Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga'Hoole

With jeopardy at almost every turn, this is certainly no movie for toddlers.

We're left with something gorgeous, turgid, and emotionally impenetrable -- less a movie, more an Imax screensaver.

The stars of this computerised epic are the Design and Art departments, who provide stunning landscapes, caves and kingdoms, and whose 3D magic is genuinely thrilling.

It's all very weird sometimes, but engaging: a nice half-term treat for younger children.

This is unlikely to win Kathryn Lansky's antipodean owl fantasy any new fans, but even the bemused (and confused) can luxuriate in some grand-scale visual storytelling.

Once again, Snyder backs a project more about visual presentation than storytelling, a trend that’s getting old for those waiting for the director to turn out a film worthy of his evident talent.

An intelligent, often thrilling excuse to soar the skies with a beauty and grace rarely found in digital animation outside of the Pixar stable.

A likely Oscar nominee this year almost solely on the basis of its wondrous visuals.

How come the most genuinely affecting, emotional movie of the year is about animated owls?