Who knew there were so many types of owls? The first animated film from Zack Snyder, director of 300 and Watchmen, is full of the feathery creatures - not to mention being seriously good-looking. Compressing the first three novels of Kathryn Lasky's 15-book series for older children, the action centres on a brace of owl brothers who are kidnapped by an evil owl army. The younger of the two, Soren (voiced by Jim Sturgess), then attempts to escape and get help from a mythical group known as the Guardians. The sight of warring owls sporting gladiator helmets and speaking profoundly about gizzards verges on the ridiculous. But Snyder stays serious, helped by the efforts of an accomplished Anglo/Australian voice cast led by Helen Mirren and Geoffrey Rush. So what if the owls' beaks look weird and there's a lot of death, slavery and brainwashing? This is a breathtakingly beautiful film for courageous kids who aren't afraid of heights.

When a young owl is abducted by an evil Owl army, he must escape with new-found friends and seek the legendary Guardians to stop the menace.