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A red-based snow globe and paper toy sledge sit beneath a frosted window overlooking snowy cottages and a full moon, beside a quiet teal wall.

Winter, not Christmas · 2012

Rise of the Guardians

24/100Festive FactorWhy it scores 24 ↓
UK certificate Parental Guidance97 min
Family · Animation

More winter than Christmas, and it takes a while to notice.

On Prime Video · UK subscription →
Plan this film night ↓Can the kids watch? ↓
Explore this film 9 sections

The CineClaus Christmas score

Festive Factor

A different kind of Christmas.

Paper elves study a miniature moonlit window with fern-like frost, a snow globe and toy sledge, surrounded by cut-paper shapes on a workbench.

A little magic in the making.

Five ingredients make the Festive Factor.
Open an ingredient to find out more.

Christmas in the storySet dressing.5/30

What we ask: Take Christmas out. Does the plot survive? Worth up to 30 of the 100 points.

A world dressed for ChristmasVisibly Christmas for the final act.5/20

What we ask: How much of the running time is visibly Christmas? Worth up to 20 of the 100 points.

The little seasonal details2 of the 10 kinds of Christmas icon we count turn up on screen.3/15

What we ask: How many kinds of Christmas icon turn up on screen: trees, lights, snow, carols and the rest? Worth up to 15 of the 100 points.

A Christmas heartHow far the ending rests on goodwill, family and belief: incidentally.5/20

What we ask: Does the ending depend on what Christmas means: goodwill, family, redemption, belief? Worth up to 20 of the 100 points.

A returning traditionA December regular (25,000+).6/15

What we ask: Is it actually watched at Christmas in the UK? Worth up to 15 of the 100 points.

75/100

Cosiness Rating Rating

Warm in tone. Mild threat. A happy ending.

How we score →
What do these scores mean?

Festive Factor measures how Christmassy a film is. Five ingredients add up to 100: story (30), setting (20), seasonal details (15), emotional heart (20) and returning tradition (15).

Cosiness is a separate score for warmth of tone, sense of safety, visual comfort, a reassuring ending and how easily you can settle into it.

How the Festive Factor works →
Your next film night

Where to watch

United KingdomChecked

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Streaming changes constantly and we cannot promise it is still right - check the service before you settle in. Streaming availability information provided by Streaming Availability API by Movie of the Night (opens in a new tab). Sky and Rakuten TV data by JustWatch.

The story

About Rise of the Guardians

A mischievous winter spirit who has spent centuries unseen by children is drafted, reluctantly, into a band of legendary protectors led by Father Christmas. When a shadowy bringer of nightmares sets out to snuff out children's belief in them, the newcomer has to work out who he really is and why he was chosen before the lights of belief go out across the world.

The CineClaus verdict

More winter than Christmas, and it takes a while to notice.

Father Christmas leads a team of childhood legends, but the fight is over whether children still believe, not over presents or the big day. Where it wins is the look. Peter Ramsey's world is richly built and gorgeous in its snowy stretches, while Jude Law clearly relishes voicing a villain made of shadow.

The plot crams a lot in and the nightmare imagery is properly dark. A strong December choice for children who like a scare with their sparkle, less so for anyone after tinsel.

The family desk

Can the kids watch?

PG

Our take: rated PG for mild threat and language. Shadowy nightmare horses and a drowning in one character's backstory can unsettle the very young, so it suits confident seven-year-olds and up better than toddlers.

BBFC advice: Contains mild threat and language.

Content advice & accessibility
Where the advice comes from
The British Board of Film Classification (BBFC).
Our age guidance
Editorial, separate from the official PG certificate, and never looser than it.
The people behind the film

Cast and crew

The faces in front of the camera, and the people who brought the story to life.

