Why Rise of the Guardians is an Underrated Gem

DreamWorks sure makes interesting movies. Head to squarespace.com/rockotar to save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain using code ROCKOTAR
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Timestamps -
0:00 - Intro and why I Love How Unique the Movie is
1:17 - Great Worldbuilding and Characters
5:16 - Jack Frost's Thematic Character
6:33 - Why Pitch is a Really Solid Villain
8:16 - How the Guardians Have Lost Their Way
10:11 - Pitch Takes Out Sandman and Tries to Manipulate Jack
12:20 - Jack's True Purpose
13:59 - Final Battle and Why Sandman's Return is an OK Fake-out Death
15:09 - The Thematic Genius of Pitch's Defeat
16:28 - Conclusion and Final Thoughts
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Keywords -
DreamWorks, Rise of the Guardians, Santa Clause, Jack Frost, Boogieman, Sandman, Tooth Fairy, Easter Bunny, Underrated, Fantasy, Animation, Themes, Positivity, Negativity, Near Masterpiece.
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#dreamworks #riseoftheguardians #underrated #unique #animation #thematic #jackfrost #boogieman
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[@Rockotarthepurplehatguy]

Pitch is a very underrated Villain in my opinion. Head to squarespace.com/rockotar to save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain using code ROCKOTAR

[@olleselin]

Definetly! He's like the true embodiment of nightmares, he just desperately seeks attention from the world by bringing people their worst fears in their sleep. Kinda relatable tbh

[@wafagdplqs4421]

I agree. If his design was less simple and backstory more detailed, I think he would have left a much greater impression on people. (The nightmares are really cool visually though)

[@Gamegedon.900]

yes he is

[@racheljackson4428]

Another Underrated Dreamworks Movie is Monsters vs Aliens.

[@Gamegedon.900]

@@racheljackson4428 I hate it

[@oldmanregret]

I feel like the only way guardians can die is symbolic of this quote “they say you die twice, once when you stop breathing and the second, when somebody mentions your name for the last time” they can only truly die if there is no one left who believes in them

[@italex827]

That's the same thing as "what is a god to a non-believer, who doesn't believe in anything?"

[@nazra1127]

Yes

[@gojihead3195]

Like there's always a saying "they may be gone but their name lives on"

[@PowerSpirit50]

"A man only dies when he is forgotten."

[@RandomGirl785]

*Coco flashbacks*

[@PK-Radio]

I’ve heard people call this film underrated hundreds of times What? I didn’t say they were wrong

[@DavidMartinez-ce3lp]

You fiend. You duped me

[@Catpaw616]

It’s a shame that barely anyone talks about this movie. Characters are fun, story was good, and the villain was entertaining. I personally don’t think it deserves to be buried in the dark. I’m glad someone is bringing this to movie to light, thank you.

[@westerfrost3701]

It’s one of my favorites.

[@DrawciaGleam02]

I think there was a fandom that shipped Jack Frost with another character with ice powers..... That how this movie "survived" so to say.....

[@TreeHugger598]

@@DrawciaGleam02i thought that fandom died long ago💀

[@lasercraft32]

One very small thing I like about this movie, is that its NOT a Christmas movie. Yes, Santa is one of the main characters. Yes, Jack Frost is also _the_ main character... But the movie itself actually takes place around Easter. One could make the argument that its technically an Easter movie, even though its not the main focus overrall.

[@Queen_Cali_Chaos]

It's a holiday movie :>

[@bryanduran6294]

@@Queen_Cali_ChaosLiterally, all holidays.

[@esthersa5826]

Although the fact the focus of the movie IS related to hope, so it kinda really fits the easter movie idea

[@beinggreenandunseen3171]

I kind of wish that they made pitch much more of a threat. Pitch is supposed to represent fear and fear isn’t just limited to kids. For example, Pitch could have caused doubts in people that stop them from doing the right thing out of fear that they will be ostracized or he could plant fear into world leaders so that they might be more likely to start a war out of fear that the other country might destroy them first. It would show that fear is a very real threat and I think it would make the message much more pronounced.

