarose]

Way to make me depressed all over again. Rise of the Guardians not becoming a franchise really is one of the biggest tragedies in animation. I just really want DreamWorks to give it another chance!

[@soohiakass7808]

I would normally agree with you on this but considering what's happened recently with Megamind 2, I'm unsure

[@marcosortega3350]

Shh, shh, shh, shh, shh, don’t give them any ideas…

[@ThePrincessCH]

Given the financial loss the film caused, I think it might have been written off as a tax loss.

[@Victoria-_]

AGREED

[@necro9849]

Read "Secret of Frost and Moon" from Alaia Skyhawk if you want more of Jack Frost

[@PringoOrSomething]

Jack’s tragic death still makes me really sad because he kept living but with no memory of his past and therefore unable to watch over his family

[@margaretconnor5623]

I think he was watching over his family, he just didn't know it. The boy that first believes in him looks an awful lot like Jack's sister. I think that's her descendant.

[@GH0STCCC-vu5rz]

He probably did watch over his family (possibly) but Jack was around for 300 years, so his family is long gone.

[@BellaFalk95]

I hope that when Peter Ramsey is finished with the Spiderverse movies he will gather his team and make a sequel to Rise of the Guardians. I still beg Dreamworks for it.

[@grampkerat5203]

let us hope and pray, because that would be a god send

[@PhrenSo768]

unfortunately, DreamWorks owns and refuses to let go of the rights of the IP, which always makes me cry when I remember it :(

[@maruguida8056]

I would love a prequel. either about who the man in the moon is his origin, or the rest of the guardians stories and origins. or both lol.

[@Dobbythecat123]

@@grampkerat5203no thanks I’m not looking forward to wasting away at doing such thing

[@BellaFalk95]

@@maruguida8056 There are books. The Guardians of Childhood written by William Joyce. He was an executive producer for the movie and he also hopes that Dreamworks will give them promission to make a sequel.

[@patrickmcguire7896]

Jack Frost has such a tragic backstory! It’s such a shame no sequels were made with him

[@jeusmarcomascarina4102]

We can make are own this days. It is hard to trust them since even their marketing plopped.

[@ThePrincessCH]

The marketing for this film caused such a big loss that they were forced to lay people off. I imagine that it was written as a tax loss.

[@RosinaEmilyW]

It really needed a name and advertisement which showed the darker side of the film. Like “Frost”. Honestly, I remember watching the trailers and passing it over because it had such a cheesy name and looked to be a beautifully animated happy-go-lucky type of film… which I’m not into. The word “Guardians” stinks of something like the modern Tinkerbell films. Fortunately someone brought it into my Film Club, and we watched it. So good. And, while I remember not liking Chris Pine as Jack for the first half, I loved that by the second half, although it was occasionally jarring when I thought about it. Now, I can’t see Jack being voiced by anyone else. The only problem is that Jack practically ended up waiting for global warming to kick in before he found his purpose… I really hope he doesn’t have to become the Rain Man.

[@ThePrincessCH]

@RosinaEmilyW Given that children are part of the film's primary demographic, I don't know if they would have advertised the darker aspects. When I was a kid, I liked sweet and simple stories. Then again, "Rise of the Guardians" looks more like the kind of film that would appeal to boys rather than girls.

[@raccoonchild]

​@@ThePrincessCH It might look like that to some but it's absolutely the kind of movie that girls/women receive better. I never quite recovered from the brainrot it gave me 😭

[@raccoonchild]

​@@RosinaEmilyW I've never seen a movie worse advertised than this one. I still remember catching a trailer on TV and thinking nothing of it. Ended up going to see it four times...

[@BobMcBobJr]

They bizarrely do this with a lot of movies, weighted heavily towards really good ones (though that might be bias). Another I can think of off the top of my head is Batman: Mask of the Phantasm, for which they ran a single ad, once, that just said "Batman: Mask of the Phantasm" over a logo of the bat symbol.

[@emmaporter8160]

Gen Z growing up and being mad at Hollywood for not appreciating their favorite films is my favorite thing.

[@Noejjkkkj]

The thing is real 😢

[@miguelandresforerodelgadil3059]

Gotta show those greedy corporatives, one way or another, how wrong they are

[@indiesunflowers]

both this film & megamind deserved the fame that shrek got

[@soundberry]

fr I ADORE this movie

[@adora_was_taken]

get ready for the countless sequels and remakes that pander to us. they're already starting

[@azurithdetwilight]

Jack confronting them about the last time they were actually around children was great! Proved he was more worthy to be a Guardian than the rest of them, because they'd lost sight about why they were doing this. Thinking it was about them, when it was about the kids all along.

[@antix527]

love this take.

[@jonharrison3114]

@@antix527I think sandman was around children but since he didn’t speak first didn’t know

[@NAVEMAN3]

I feel the same thing since they don't even recognize Prince of Egypt anymore which is sad since that film was their first animated film in the hand-drawn department.

