Free And For Me

It is not often that you see a film that brings your inner child to life. Rise of The Guardians was that film for me. I went with intentions of seeing another family film, but left there reminiscing on my own childhood heroes like the Tooth Fairy, The Sand Man, Santa and the Easter Bunny.

Rise of the Guardians tells the story of a group of heroes – each with amazing abilities. When an evil spirit known as Pitch lays down the gauntlet to take over the world, the Guardians decide to join together to protect the imagination and hopes of children all over the world.

The characters in this film embark on an amazing adventure “North” a.k.a. Santa Claus (voiced by Alec Baldwin); “Bunny,” the Easter Bunny (Hugh Jackman); and “Tooth,” the Tooth Fairy (Isla Fisher) Jack Frost (Chris Pine) “Pitch,” the Boogeyman (Jude Law). This is a heartwarming adventure that you do not want to miss.

I did not grow up with Jack Frost as one of my hero’s but now he is added to my list of favorites. Although, we do not get snow in our city, this time of year there is a lot of frost. Now my son is speaking of Jack Frost thanks to Rise of The Guardians.

Without giving too much of the story away all I can say is this is a great film. It was very clean and is for children of all ages, young and old. This film definitely keeps your inner child alive.

Director Peter Ramsey

Rise of the Guardians was directed by Peter Ramsey. The modest, director is the first African-American filmmaker to direct a major, big budget CG-animated motion picture.

I was honored my son and I were among invited guest to attend the private screening and reception where Ramsey was honored by the African-American Film Critics Association (AAFCA) and the City of Los Angeles in L.A., As he spoke to our audience Ramsey expressed his crowning achievement is due to his focus and dedication.

Ramsey’s work in the film industry dates back to 1989, when he started out as a storyboard artist for the live action film, A Nightmare on Elm Street. As a kid, he grew up in the Crenshaw district of Los Angeles. He spent two years in college at UCLA before dropping out to pursue his interests in the movie business. As he told of his path, he encouraged the children in the room to stay in school.

Ramsey worked his way up the art department ladder, working with top directors like Steven Spielberg, John Singleton ,Ang Lee and David Fincher. He is a true testiment that hard work does pay off and is an inspiration for many people.

Rise of the Guardians is a film you do not want to miss. I believe it will be a classic.