[@gabrielhagedorn5942]

I agree. While I still think that Pitch was utilized well in the film (he was intimidating, well acted, and posed a legitimate threat based on what he did), they could have done more with him as a character since the effects of fear are so wide ranging.

[@100lovenana]

I understand what you mean, but that implies changing the rating of the movie into something more mature. Besides, the focus of the guardians is always hammered to be just the children, not once are the adults' opinions on guardians taken into consideration

[@WolfmanArt]

Rise of the Guardians needs a sequel! Puss in Boots: The Last Wish proves a sequel, made years later, can work!

[@andyavisand]

megamind, however...

[@PeelyMcPeel]

@@andyavisand what are you talking about? We only had the first movie and then a short.

[@Nobody_x0]

​@@andyavisandThere is no Megamind sequel in Ba Sing Se...

[@dragonfury197]

I liked the movie as a kid but as a kid I didn’t understand why jack had to die and lose his family which was sad, but as an adult I kinda get it now only a person truly cares about others over himself at death should be a person to spread that joy after all if he did nothing his sister would have died in that situation but still I wish there was just a small detail they could have done for their family connection and not just for backstory purposes.

[@edgaropts5257]

I remember feeling surprised about sandy dying as a kid. Like sandy died 😮 then he just comes back 😐. Anyway this movie is great though.

[@emmagaroutte9211]

Rise of the Guardians is an example of the brilliance of Willam Joyce as a storyteller: his characters are very charming, the worldbuilding is fantastical, and the way he presents childhood is nothing short of magical. 😊 If you want to find more of his works in film, I highly recommend Meet the Robinsons and the Netflix mini series, Lost Ollie!

[@theanimationcritictaylorri1264]

This movie was terrific I hadn’t watched it in a while but from what little I remember it was still great.

[@TrueLadyEvilChan]

I watched this with my family years ago and we all had a great time. I remember bring turned off by all the Jack Frost "fans" and how some of them acted, but it still doesn't affect my love for this movie. Iy has such a fun concept.

[@Evelyn_Rose1151]

They did make a very attractive character in both looks and personality. But I definitely think the fans spiraled to the point that the core of the character was lost.

[@armythecat]

I remember this movie fondly, it is one I would rewatch with my mom all the time when I was younger I always loved every single big beat of the movie, like both big moments with Sandman, the Tooth Fairy's passionate speech about how she kinda forgot how much she loved the kids after so long, Jack finally being seen after a life outside of reality...everything just works wonderfully, and I am glad to see someone beinging more light to it

[@wafagdplqs4421]

I saw this movie in theater with my godmother and I absolutely loved it ! It was unique, compelling and fun. Such a shame people are only talking about it *now* but I guess later is always better than never.

[@musingsofahomeschooler5332]

This movie truly is unique and visionary. It’s so sad that in the marketing-obsessed world of today it’s so hard to make a story with a unique concept. Everything has to be a sequel or part of a recognizable brand

[@dgc1570]

Yes! ROTG is so underrated! It's one of my favorite films to watch during winter. And of course I have to bring up my favorite crossover pairing with Elsa X Jack

[@Acacius1992]

Positivity as well as Negativity. They are two sides of the same coin. Neither is being purely negative nor purely Optimistic the answer. A healthy Balance of both is needed. (Yes toxic positivity exist and is unhealthy. While you dont need/should dwell on pain/negative emotions, to always repress them is equally unhealthy then to sink into them.

[@Latestmustace]

It's so baffling to me that this movie is forgotten. It has most if not all the landmarks of a great Dreamworks movie like characters that feel real and you care for, a story that appeals to everyone, an amazing villan etc. Sure it's not up there with the likes of the Shrek or Kung fu Panda but it doesn't have to be in order to just be an enjoyable movie. I think the main reason why RotG was due to Dreamworks's bad marketing and releasing in a busy month (November 2012 had movies like Wreck it-Ralph and Hotel Transylvania) Anyway great video as always :)

[@theserpent8667]

I enjoyed this film when I was younger, and now I'm seeing it's a whole lot deeper than I originally thought.