[@suenicole8979]

Rise Of The Guardians is movie jewel that was never truly given the full appreciation it deserves especially with the marketing strategy they used and the timing of its release. However, I still hold hope that DreamWorks will work on that sequel, triquel and tv show. After all, they brought back Megamind so maybe they'll bring back Rise Of The Guardians too.

[@ThePrincessCH]

I wouldn't get my hopes up. Given that this project caused the studio to lay people off, there's a good chance that it was written off as a tax loss.

[@davidtapley2932]

they didn't bring back megamind. it never happened. stop spreading lies.

[@riggs3834]

​@@davidtapley2932 real

[@StoryMing]

I would almost rather it remain underappreciated than turned into a travesty like Megamind was.

[@DIRTkat_ofc]

They didn't bring back Megamind

[@serenityfortune]

OK so here's the thing about ROTG....I really like it but one misconception that ALWAYS gets me is that literally no one knows about the books. This movie is an ADAPTATION of the Guardians of Childhood books. Now, the movie is pretty much its own thing and it isn't exactly the same as the books, but a lot of other things are. Now, no one knows about the movies and that upsets me. Even you don't really talk about the books, which is a travesty if you ask me. Now, the books cover a lot of things. Specifically: backstories. We get to see where all the Guardians come from. You'd be surprised that those books are mostly either magical alien space opera or LITERAL fairy queen Toothiana and pirate king North. And then we get Pitch's backstory. He used to be a general before getting mind controlled by the darkness. Poor guy. And he had a daughter who became Mother Nature. And did I forget to mention that Jack was actually the first guardian, Nightlight, who was Manny's bodyguard who took down Pitch the first time around before getting amnesia? Looong story. But I really feel like you should cover the books. They're amazing and people don't give them enough credit. The books shine a lot of light on motivations we don't see in the movie.

[@rosieisla8286]

Yes! I've only seen one video essay (the one by ladyknightthebrave) that discussed them. I've always found the books to be a fascinating topic, since they were made alongside the film! It's weird to think that Bill Joyce was already pitching his idea around 2005 (probably earlier, as that was the year that the Man in the Moon short released and they definitely didn't animate quickly back then...) but didn't publish the first book until 2011!

[@serenityfortune]

@@rosieisla8286 yes like we need more movie content and reviews that include the books. It's maddening to me the amount of times I have had to tell people that the books even EXIST. ROTG deserved way better.

[@henryhoorray]

u did not just make me buy 80€ worth of books, nuhuh u actually didn't, but it's only a matter of time till i buy them, cuz this movie was one of my faves as a teenager and i really wanna read the books and know all the backstory stuff:) thank uuu

[@serenityfortune]

@@henryhoorray you're welcome! The books are all really good and you can even find them online if you look hard enough lol.

[@guardianofmyroom8423]

For Pitch wasn't the reason why he got controlled by the darkness was because they impersonated his daughter? He thought she was dead for a long while and then when the darkness promised him her, he succumbed to it? He was just a dad who missed his little girl :'(

[@rice.atsushi]

8:10 - "He leaves his dude all alone until he needs something from him, which is pretty *ice cold* in my *eyes* " I mean, he literally turned him into a frost guy (I'm sorry I'll leave)

[@js66613]

Also he's (MiM's) like a deadbeat dad, more so than Charlie's dad was. xD

[@Dobbythecat123]

Yes leave now

[@chris_freaky305]

You can say he gave him the cold shoulder. Ghosted him, even. (Yes yes the door is right there I'll leave too)

[@Winxforeveryeah]

I'm glad that Sandman survives because of how beauitful his rebirth scene is he comes out of know where and everyone just smiles. That gets me eveytime.

[@StoryMing]

I wish they were a bit more detailed on how the rebirth worked. We get Jaimie suddenly rounding up the kids, saying, “I know what we have to do”; a minute or so later Sandy emerges alive and well from his sand-cocoon, pummels Pitch, and tips a hat to the watching children. - the trails of golden dream-sand, bursting forth when Jamie took his stand against Pitch and his NightMares, and showing no sign of subsiding throughout the duration of the scene, forewarned me that Sandy was returning; but I want to know: *_HOW did they bring him back?_*

[@Winxforeveryeah]

@@StoryMing because the kids started to believe again all of their powers were returned and Sandman was brought back to life. I guess but I understand that it is not clear.

[@StoryMing]

@@Winxforeveryeah The thing is, it is VERY easy to miss that the kids have anything to do with it at all. As far as anything shown onscreen, we have no indication of it; their only involvement seems to be looking on in amazement as Sandy reappears. We don’t see them doing anything to help bring him back.

[@Winxforeveryeah]

@@StoryMing well yeah but that's just what I guessed happened

[@shaereub4450]

​@@StoryMingthe guardians got their power back when the children started believing. Sandman is so powerful because EVERYONE dreams, not just children. I assume the children's belief in magic gave sandman the power he needed to be revived from when he lost to pitch earlier.

