LEGEND OF THE GUARDIANS: THE OWLS OF GA’HOOLE (PG).

Family/Drama/Action. Featuring the voices of Jim Sturgess, Geoffrey Rush, Hugo Weaving, Helen Mirren, Ryan Kwanten, Emily Barclay, Joel Edgerton, Richard Roxburgh, David Wenham, Anthony LaPaglia.

Style soars high above substance in Legend Of The Guardians: The Owls Of Ga’Hoole, a visually stunning computer-animated yarn torn from the pages of Kathryn Lasky’s novels.

Screening in most cinemas in gorgeous 3D, Zack Snyder’s film frequently takes our breath away with its meticulous attention to detail, thrilling action and judicious use of slow motion in the aerial skirmishes between rival factions of birds.

Unlike so many films released in the format, key sequences have clearly been designed with the technology in mind.

However, once the initial wow wears off, it becomes apparent that all the time and effort has been lavished on the visuals and screenwriters John Orloff and Emil Stern haven’t lavished the same care on what comes out of the characters’ beaks.

The flimsy, linear storyline can barely stretch to 30 minutes, let alone an additional hour, and there is little in the way of character development or emotional depth.

Impressionable young barn owl Soren (Sturgess) and his chick sister Eglantine (DeFaria) hang on the every word of their father, Noctus (Weaving), when he tells them about the legendary guardians who have protected their feathered kind for generations.

Soren’s brother Kludd (Kwanten) dismisses such talk because no-one has ever seen the guardians.

“All because you can’t see something doesn’t mean it’s not real,” counsels Noctus.

During an attempt to learn to fly, Soren and Kludd are captured by sentry owls under the control of the villainous Metalbeak (Edgerton) and his mate, Nyra (Mirren).

They are putting together an army to overthrow the guardians, led by the majestic Boron (Roxburgh) and battle-scarred Ezylryb (Rush).

Legend Of The Guardians: The Owls Of Ga’Hoole will certainly lack some of the pizzazz in 2D but for all those jaw-dropping aesthetics, it would be nice to feel something for Soren and his friends.

The owls look similar so when they don armour and fly into battle, it’s difficult to distinguish heroes from villains, and vocal performances are pitched at the same low growl so one Australian actor sounds much like the next.