[@emeraldqueen1994]

Have to say, I’m GLAD you included clips from the 2002 Spirit (the best version of Spirit’s story)

[@cosmicspacething3474]

7:10 Man, ever since Big Jack Horner people just keep mismatching “true evil” with “pure evil”

[@WiseOrangeExterminator]

this was a good movie

[@typhlosion7872]

I'm so glad this movie is starting to get more attention after over a decade. Watching it as a child, I didn't retain much, but watching it as an adult, it's so fucking great. Especially the scene with Jack and his sister. As someone who's a big brother to 4 as well as an uncle, holy shit, Jack's sister's reaction to him dying and sacrificing himself always makes me cry, probably because I wouldn't hesitate to do the exact same thing, even if I had to face the prospect of the agony of drowning.

[@tomlinson1710]

I cry every time I watch it 😊

[@SilverStormShadow]

I always love when others appreciate how great this movie is. I've always loved this film, and I think it's a huge shame that it doesn't get the respect it deserves.

[@ElementalSamurai]

this is my mom's favorite movie. its been years since we've watched it, watching this igntied nostalgia in me and a little bit more hope i gotta watch it again with her the analysis is so good and the reminder of the themes of hope and dreams, and how they can never truly be crushed is amazing

[@AbrasiousProductions]

my 2022 self was pretty similar to Pitch unfortunately but on the bright side, I'm completely unrecognizable to who I used to be, since 2023 I've gotten my act together and I live my life in peace, spreading as much love and joy as possible, change is possible fellas, being a villain is a choice.

[@silverscorpio24]

I've always loved this movie. I wish Dreamworks would do more with the IP.

[@Angninjin22]

The only reason I knew this movie existed was thanks to those ships with Elsa 😐 I expected this movie to be bad but I was surprised, everyone is just good or almost perfect, and the way they represented famous characters like Santa or characters I didn't know like Pitch or Sandman( in the spanish dub they named him "Meme" lol) Anyways this movie is fantastic and you can't change my mind.

[@smallsavage1297]

this is most definitely one of my favorite movies ever; the unique, deep characters, a good, threatening villain, a good plot with a fantastic message. also, Jack Frost is (ironically) hot, which helps greatly. 🙃 really, though, this is one of my “desert island movies” that i can watch over and over and over and NEVER tire of because it’s GOOD.

[@brocksells197]

One DreamWorks movie that I think is underrated is Over the Hedge. Is it the most deep or thought provoking movie? No. But is it a really fun and enjoyable movie with an interesting take on corporate America? Yes. Plus it has the Verminator

[@jacksonlee6760]

Honestly this is probably the most surreal of Dreamworks' movies. Not everything in it makes sense, especially for younger kids, but it does make you curious to know more about their world. I can't speak for everyone, but when I first watched it, it was like nothing I had ever seen before. Probably due for a rewatch at some point.

[@porterjensen8853]

Watching this movie in second grade I wanted to be Jack Frost more than anything

[@edgar4380]

Glad more people are talking about this movie

[@whitesnake.]

Ohhh I've loved this film since childhood! I'm glad somebody finaly mentioned it as a masterpiece

[@bigbangbot-SuperSqank]

It is great to see you back. I will be honest and say that I could never fully get into this movie but I’m still intrigued to hear what you have to say about it since this is a movie people rarely talk about.

[@CaptainKaveman79]

You right this movie is underrated, I thought they was gonna make sequels to it, not gonna lie, the movie made me cry,, "P.A.U.S.E" lol overall the movie was a blessing, I Absolutely love the movie, can you finding Nemo, Marlin should get father of the century in my opinion, and the movie underrated aswell Stay blessed and thank you

[@coolgamerj.y.2759]

Nothing's better than watching Rockotar's video. Rise of the Guardians is easily in my Top 15 favorite Dreamworks Movie of all time!

[@meta527II]

While this movie wasn’t as good as I remember, it was still a nice movie!

[@Theodor..]

