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Rise of the Guardians poster

Movies that feel likeRise of the Guardians (2012)

When an evil spirit known as Pitch lays down the gauntlet to take over the world, the immortal Guardians must join forces for the first time to protect the hopes, beliefs and imagination of children all over the world.

If you loved Rise of the Guardians, the closest films we have are Raya and the Last Dragon (2021), The Spiderwick Chronicles (2008) and How to Train Your Dragon (2025). All three share Rise of the Guardians' kinetic and epic feel, which is what we rank on before quality.

Seen the big three already? The under-the-radar pick below is Alienoid (2022).

πŸ… 74% Rotten Tomatoesβ˜… 7.2 IMDb β†—TMDB β†—dir. Peter Ramseykineticepicwarmdreamlikecerebral
11 of 12 streaming nowNetflix Β· HBO Max Β· Hulu

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If Rise of the Guardians hit the spot, these will too

Raya and the Last Dragon poster
Raya and the Last Dragon
2021 Β· dir. Don Hall
πŸ… 93%β˜… 7.3animation Β· action Β· adventureDisney+

A fractured, magical world that needs unlikely heroes to restore its balance

The difference: A single warrior's quest, not a team of established mythic guardians

Long ago, in the fantasy world of Kumandra, humans and dragons lived together in harmony. But when an evil force threatened the land, the dragons sacrificed themselves to save humanity. Now, 500 years later, that same evil has returned and it’s up to a lone warrior, Raya, to track down the legendary last dragon to restore the fractured land and its divided people.

The Spiderwick Chronicles poster
The Spiderwick Chronicles
2008 Β· dir. Mark Waters
πŸ… 81%β˜… 6.5family Β· adventure Β· fantasyParamount+Peacock

Kinetic where it counts, epic underneath

The difference: Trades the ideas of Rise of the Guardians for an angle of its own

Upon moving into the run-down Spiderwick Estate with their mother, twin brothers Jared and Simon Grace, along with their sister Mallory, find themselves pulled into an alternate world full of faeries and other creatures.

How to Train Your Dragon poster
How to Train Your Dragon
2025 Β· dir. Dean DeBlois
πŸ… 78%β˜… 7.7fantasy Β· family Β· actionNetflix

A dreamlike fantasy world where an unlikely bond challenges old traditions

The difference: A single dragon-rider story, not a team of mythic protectors uniting

On the rugged isle of Berk, where Vikings and dragons have been bitter enemies for generations, Hiccup stands apart, defying centuries of tradition when he befriends Toothless, a feared Night Fury dragon. Their unlikely bond reveals the true nature of dragons, challenging the very foundations of Viking society.

The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies poster
The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies
2014 Β· dir. Peter Jackson
πŸ… 59%β˜… 7.4action Β· adventure Β· fantasyMax

The same mix in both: warmth, then dream logic

Following Smaug's attack on Laketown, Bilbo and the dwarves try to defend Erebor's mountain of treasure from others who claim it: the men of the ruined Laketown and the elves of Mirkwood. Meanwhile an army of Orcs led by Azog the Defiler is marching on Erebor, fueled by the rise of the dark lord Sauron. Dwarves, elves and men must unite, and the hope for Middle-Earth falls into Bilbo's hands.

Alienoid poster
Alienoid
2022 Β· dir. Choi Dong-hoon
πŸ… 87%β˜… 6.3science fiction Β· action Β· fantasy

Cerebral action, and it commits to that

The difference: Sits closer to science fiction than Rise of the Guardians does

Gurus in the late Goryeo dynasty try to obtain a fabled, holy sword, and humans in 2022 hunt down an alien prisoner that is locked in a human's body. The two parties cross paths when a time-traveling portal opens up.

Everything Everywhere All at Once poster
Everything Everywhere All at Once
2022 Β· dir. Daniel Scheinert
πŸ… 93%β˜… 7.7action Β· adventure Β· science fictionHulu

Both lean on momentum more than on adventure

An aging Chinese immigrant is swept up in an insane adventure, where she alone can save what's important to her by connecting with the lives she could have led in other universes.

Atlantis: Milo's Return poster
Atlantis: Milo's Return
2003 Β· dir. Victor Cook
β˜… 5.1fantasy Β· animation Β· science fictionDisney+

A ragtag team of misfits reuniting to face down a mysterious ancient threat

The difference: A globe-trotting adventure sequel, missing the guardians' mythic-figure premise

Milo and Kida reunite with their friends to investigate strange occurances around the world that seem to have links to the secrets of Atlantis.

Pan poster
Pan
2015 Β· dir. Joe Wright
πŸ… 27%β˜… 5.7fantasy Β· adventure Β· familyMax

A dreamlike fantasy world where legendary figures rally against darkness

The difference: An origin-story Neverland adventure, without the multi-guardian team dynamic

Living a bleak existence at a London orphanage, 12-year-old Peter finds himself whisked away to the fantastical world of Neverland. Adventure awaits as he meets new friend James Hook and the warrior Tiger Lily. They must band together to save Neverland from the ruthless pirate Blackbeard. Along the way, the rebellious and mischievous boy discovers his true destiny, becoming the hero forever known as Peter Pan.

Fantastic Four poster
Fantastic Four
2005 Β· dir. Tim Story
πŸ… 28%β˜… 5.7action Β· fantasy Β· science fictionDisney+

A newly formed team learning to use their powers to stop a determined villain

The difference: A superhero origin story, without the childhood-mythology framing

During a space voyage, four scientists are altered by cosmic rays: Reed Richards gains the ability to stretch his body; Sue Storm can become invisible; Johnny Storm controls fire; and Ben Grimm is turned into a super-strong … thing. Together, these "Fantastic Four" must now thwart the evil plans of Dr. Doom and save the world from certain destruction.

Eragon poster
Eragon
2006 Β· dir. Stefen Fangmeier
β˜… 5.1fantasy Β· action Β· adventureDisney+

A farm boy drawn into a mythic destiny bigger than he ever imagined

The difference: A lone-hero dragon-rider quest, not an ensemble of established guardians

In his homeland of Alagaesia, a farm boy happens upon a dragon's egg -- a discovery that leads him on a predestined journey where he realized he's the one person who can defend his home against an evil king.

Pacific Rim: Uprising poster
Pacific Rim: Uprising
2018 Β· dir. Steven S. DeKnight
πŸ… 41%β˜… 5.6action Β· fantasy Β· science fictionMax

Fantasy built on scale, twice over

The difference: The critics' underdog of the pair

It has been ten years since The Battle of the Breach and the oceans are still, but restless. Vindicated by the victory at the Breach, the Jaeger program has evolved into the most powerful global defense force in human history. The PPDC now calls upon the best and brightest to rise up and become the next generation of heroes when the Kaiju threat returns.

The Transformers: The Movie poster
The Transformers: The Movie
1986 Β· dir. Nelson Shin
πŸ… 63%β˜… 7.2animation Β· science fiction Β· action

Animation with a pulse of warmth, in both cases

The difference: Made in the 1980s, in a different era of the craft

The Autobots must stop a colossal planet-consuming robot who goes after the Autobot Matrix of Leadership. At the same time, they must defend themselves against an all-out attack from the Decepticons.

In the mood for more kinetic?

all kinetic movies β†’

The best-reviewed films that share Rise of the Guardians’ defining feeling.