[@dylan9124]

Sandman being the one to “die” (be consumed by Pitch) before coming back at the end was so thematically fitting though. When you consider Sandy is peaceful sleep and rest, whilst Pitch is fear using literal “night-mares” as his minions/weapons, it’s fitting that peaceful sleep is replaced by restless, nightmare filled sleep for the humans. Once they learned to overcome the fear with the help of the guardians, their ability to find peace both awake and in sleep returns, and Sandman once again has power/presence. Sandy and Pitch are two sides to the same coin, and one can’t be seen whilst the other is on top. They were both present whilst the coin was “spinning” per se, but once Pitch tipped the balance, Sandy went dark (and vice versa at the end). Thing is, though, is that whilst one is on top, the other isn’t fully gone.. just hidden and perhaps depowered to some degree. I imagine there’s a fair amount of sequel bait in the coin analogy… pity it didn’t happen.

[@838190]

Loved the movie when I was a kid but could never shake the thoughts that Pitch deserved better. Fear is necessary- What keeps you from jumping off the rail onto the couch a flight below you? What keeps you from playing with a rattlesnake? When you're walking down an alleyway and spot someone strange, what helps you get away from them? Fear does help teach you things. I wished that was Pitch's redemption chapter, like he helped some kid become a little more self-aware, less impulsive, and more cautious because the kid wouldn't learn not to hurt someone, not to hurt themself if they didn't experience the pain of social rejection, punishment, or physical pain of a broken bone... and Pitch would finally learn what it's like to be appreciated. people who fear losing their belongings or friendships would strive to become someone who wouldn't lose them, to reach out to them more. Pitch died before understanding there are people who appreciate fear- because if fear didn't exist, a lot of things wouldn't be how they are today.

[@matthewparker9276]

Well there's a sequel idea right there.

[@pipedream2556]

Considering this is based on a book series where Pitch was originally a good person who was corrupted by outside forces, exploring the less black-and-white view of fear was probably an ideal direction for the sequel that never happened 😅

[@horse14t]

I like your idea a lot! It would be good too to increase the awareness that fear isn't inherently a bad thing! There's also a fan fic where Pitch became the Guardian of Courage which was really cool! The sequel fic sucked though because it just became a Pitch x Jack ship fic DX It's called The Last Guardian by Tenshiryuu

[@uo.2103]

I agree that fear is necessary! But I think that the problem with Pitch is that he represents an overabundance of fear, which is crippling. Too much fear means you can't even leave your house. Too much fear can lead to the irrational hatred of others. I think the Guardians keep Pitch in check but they can never (and MUST never) destroy him. Knowing that Pitch's domain is the dark means that kids know to go home on time, but his defeat means that kids know they're safe if they're out at night with proper precautions ie a parent or guardian *wink wink*

[@jasonseacord]

RotG walked so that Into Spiderverse could run (they have the same director)

[@kaxcommentssomethingREAL]

... *maybe we still have hope for a DAMN good sequel* but only time will tell

[@ivory7182]

The only part I didn't like in the movie was the last line, where they tell you to believe in the moon. Like no, the moon didn't do anything!

[@kai9137]

didn't he just say to believe in what the moon said? I kinda remember him saying "when the moon tells you something, believe it" or at least that's what he says in the german dub

[@js66613]

Exactly. Seemed pretty pointless to me. It feels like "thank God for all the good stuff in your life" feels for an atheist like myself.

[@lorettabes4553]

The moon's importance is more obvious in the books. I think the final line is very fantastical which fits the wonderous vibe of the movie

[@Dingle_Doof]

it's because in the books the man in the moon is a primary driver for the story, like the dude just being born started one of the biggest wars in all of the cosmos because his power was so great and the being the would eventually become Pitch Black, the primordial force of darkness and chaos in the universe saw him as both a tasty snack and the biggest threat to his existence since the dawn of creation. It's basically Destiny but for kids.

[@Daeneiracorn]

@@js66613 yeah but like that scene has the context of those supernatural things actually existing. like if someone introduced you to god and then after an epic adventure they say that to you. YOUD BELIEVE IT. CUZ YOU JUST MET LITERAL GOD

[@skyenight-by8yh]

I watch this movie and read fanfics related to it every other week or so, and it’s always managed to impress me, especially with the whole “Real life Guardians of holidays/seasons/emotions etc.” thing. I even made my very own OCs out of this movie. It’s just too good to pass up an opportunity. 😅

[@catandrobbyflores]

Have you read the books this is based on yet?

[@AW-xc1xc]

Ah, you're taking me back to the good ol' RotBTD days

[@the_king_of_kings_3413]

Honestly, I am intrigued about your characters… tell me more.