This film was big part of my childhood and till know I never realized it wasn’t just some fever dream cause It just disappeared outta existence and my mind at some point never in my life did I meet someone else who even knew this gem

[@jackthesmoltangerine]

My one problem is that they didn’t get a younger-sounding actor for Jack Frost, he’s supposed to be a teen

[@edgar3390]

I always thought the yeti were an interesting idea

[@DivineSpiritual1989]

Oh my gosh! This is by far my favorite of DreamWorks movies. I love it so much! The animation is breathtaking. The characters are good, likable, and memorable with great voice actors. I love hearing Chris Pine and Hugh Jackman arguing lol it's great! The music is great yo listen to. And the story is wonderful ❤ i am so glad you got to review it and put in why this movie is so underrated 😭 i could go on and on why i love this movie. i wish people would remember it and put it with Prince of Egypt, Kung Fu Panda, and How to Train Your Dragon. It deserves it. Thank you for making this review 💖 i love your deep dives into the movie and points that i never thought of!

[@Boondoggle4213]

This was my favorite movie for years. This version of Santa is still one of my favorites.

[@NitroIndigo]

I was shocked to learn that Rise of the Guardians flopped because it seemed so popular on Chicken Smoothie. And so was Spirit: Stallion of the Cimmaron, for that matter.

[@FurKid_the_Gg_roo_99]

So, I used to watch this movie a lot, particularly as a bedtime movie (Kinda odd Ik), so now, if I were to have it on even at the lowest volume when trying to sleep, I can't sleep because I'll prolly either try to criticize it or figure out which scene is playing in my head. 💀👍

[@DynamoTheGamma]

16:06 Fun fact, this is how to kill all flow in a video. Also fun fact, is is true for most woke channels, and politics un general.

[@Edgar-pr6dy]

This movie really does feel unique

[@silashurd3597]

Yo, how is this real? I was just binge watching your content yesterday and you just uploaded. I must be PSYCHIC!🤩 This movie was really good. It’s sad that this movie failed because it should’ve been a success. And I like Chris Pine’s voice for Jack. It fits. I don’t know why people keep saying otherwise.

[@flareongirl3606]

Ngl, this movie felt like a fever dream but I do have a nice memory of my old elementary school hosting a movie night and my parent, little sister and I going there and eating popcorn while watching the movie. I kind of want to see it again but I don’t know where to watch it? Hulu? Netflix? PlutoTV?

[@mrscoobis7273]

Thank you so much for talking about this movie, I’ve watched it as a kid and as an adult and it is one of my favorite movies of all time, very underrated

[@CrypticSHRIEK]

I use to be obsessed with How to Train Your Dragon but I was also obsessed with this movie along with it as a kid. I was upset to hear as I got older that it didn't receive the same love as HTTYD did cause I think both are on par with each other. I love this movie down to its core and the creativity in it. Both HTTYD and RoTG sparked my creativity as a young tween and got me started on my love to storytell and draw. This movie is dear and close to my heart and I love that people are starting to realize what an absolute GEM of a movie this is!! also I think this movie has my favorite portrayals of classic fairytale characters because they are so unique with both their personalities and character design!! North and Bunny have to be my favorite versions of Santa and the Easter Bunny in any media so far

[@rainbowracer9576]

This film deserves a lot of attention!

[@kingofcards9516]

Apart from the villain design, I liked this movie.

[@shuizaffre]

I saw Rise of the Guardians when it first came out in theaters and I loved it. Finding out years later that it’s actually pretty unknown makes me sad, so I’m always happy whenever there’s more videos giving more attention to this movie. Stellar video.

[@chrrmin1979]

Dude i totally forgot about this movie

[@notyoshi124]

Yoooo me and my family used to watch this so much underrated

[@eddyopts5141]

I always liked Toontown the online game!

[@kellyntaylor8184]

YEEEEES!!! It finally happened!!! THANK YOU 😊

[@ozthebeeman]

I remember watching this movie as a kid and liking it, but when I grew up years later I came back to all the old movies I watched as a kid to discover I used to like a lot of bad movies, but this one stuck with me, I actually liked it way more as an adult than as a kid which is usually the opposite for most films I watched.

