“In order to be great, you just have to do what’s right.” -Ezylryb to Soren, on how to be great.
The ‘Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga’Hoole’ is a master storyteller’s epic narration of a young owl’s journey from his dreams of becoming a hero to actually becoming one. The first of a 3-book series by Kathryn Lasky, it is a poignant story of heroism and valor – and how one can achieve greatness by simply treading the path to righteousness. Righteousness, after all, is what beatifies normal beings and propels them into the heights of greatness.
As a young owl, Soren was always fascinated by stories of epic battles and legendary owl warriors who were part of the Guardians of Ga’Hoole, a group of warrior owls who were widely-revered by the Owl Kingdom for their unmatched bravery and honour. But through time, because no owl has been to Ga’Hoole to prove the Guardians’ existence, they have faded into being myths, and anecdotal accounts were what remained of their existence.
One night however, Soren and Kludd, his older brother, were taken hostage by marauders from St. Aegolius Academy for Orphaned Owls. Their captors were part of a group of owls who were commandeered by Metal Beak, a Sooty Owl who was bent on subjugating the entire Owl Kingdom by using flecks, a radioactive element that targeted the gizzards of owls. Together with his equally draconian and messianic wife, Nyra, they sent owl soldiers far and wide to scour for owlets that can work for them, either as soldiers or pellet pickers.
Those who opposed this imposition were tricked into looking at the sun and being moon-blinked, which made them forget their past when they awoke – making them unquestioning laborers for Metal Beak’s dark empire. The story takes an unusual twist when Soren flies away from the dark kingdom, aided by a Barn Owl, and together with a handful of friends, he makes his way into Ga’Hoole – but his brother chooses to stay with Metal Beak and serve his army in ridding the Owl Kingdom of unpure ones.
From this departure of life destiny, Soren and Kludd become warriors for different empires: Kludd for a dark owl who was intoxicated by the grandeur of power, and Soren, who was imbued with the noble zeal of protecting the Owl Kingdom from purist encroachments.
In the inevitable battle between the proverbial good and evil, one owl is immortalized in the pedestals of greatness, whereas the other meets his demise in both an actual and metaphorical inferno of ferocious firestorm.
The appeal of ‘Legends of the Guardian’, for me, lies in its subtle take on the universal dichotomy of the selflessness of good and the incomprehensible madness of evil. Of course, it does not hurt that the visuals were stunning and the storyline was sporadically peppered with random statements that glorified righteousness and shunned evil in all its forms.
The Owls of Ga’Hoole, very subtly, traces the very origin of greatness – and in this winding journey of self-discovery that commences with self-actualization, greatness manifests in the simplest of acts. For in this intricate conflation of dreams, betrayal, and heroism, Soren realizes that by placing his heart in its rightful place, he can become the owl warrior that he has always wanted to become.
If only for highlighting the sparkle of goodness amid the gloom and darkness of evil, ‘The Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga’Hoole’ is a beautiful movie that captures goodness in its most pristine form. It is a coming-of-age story that simplifies the intricacies of our dreams, as it teaches us how our hearts can lead us to the path of righteousness, and ultimately, greatness.