[@skyenight-by8yh]

@@the_king_of_kings_3413 Well, if you insist. But I made these 3 years ago when I was kid, so sorry if it sounds too vague. For one, I came up with a grim reaper Gaurdian named Dana: the Guardian of the souls and death; similar to the actual Grim Reaper in terms of clothing, but looks more like a vampire in terms of appearance. As for two others, they’re somewhat of “sibling” Guardians: Fang and Sol; an anthropomorphic brown wolf Gaurdian of the fall season and courage, and a semi-transparent phantom mermaid Guardian of summer and the spirit of adventure respectively. Sorry again if it sounds a bit ridiculous. My child mind had a twisted imagination back then. 😅

[@phoenix_doodler3904]

The first thing that went to mind at the thought of ocs based on holidays and stuff was a pyromaniac guardian of independence holidays!

[@claudianoelle7303]

Flashback to that one time I watched this movie every day for a week 😭

[@henryhoorray]

BRO SAME!! i had this with a bunch of movies tbh, but i remember watching this one specifically when i was home alone and super sick and just kept on watching this movie back to back every waking moment. what glorious days, indeed

[@Dobbythecat123]

@@henryhoorrayoh god this isn’t 2013 going crazy over the smallest amount of details to the last minute but it’s still pretty good to be able and have the same experience with a few different things to make the game more interesting to you guys as a team in general so I hope this helps and you all get some luck

[@henryhoorray]

@Dobbythecat123 ok maybe i'm missing a few brain cells but i don't really get what u wanna tell me with that comment^^' /gen could u elaborate?

[@typhlosion7872]

I always wanted a sequel to this until Megamind 2 happened and made me think it would end up like that. Absolutely love Rise of the Guardians in every way and it sucks that it didn't succeed. However, the big reason for that was likely release period. It was released around the same time as Skyfall, Breaking Dawn part 2, and Wreck it Ralph. There was no way this would've pulled in enough revenue around its time period. If they simply delayed release date, it would've likely been a big success

[@rosieisla8286]

I also think the story works against it here - it's an Easter story, but its most iconic characters are Jack & North... and they released it on Thanksgiving (in time for the Christmas season, but confusingly on an entirely different holiday, at least in North America). I still cringe whenever I see it on TV around the Christmas season, I'm glad it's being aired but hearing "Easter _is_ more important than Christmas!" on December 25th will never fail to make me laugh.

[@inesatt1313]

I loved every second of it and Bunny is such an awesome guardian and Hugh Jackman played him well The jokes were hilarious! I can never get over Jack freezing bunny and the transitions that happen with all of the characters

[@WarpedKarma6471]

I didn’t learn this existed until like 3 years ago at a family xmas party when that played. As someone who loves movies with good writing, this was an immediate favorite and I love to see it talked about here!

[@robbieboydudeguy]

There are some books too! They cover the characters’ backstories and are really interesting, if you have any curiosity about that :P

[@catherinefijn6253]

This movie deserves so much more than what it got. I'm just mad that such an iconic film was literally the downfall of DreamWorks after it failed at the box office, causing hundreds of layoffs, cancellation of any future projects, and forcing the company to sell over to Comcast. However, a few years ago, I heard on the radio that the director of the film; Peter Ramsey was considering trying again for a sequel. So hopes up people!

[@majormccoy2659]

This movie deserves more love and attention. I mean this movie had both heart and potential that could have lead into more movies.

[@bernhardvonbraun3826]

Ok, the name pitch black probably seems like it is supposed to be edgy and like a stereotypical villain, but he actually isnt, and is instead a real mythical figure like santa or the easter bunny. You see in german, he is called "the black man" instead, but it doesn't sound racist or inappropriate in german, because the black man is an actual mythical figure and was at the beginning a personification of death and especially of childrens experience with death. He also has a connection the the plaque, explaining, why pitch black disappeared for so long, because he lost a lot of relevance after the plaque. Nowadays those characteristics are a lot less prominent, and he is mostly known as a shadowy figure scaring children. tldr: Pitchblack is an actual mythical character in europe. He is often described as some sort of shadowy figure, and nowadays is mostly known for scaring children.

[@milo_thatch_incarnate]

This is one of my FAVORITE animated movies ever!! It's got everything, like you said. It makes me so sad that 95% of the people I mention it to have never heard of it. Also, _YES_ to what you said about animated movies not getting enough credit for their scores!! Especially since you put HTTYD over that bit. These scores are as good as most famous classical music, IMHO.

[@lorettabes4553]

11:17 I think they likely did some testing with test audiences (children) and found it to be best that Sandy came back so kids won't have nightmares. Sandy is the key anyway: He brings light and sweet dreams so kids can be happy during the day. Jack breaks the ice to bring fun back during the climax, but they need that Sandy magic to help everyone. Though that line where Jamie says: 'Guys, I know what we need to do!' I was like... how kid, how did you know you needed to sleep to bring Sandy back?

[@rosieisla8286]

I've always thought of Sandy as being one of the most important guardians in the RotG universe. Pitch's nightmares can get kids to stop believing in in the Guardians (which they've believed in for their whole lives and have evidence for in the form of Christmas gifts, Easter eggs, collected teeth, etc...) in two or three days, so obviously Sandy has a very important role! (Back when I was super into RotG, I remember it being established by Bill Joyce that Sandy was the first guardian. Since then, I've headcanoned that he's one of the ways kids know about the other guardians, since they just need to believe in a dream they've had.)

