The penguin movie craze found a way to make one of the most immobile birds into engaging lead characters (though “Surf’s Up” was the only truly enjoyable one of the bunch). Now the studio behind the incredibly boring “Happy Feet” tries to make owls the next “Lord of the Rings” craze with “Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga’Hoole”. They get halfway there, as a prophetic porcupine says to our leading owls on a journey across the ocean, but the film just gets into the deep end.

Soren, voiced by Jim Sturgess, flies through the eye of a vortex in “Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga’hoole”. (photo courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures)

Based on the “Guardians of Ga’Hoole” book series by Kathryn Lasky, our woodland flyers face impossible odds as Lord Sauron of Middle Earth…I mean, the evil Metalbeak (Joel Edgerton) and his mate, Nyra (Helen Mirren), kidnap weak birds to brainwash and create an army to fight the owls of Ga’Hoole, a legendary kingdom whose actual existence is unknown to the owls of the forest on the other side of a great ocean.

Barn Owls, Soren (Jim Sturgess) and brother, Kludd (Ryan Kwanten), are abducted when they leave the nest to practice flying. Eventually, Soren escapes with Elf Owl Gylfie (Emily Barclay), but Kludd decides to stay and join ranks. Soren and Gylfie begin a quest to find the Guardians of Ga’hoole and warn them about the impending war Metalbeat is preparing for. Along the way, we meet some other colorful characters, like Soren’s nest maid snake, Mrs. Plithiver (Miriam Margoyles), a Burrowing Owl named Digger (David Wenham) and a Great Gray Owl, who goes by Twilight (Anthony LaPaglia).

Allomere, voiced by Sam Neill, leads the army of Ga’hoole against a mighty foe in “Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga’hoole”. (photo courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures)

Director, Zack Snyder (“300” and “Watchmen”), returns for his yearly contribution, this time trying his first children’s film. But don’t think the target audience means Mr. Action Movie himself doesn’t add his own stylistic flair. Ever wanted to see owls fly in slow motion? How about aerial battles with extreme slow-motion close-ups on owl weaponry as sparks fly when blades clash? That’s Snyder for you: “300” meets Harry Potter’s owl if it spoke.

I’m rather surprised this one earned a PG rating. Much like “Prince Caspian”, there’s a substantial body count in fight scenes where characters are clearly dying by the sword or claw, yet the lack of blood shown seems to be the only decider between PG and PG-13. That’s the MPAA for you, with its seeming lack of care for violence and over-care for other perhaps less-damaging content that doesn’t deeply affect young audiences.

In true 2010 fashion, “Ga’Hoole” doesn’t attempt originality, but basks in the reappropriation of classic fantasy stories of good and evil with owls in place of Frodo, Merlin or Mr. Tumnus. Who needs elves, goblins, ghosts and knights when you’ve got every type of owl sporting armor? At its best, “Ga’Hoole” boasts a handful of creative visuals with stunning digital animation. At its worst, the film tries to create character chemistry with archetypes who do little more than serve caricatured functions. Jokes fall flat, save a few rare moments towards the film’s climax. “Ga’Hoole” has a rough start and runs amuck as it tries to regain any sense of momentum. Clichés reign as Soren is clearly portrayed as the dreamer and his brother as the doubter through on-the-nose dialogue that requires little effort to decode.

While Snyder is quickly proving that detailed storytelling may be his eventual downfall, the man understands how to construct iconic scenes. You can block this film by slow motion scenes, shots of birds spreading their wings and aerial flights while the sun comes out from the behind the clouds. But while “300” kept the octane high for a two-hour war film, “Ga’Hoole” doesn’t have the luxury of multiple battles and the dialogue isn’t as engaging. And things go from bland to just plain cheesy when the orchestral score turns into the song, “To the Sky”, by Owl City (most popular for the song, “Fireflies”), when the owls reach Ga’Hoole, creating a very thin “Get it?” moment that takes away from the film’s previously established continuity.

Flaws or not, there’s something lovable about the concept and there’s enough visual splendor to keep interest higher than other popcorn flicks. The animation is amazing and, unlike Pixar films, the 3D experience is far from a waste of money. Children will easily fall prey to these owls, and let’s face it, a bird that flies is far more interesting than a bird that wobbles.