[@scodeknight3178]

Pardon me if I may request how about doing a video on Doctor Who since you talked about it a bit, i’m interested to hear what you have to say about some of its characters

[@Rockotarthepurplehatguy]

Definitely, I just haven't decided when I'm going to make it yet. Plus I also wanted to rank every episode (lol), and I've actually already recorded my thoughts on some episodes, there are just so many though that a ranking won't be till NEXT year at the earliest.

[@akwyld2545]

I saw this film 7 times when it was out…n it changed my artistic direction n story writing

[@Merit2397]

This is a word that comes up every once in a while, "woke". It means to be socially aware and alert to social injustice, primarily racism. While I understand the need to acknowledge such issues, be it on a social and/or individual basis, extremists (particularly online) take the "alert" portion of that word to an obsessive extent and jump to conclusions about others who have different ways of going about them, rather than trusting that they understood.

[@AUCreatoer]

It's so underrated!! It's such a good movie

[@user-it8re8jv2l]

I love how you this guy just makes bangers as a hobby

[@user-it8re8jv2l]

Underated channel Chad KZbinr

[@fanofyoshi2238]

Honey, Rockotar has uploaded a new video!

[@Yellowguy0619]

Honestly, I view the same way for Sykes as you do for Pitch. I understand why people think he's generic, but what I love about him is how he is so different compared to other Disney villains! Even though he's relaxed in his car or sitting at a desk, he can still be really threatening because we know what he's capable of. He has strength that can break down a door, he can snap his fingers for his Doberman to attack, and has weapons like an axe and a gun (and I wish he used them for his advantage but of course, this is a kids movie so we have to sugarcoat it.) Not to mention, that I've never seen a villain who dislikes the homeless. I don't why but I just adore his character!

[@lafayette230]

BRO I REMEMBER WATCHING THIS AT MY COUSINS HOUSE AT 2 IN THE MORNING WHEN I WAS 10

[@therealglosetik]

7:48 Hm...this kinda sounds like another Villain from a movie with the words, Hunchback, Notre, The, Dame, and Of...

[@georgewebb9074]

Thank you for the video

[@BellaFalk95]

I fell in love with this movie before it came out. I saw a poster and was enchanted. After I saw the movie I was obsessed. It is that magical. Still my all time favorite movie.

[@Enderwave7]

YES I love Rise of the guardians SO MUCH! I love the characters and plot, and I love how each of the guardians have different accents too! (Sandy/Sandman and Pitch are my favorite characters :))

[@Mannepl]

It is my all-time favourite movie that I absolutely admire. I wish it got more appreciation so I am so happy to see an analysis of this movie!

[@star-wood]

Rise of the guardians still to the day is my favorite movie its a comfort movie for me and I hate how they just dropped doing it or more people didn't get to see it. From the models, to the story and music just fit everything so well it blend so well together that I still think the movie deserves more love.

[@italex827]

I love how each of the guardians represent humanity's most positive aspects. Santa represents generosity and spreading joy to others. The Easter Bunny represents hope in times of hardship and the promise of new life. The Tooth Fairy represents the value of self-worth and how our memories can shape who we are. Sandman represents dreams and ambitions and Jack Frost is about simply having fun. And the value of interpersonal connection. And Pitch is just Fox "news".

[@generaledelogu1892]

Never have seen this movie but the character designs must've been so good that I remember them from commercials for the movie. Would love to see a review on The Lorax

[@uafgames9061]

This movie is also based on a book series! I believe it's called The Guardians of Childhood? It gives a backstory for all of the characters, even Pitch! They're amazing and tragic and I love them! I highly recommend reading them!

[@Joshher117]

Wow, the shadow imagery reminds me of the novelization of revenge of the sith by Matthew stover. Throughout the book the “Dark” is hyped up as unbeatable, as something that will always appear and always win. But the ending of the book gives a great qoute, “the dark is generous and it is patient and it always wins - but in the heart of its strength lies its weakness: one lone candle is enough to hold it back. Love is more than a candle. Love can ignite the stars.” The darkness and shadow around us is only as strong as we allow it to be.