[@juliabarbera3136]

My opinion is it’s a good movie I understand why some people don’t like it it’s old and I find that many people don’t know it exists which is sad by the way your great keep it up

[@pinkdruid2347]

For a minute I thought you were going to criticize the actual animation or story itself. It might not be the best movie ever made, but I could name literal hundreds of films that are worse. I'm glad to see you were actually talking about the production process and marketing. You make some very valid points.

[@mistafay]

How could I cry from just watching a review? Your reviews are works of art, and I'm excited for the next masterpiece you paint.

[@meghanbarry3489]

I’m so glad you love this movie because I’ve been screaming this for years. Rise of the Guardians is such a good movie!! It’s got everything! Great animation, great characters, great soundtrack, great acting, great story! And this is the type of movie that deserves a franchise because there’s sooooo much you could explore in a world like this. There’s soooo many possibilities of villains. You could do a prequel with the OG Big Four if you want to. UGH!! So much potential!

[@lorettabes4553]

SAME, OMG SAME

[@brandongreene6175]

Yeah, it was ashame it underpeformed at the box-office. I watched this movie and loved it and I was so looking foward to seeing them for more adventures.

[@superawesometastic]

the first second i laid my eyes on this movie when i was a kid i absolutely freaking LOVED it its a shame that it had to fail so hard with the box office money, especially when this movie is truly good i especially loved what they did with the santa hes so badass

[@drpepper2590]

I loved this movie! But it shouldn’t get a sequel, I’m really tired of big franchises and poorly written cash grab sequels. That being said, I don’t think sandy coming back was a bad thing. Because at the end of the day these characters are technically metaphors. Sandman literally is the good dreams coming back after the nightmares are defeated. The same way that bunny is hope, dwindling but then returning in full force.

[@INKSTARS1138]

I really love it. There's actually an easy chance to give it a late sequel like The Incredibles, because it wouldn't be hard to mimic the style but have it a little more modernized. It's one of the great things with animation and voice acting.

[@user-tb5mb2ng9n]

I remember going to the theater for this movie. I was captivated by the idea of “your center”, as explained by Santa Claus. That very thought crosses my mind every so often, even now. This movie deserves much more recognition!

[@claire4jj468]

Thanks for this video. Rise of the Guardians is one of my favorite movies and I'm always sad that it didn't get the attention it's deserved

[@gorbiussullter1530]

This was one of my favourite childhood movies. I must’ve watched it at least 20 times and every single time I felt so enthralled by its story. Beautiful work honestly

[@iceneko9170]

i always asumed this just bombed despite being a good movie. but now I get to learn that it was studio mishandling that killed it? damn. that actually feels worse.

[@elsaekberg5616]

I watched this movie at least two times every week for a whole year. It gave me so much comfort as a undiagnosed autistic kid who felt unseen/ignored (like Jack) who wished to escape into a more magical and kinder world

[@petalsofwisteria]

I can't remember this being advertised anywhere. I remember watching it in 2015 and it was so good I had to check when it was made.

[@luckas221a]

On the plot thread of Sandman dying and coming back - correct me if there's anything that proves me wrong, but I believe his "center" is never explained, but as the Guardian of Dreams I believe his center would be hope. As hope is lost, he fades. When it's regained, he reappears

[@depresso___espresso]

This movie is perfect and it means so much to many people for us to be loyal after all this time. I own all the books as well. The only comfort I take from the tragedy is that we didn't see this masterpiece devolve into something unrecognizable in a later franchise. It's a small comfort ; - ;

[@RainyBasil9295]

I think that jack frost was one of the best and my favorite ice powered character ever. Most ice powered characters are cold and either emotionless or constantly sad or even angry, he is very cheerful and childlike, nothing like all the todoroki clones but even edgyier. No, hes just fun but also stands his ground and has competitiveness, he could almost be more like a spring or even a fire instead of frost powered person with his attitude and wittyness. And it was honestly soooo refreshing, because i dont hate cold or more collected people, but ive seen the same calm/cold/uncaring/mysterious character with ice/frost powers that its exhausting to see it over and over and over!

[@sarah-bethhogg]

My students love this movie - but, to be fair, most of them had never even heard of it...They were begging me to show it again after it was done - that never happens except for Avatar the Last Airbender (og series naturally).

[@omegapuppyttv]

the title and thumbnail almost made me so mad 😭 you had me in the first half ngl. this is my second favorite movie of all time and i was in the fandom for a few years when it came out. i'll forever be so heartbroken that it didn't get the recognition it deserves and that we never got any real merch, sequels, shorts, shows, or literally anything :// jack frost is my husband forever

[@KaitouKiara422]

Jack Frost single-handedly make all the kids in my area pick up a stick and wish he would play with us after the movie came out. It was so fun back then

[@thegalantic6986]

In our family's first car. We had little tvs. I remember watching this movie on every trip because it was the only one we had. And I still feel nostalgic for it

[@lorettabes4553]

1:24 They also didn't know what to advertise the movie as. Audiences didn't know if it was a Christmas, Easter or ''super hero team'' film.