Main cast

In billing order
A man with short swept-back brown hair and light stubble, in a dark grey t-shirt, looking off to the side with a slight smile in front of a pale blurred backdrop.Chris Pineas Jack Frost
Close portrait of a man with short swept-up grey-blond hair and blue eyes, wearing a dark collared shirt, with the edge of a microphone in the corner.Alec Baldwinas North
A man in a grey pinstripe suit and open-necked white shirt, one hand in his pocket, standing in front of a dark blue sponsor wall at a film festival.Jude Lawas Pitch
A woman with long red-auburn hair and red lipstick, in a white sequinned strapless dress, smiling at a crowded red carpet event.Isla Fisheras Tooth
Hugh Jackman smiling at a convention panel microphone, in a navy zip jacket over a white t-shirt.Hugh Jackmanas Bunny
Dakota Goyoas Jamie Bennett
Jacob Bertrandas Monty

Behind the camera

Directed by
Peter Ramsey
Original score
A smiling man with swept-back grey hair, wearing a dark jacket and a patterned blue and white scarf, photographed outdoors with a blurred background.Alexandre Desplat
Writing & production credits
Writer
David Lindsay-Abaire
Photo credits

Portraits via Wikimedia Commons, each under its own licence, approved for this page by a person. Sources and full photographer credits:

Chris Pine · Gage Skidmore · Source image (opens in a new tab) · CC BY-SA 3.0 (opens in a new tab).

Alec Baldwin · Gage Skidmore from Peoria, AZ, United States of America · Source image (opens in a new tab) · CC BY-SA 2.0 (opens in a new tab).

Jude Law · Adam Chitayat · Source image (opens in a new tab) · CC BY-SA 4.0 (opens in a new tab).

Isla Fisher · Raph_PH · Source image (opens in a new tab) · CC BY 4.0 (opens in a new tab).

Hugh Jackman · Gage Skidmore · Source image (opens in a new tab) · CC BY-SA 3.0 (opens in a new tab).

Peter Ramsey · Gage Skidmore from Peoria, AZ, United States of America · Source image (opens in a new tab) · CC BY-SA 2.0 (opens in a new tab).

Alexandre Desplat · Kacy Bao · Source image (opens in a new tab) · CC BY-SA 4.0 (opens in a new tab).

Keep the Christmas feeling

Music & soundtrack

That tune you recognised. That score you loved. Take a little of the film into the rest of your Christmas.

The original score album, track by track.

Behind the music. Alexandre Desplat composed the score.

About this music list

These are the songs and soundtrack we hold for the film, not a complete cue sheet, and they give no scene timings. Album track lists and durations come from MusicBrainz. Spotify and Apple Music links open the matched recordings; links marked Search open a search on that service. Album covers are each release's own, from the Cover Art Archive, credited under the cover.

wikidata.org ↗ (opens in a new tab) MusicBrainz ↗ (opens in a new tab)

A little more Rise of the Guardians

Film facts &
behind the scenes

For the fans who stay after the credits.

Movie magic

A famous cinematographer shaped the lighting

Roger Deakins, known for shooting live-action films, joined as a visual consultant after working on How to Train Your Dragon. He chose photographic reference images for colour keys and gave notes on contrast, saturation, depth of field and light intensity, though he left early to shoot another film and finished some of his work remotely.

Read the story

Source: The Hollywood Reporter ↗ (opens in a new tab)

Movie magic

Six worlds, each with its own palette

The designers built six separate environments, one for each of the Guardians and one for Pitch. The colour palettes drew on turn-of-the-century children's book illustrations in pencil and watercolour, with William Joyce's books as the main influence.

Read the story
On your next watchHow the colour and shapes change as the story moves between homes.

Source: The Hollywood Reporter ↗ (opens in a new tab)

On set

A first feature for a storyboard artist

Peter Ramsey, who had worked as a storyboard artist on films including Minority Report and Fight Club, made his feature directing debut here. Guillermo del Toro was an executive producer and helped shape the story, characters and structure from the start.

Read the story

Source: The Hollywood Reporter ↗ (opens in a new tab)

And at a glance

Releases and certificates
: In cinemas. UK cinema release.
Sources & a note on these facts

Each production story is linked to its source, in our own words. Ending details stay behind a spoiler reveal.

Good to know

Questions about Rise of the Guardians

When did Rise of the Guardians come out in UK cinemas?

It opened in UK cinemas on 30 November 2012.

Who directed Rise of the Guardians and who composed the score?

Peter Ramsey directed it, from a screenplay by David Lindsay-Abaire. Alexandre Desplat composed the score.

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