[@matomejosephmojapelo4953]

Dude, do you have patreon, cause that molehill to a mountain reference with a crying whimpin baby screen shot was gold 🤣😂😅

[@Kusid68]

I remember when i first heard about this movie i got so excited and as the premier approached i got obsessed. i love this movie so much i have seen it in the theatres around 7 times is think? i just love this movie and i am sad it is kind of forgotten

[@maximus4765]

Eh, I don't know, I prefer nuance. Very often people call things that are true "negative" or refuse to acknowledge them in order to hold to their ideals even if the consequences are worse

[@squeebers]

You better make a video talking about how amazing Spirit is!

[@theflowerhead]

Def underated! It's actually _unique_ and colourful metamorphicly and literally. They need to advertise it again and not as a kid's movie but family. Great vid that's also underrated.

[@johnfelix503]

I feel like they should make a prequel movies for each guardian (With the Puss in Boots 2 writers PLEASE). They can explore different times in history and it's cultures, different themes to link to the guardians journeys. They can also have Jack make some appearances as for the eastern Bunny movie for example and how their rivalry began. With Jack's character they have 300 years worth of possible content to create. I feel like this franchise has the potential to be like the How To Train Your Dragon franchise.

[@iceluvndiva21]

thank you for all of this! this movie and the books that work with it are just *a massive chef's kiss* Seriously, this is on the same level of love as my favorite childhood series teen titans. ever hear of sleep deprivation and night terrors? Those can kill a person or drive them to self harm. those kids are gonna need some time to completely recover.

[@jacksonlee6760]

Thanks for reminding me of how *good* ROTG is, now I gotta dig out the CD ro watch it again!

[@maryblasco7367]

Can we talk about how kind of awesome the tooth fairy was when she handed Pitch a quarter and then punched a tooth out? Ngl, I thought that was kind of clever

[@meta527II]

I'm kinda surprised you didn't make a Jelsa reference in this video (unless you did and it went over my head)

[@typhlosion7872]

Out of all Dreamworks movies, the one I'd personally want to see a review on more than anything else by far is Kung Fu Panda 2. The first and third always get talked about fir different reasons, but I so often see the second just glanced over unless someone is doing a ranking. It truly is an absolute masterpiece of a movie and it's in the unfortunate state of not getting noticed because its successor completely kiddy-fied most aspects about the movie and the first started everything

[@Jaytaxman]

So glad they kept in the huff-puff remix

[@DavidMartinez-ce3lp]

I love this movie! Glad it's getting more attention.

[@ZOLIENZEV]

I can’t get over how great of a movie this is. Is such a cool take on different childhood myths. Dreamworks always succeeds with their main characters and Jack is no exception

[@hispanicwitch4929]

I love this movie from the moment I first saw it, and I've watched about 20 or more times since then. I adore everything about it, it's probably my favourite DreamWorks film out of them all. ❤ (I also personally ñike a lot Jamie and his friends. This film has a lot of characters and the fact that Jamie and his friends don't all blend together and have all distinct personalities from one another is proof of pretty good writing.)

[@user-mb4pd4ou5i]

Captain underpants movie can’t wait to hear your thoughts and yes I loved this movie too

[@Invisble748]

OFT: What’s your take on Wish? I was planning on seeing it until I saw the part where they sang to blue orbs. I find that part dumb.

[@ultrasonic736]

I saw this movie for the first time a couple months ago. Everyone told me that it wasn't that good, but I'm glad that there are other people like me who agrees that it's a great movie.

[@Yipper64]

1:50 yeah and its not just straight forward. Like Santa is very Russian, the easter bunny is Australian, Sand man doesnt speak. Its all unique in a way that makes sense.

[@LegoMiester14]

Would you be interested in doing a video about Spirit stallion of the cimarronpirit? But only as a stand alone movie.

[@sjmhadsock4586]

I agree

[@andymcclurg9916]

Congrats on the sponsor!