[@kittyfreya9141]

Its based on a bunch of books. That i might be wrong is called man in the moon....😊

[@scarletsworld8215]

The series is called Guardians of Childhood, but one of the picture books (not the main books) is called Man In the Moon. Glad to know someone else knows them! 😊

[@kittyfreya9141]

@@scarletsworld8215 Thank you. 🥰

[@aliciahammond7912]

In all honesty, I like that it's a standalone movie. I think that's what makes it gold. When they make more than one movie or turn them into series, it kinda feels cheap and has the potential to ruin the storytelling. Sometimes, simplicity is a good thing, and it might just be exactly what we need. If it were turned into a series, would you have appreciated it enough to make this video? 😊

[@Tanglemorph]

The film was based on a book series by William Joyce. The Guardians of Childhood goes much deeper into the lore - why Pitch is evil, further history of the characters, other characters such as Father Time and Mother Goose... They're worth checking out for any RotG fan.

[@Beth-ux6jn]

This movie really stuck with me to the point whenever I hear Jude Law's voice I think of it. The tooth fairy and her baby teeth being modelled after hummingbirds is quirky and cute to me and I loved Alec Baldwin's Santa. The ideas were unexpectedly fresh and well thought-through and the pacing is good despite having so much going on. I'm glad it stayed stand alone for the core characters but the opportunity to expand the universe is a missed one for sure. Loved this take ❤

[@autumnrainstorm9168]

You just made me watch it again, just so dang good. I agree it is a shame that it didn't budget well, but at least we have it unlike many other unfinished films.

[@Captain_Rex14]

I love how Jack is such a powerhouse (even surprising Pitch) until the climax when everyone is counting on him to basically solo Pitch while they have no powers, and Pitch just catches Jack’s strongest attack like it’s nothing. My heart just sank.

[@Jay-fw6jo]

This movie deserves sequel

[@mictheartist7991]

i freaking loved this film as a kid and still love it today, i want it to get a sequel or at least an animated series cause i would love to explore this world!! there's so many possibilities for a great story it deserved so much better!....sadly....after seeing what happened to Megamind on Peacock those hopes for a good quality continuation of rise of the guardians is shattered for me....

[@meghanbarry3489]

I’m a bit late to the party. What in the world happened to Megamind on Peacock? Was the sequel that bad?

[@kaxcommentssomethingREAL]

​@@meghanbarry3489low budget animation, worse villains than the original movie... the show is just more kiddy in general and goes against what the previous Megamind movie set to do

[@Levioli_]

I watched Rise of the Guardians over and over on a pirated CD when I was a kid. It was one of my favorite movies together with Megamind. Sadly it doesn't get the attention it deserves.

[@Mayo_Nayoo]

my dad showed me this when i was younger (possibly early teens) i cannot thank him enough! and i've been raised on this beautiful movie ever since! i just love it! it's perfect in every possible way!

[@thezackast2752]

This movie was legitimately my favorite as a child. I only got to see it once at a movie night in a local park, but it was as impactful to me as Shrek or Kung fu panda were to my friends. It's good to see that others remember it fondly as well. Unfortunately for this movie, I have now moved on in my life, and do powerscaling in my free time. So now I'm going to go powerscale pitch black and make a case for him being a multiversal threat who can beat Goku

[@PsmTrey-Man]

Thx to watching this movie as a child. Every time I hear of the Easter bunny I think of a 6 ft tall Australian with a boomerang

[@olleselin]

Such a deep and profound message this gem carries! ❤

[@bombasticcat]

nah bro. The greatest tradegy was red line. The animation studio that made this diamond put so much recources in the animations and couldnt even marketing the film. they went bankrupt before the movie even launched. Everyone who wants to watch this movie should do it cause its insanely good.

[@alexandru5369]

Agree this movie should've done better i.e. a quiet hit ( basically around 500 illion i.e. no Shrek but no Boss Baby either ). The marketing budget was insane yet if you look at it. What makes it even worse is I don't recall too many posters/commercial's for it either so I have no clue what the budget went too. also remember theatres get their cut of the overall budget as well ( around 50% im the states at least)

[@lorettabes4553]

SAME, where did that marketing budget go cuz I didn't see it!

[@rosieisla8286]

I might sort-of have an answer to this? I don't entirely know, obviously, but I do remember a lot of ads on TV when I was a kid. I also know it had merch made for it, definitely more than they made for Megamind, with a few books (two tie-in comics, some picture/pop-up books), clothing (Jack's hoodie... but in a zipped version for some reason?), 3D glasses, building toys (at Lowe's), and a whole bunch of other random stuff (pens, a watch, badges, puzzles, a nightlight, valentine's day cards, laser cels)... I'm sure that wasn't a lot of their budget, but I don't think it sold very well. (This is all aside from the usual stuff like toys at McDonald's, console games and uncanny plushies.) They were also starting to look at doing digital stuff back then, before their target demographic was really online. They had apps (there was one that gave you facts about the Guardians and a countdown to the release, which also had a feature that let you edit Jack into pictures, there was a sidescroller, there was an interactive storybook of the film...) and even a 'youtube experience'. Again, I'm not a marketeer or a DWA employee, maybe these things aren't actually big parts of the budget or ended up earning themselves back, I just think this film's promotion went in the wrong direction.

[@stikbot6697]

I can't entirely agree about Sandman not coming back. In my opinion, bringing Sandman back shows the power of hope and belief. Sandman is just a man made of sand and that dream sand is still around, it has just become nightmare sand. the way he's brought back shows that in a marvellous way. a believing child turns nightmare sand into dream sand like Pitch did the other way. Sandman is the only logical death because he is sand, the other characters are actual blood and flesh and thus their death would be irreversible. loved the rest of your video.

[@kingamdusias]

bro its genuinely my favorite movie 😭i remember when it came out in cinema, i went and watched it with my grandma and lil sis (it was in our native language) i was *so* in love with the movie that the moment we got home, i pulled it up online but in English and watched it **again** on the same day 😭bro i love this movie so much it absolutely deserves more attention

[@CranberryCake]

This is one of my all time favourite movies of all time and I've watched it SO many times

[@renthegigglefox]

How on Earth DreamWorks managed to spend MORE on advertising than on the production of the film itself is beyond baffling...

[@jackalfire6797]

I haven't watched this video yet but I just want to say that from just seeing the thumbnail you brought back so many memories. I loved this movie so much when I was younger

[@NitroIndigo]

I was obsessed with this movie as a tween, so I was shocked to learn that it flopped when I read the TV Tropes page.

[@orykoth]

I will always be sad that Rise of the Guardians didn't get the recognition it deserved, it is such a good movie and up there with one of my favorites. It's so heart-warming and wonderful. Plus it has my absolute favorite depiction of Santa. So many wonderful things, it deserved better.

[@darkreflection9087]

I remember this movie I personally think it’s underrated

[@westerfrost3701]

I agree. It totally is.

[@Anchitsu13]

I loved that movie, it caught me by surprise and fell straight into the soft space in my heart. I like to go back to it from time to time.

[@missobvious5436]

at this point it‘s hard for me to say if Rotg flopping and not having a huge fanbase or resurgence was good or bad, I honestly wouldn‘t want a soulless sequel made for this, especially if dreamworks‘ soulless sequels are like megamind 2. disney‘s bad or boring movies at least look nice

[@TheJelleviA]

This film is SO good A masterpiece of animated film Jack Frost became such an asset in tumblr though. Remember JackElsa? Or the Jack Elsa Merida Hiccup fanarts and edits? I don't know if this film has the potential to be a cult movie but I know the fandom will never forget the collective crush that is Jack Frost

[@tyranosaurusbex2950]

YES!! so glad to see other ppl had the same experience with this film, one of my all-time favourites and i was devastated when i found out they weren't making a sequel

[@shelbydickson8424]

I love this movie! This is one of my favorite Dreamworks movies and I think it's super underrated. It's a great movie to watch around Easter actually. I love the music score in the soundtrack, I was going to name off a few favorites but there is too many to count. I listened to the soundtrack quite a bit in high school and college. I love Jack's story about finding more about his past and his center it's so compelling as well as how hard he tries to get kids to believe in him and when Jamie finally believes in him.

[@k0ncursus]

At this point honestly, I'm not sure I want anything done with it. It does deserve more attention but like you said, we *do not* want another megamind situation

[@lettiaswisher9622]

The first time I watched Rise of the Guardians it automatically became my favorite movie

[@AstralKat]

Unironically I watched this movie CONSTANTLY as a kid, it's so amazing, can't believe we never got a sequel, genuinely one of the best dreamworks movies by a mile

[@buttermilkranch6159]

whenever this movie came on the TV when i was a kid, id get bored and swap the channel, idk if this movie just isnt for me or what, but im glad some people remember it fondly.

[@iagreewithyou3478]

Maybe because this wasn't really exactly for little kids. Most people who enjoyed this were teens, young adults, and adults. The animation is not the typical animations that kids enjoy.

[@bandman7600]

No joke, I love this movie as an adult, but not as a kid/ teen... It was too mature for kids kids and the teens had to deal with Jack being commandeered by the Elsa fandom which ALSO seemed mature by my standards. It wasn't something that could outwardly and proudly loved

[@brob1797]

I remember seeing this as a kid when it came out and being so impressed for similar reasons. It sorta just faded away though I didn’t realize the behind the scenes stuff was so unfortunate. When I saw Violent Night, as corny as it was, I really liked its interpretation of Santa partly because of how much it reminded me of this movie.

[@yharleththegrandobserver236]

I don't understand why people seem to want everything to be a franchise or have sequels. This movie is amazing on its own and it doesn't need anything else to be great. How many megamind vs the doom syndicates do we need before people realise that franchises just make things worse?

[@Piiiiiiiiit]

i absolutely loved this movie as a kid. so sad to see it didn’t do well

[@xaozld5611]

The Reason they Brought back the sandman is because you can't kill dreams. Dream no matter what will always come back.

[@jamainegardner4193]

Yeah I was a kid when this came out, so I'll tell you why it failed: The out there interpretations of the characters. If Easter Bunny wasn't so aggro and Santa was more holly-jolly, the movie would've doubled in profits.

[@AlexanderShultis]

I loved this movie too and still do. I have to disagree with you though. I've always felt the reveal that sandy isn't dead is an amazing bit of characterisation. He's not just dead and gone, he's been turned. It's his sleep sand, his dreams, his powers used for evil that are giving kids the nightmares. It humanizes the pitch as the boogie man. It opens that door that he isn't just an over the top evil for the sake of evil character but is in fact, afraid. He's terrified of being alone. Of the kids not seeing him. The same way the guardians are. To quote my good buddy Yoda in one of the Star Wars Books: "somedays I feel certain of a greater good. somedays....not so certain. But know this, oceans and worlds of darkness exist in the galaxy. In the universe mostly darkness, vast swaths of it, with tiny pin pricks of light. if nothingness then what matters only are our choices. The Sith eat the darkness and the darkness eats them back. To be a Jedi is to face the truth and choose. Choose, despite overwhelming darkness, to give of light." It is the same distinction here. In many ways Jack is a star wars padawan, he's been training for this all his life, to be called up, called upon by some powerful 'force' to stand apart and yet defend a world he can never be part of. And to do so he must face that fear inside and make that choice to turn towards the light. Santa found his center and chose light. Pitch didn't, ran from it, fought against it. And it consumed him. For me that makes the whole thing more relatable and a better story. And a positive moral one that makes it even better for kids to learn too.

[@ThomasWooods]

Ive seen almost every animated movie since the year 2000 from disney and dreamworks and a lot from before then too, and this movie and Treasure Planet stand at the peak for being the most worthy of sequel that never got one. The characters are amazing, the story is great, world they came up with for the movie is wonderfull, it should be a crime these movies never got a part two

[@ThomasWooods]

like, TP literally had a part two in the making already and they cancelled it which just sucks, but RotG literally left some stuff unanswered perfect for the second movie. Who is the man in the moon? Why is he so powerful that he can decide who becomes a guardian? What other threats do the Guardians deal with? like, Pitch Black was sealed for ages, but the guardians seem to still have had work to do since then, albeit less often than when Black was still free. now that Black is sealed again, its the perfect time to make a sequel about another issue the Guardians deal with. Surely theres some nursery rhyme about sadness or some other negative emotion like that, the guardians could team up to deal with that! But nope, we never got to know about Manny or what the guardians do as a team while Black is sealed. Besides, what does Jack do now that hes a guardian? Sandman gives dreams every night, Tooth Fairy keeps memories, North handles Christmas, Bunny handles Easter... Jack really just sits around making it snow and playing with kids? as more kids start believing in him, you'd think he can play with them less since they will start seeing him and the guardians arent supposed to be seen, so if Jack cant go play with the kids anymore, literally his job just comes down to making it snow. Surely a sequel couldve come up with something cool he does for the kids day to day like how the other guardians all have daily duties too, you know?

[@dancersupreme3023]

This movie came out around my birthday and it was snowing when I went to go see it in theatre. This movie holds a special place in my heart for that regard and although it didn’t do that well financially and you don’t really see it advertised anywhere for merch- it is still one of my favorite movies. And as much as I would like to see it on the big screen again and gain the popularity it deserves- I don’t think a reboot/redo would do it justice. It’s great just as it is.

[@milo_7encore396]

I'm a simple guy, I see 'Rise Of The Guardians' I click

[@ChaosophysOldYT]

I rewatched this movie over Christmas/New Years with my wife THIS YEAR, it’s my favorite holiday movie.

[@ThenewTchannel]

I'm glad someone else loves Alec Baldwin's portrayal of Santa as much as I do, because yeah, it's so great. Energetic and fun when it needs to be, stoic and serious when it needs to be, heartfelt and soft when it needs to be. The whole scene with him telling Jack about his LAYERS and his center is probably my favorite in the movie

[@alexjensen9490]

The only reason I know this movie is the children’s menus at that walnut room restaurant in a Chicago Macy’s

[@AgHeartsAway07]

This was one of my favorite animated movies as a kid, I totally agree how unfortunate it was that it was never able to be appreciated properly

[@Mustard11]

(before i've seen video) movie was great, absolutely amazing villain, with amazing story, but made no money, this is still one of my favourite movies ever

[@hannahhindsight8025]

i will NEVER forget how this movie made me feel. i was a teenager and saw it in theaters twice. it made me believe in magic again, in every single sense of the word. to this day rewatching it gives me such incredible joy