"The book is a film that takes place in the mind of the reader." ~ Paulo Coelho

Thursday, March 19, 2020

Movie Review: The Secret of Kells (2009)

Top o' the day to all of ya!

St. Patrick's Day was two days ago, March 17th, and I am still in the Irish mood. I mean, I'm always in an Irish mood, but this month especially. Therefore, today I am reviewing another Irish movie! This one is so neat, and the animation is incredible! Enjoy!

My guarantee: On ALL of my reviews there are NO spoilers unless I give you warning. This is spoiler free!


The Secret of Kells (2009):
"I have seen the book, the book that turned darkness into light."
Under the orders of Abbot Cellach, Kells is building its wall to keep the people safe from the Northerners. When the island of Iona is attacked, Brother Aidan seeks shelter there as he is keeping safe a treasure: the book that when finished is sure to bring light to the world. Brother Aidan makes a friend with Abbot Cellach's young nephew, Brendan. Brendan is eager to help out in any way that he can, and goes into the forrest for supplies where he meets a new friend. Will the wall of Kells hold when the Northerners come, and will the book be finished?
Genre: Adventure, Animated, Family.
Length: approx. 71 minutes.
Script: 10, no bad words. "From tiny berries great images come to life."
Crew:
Directed by: Tomm Moore & Nora Twomey.
Written by: Tomm Moore & Fabrice Ziolkowski.
"There's nothing you can't do when you have your friends to help you."
Starring the voices of:
Evan McGuire as Brendan.
Christen Mooney as Aisling.
Brendan Gleeson as Abbot Cellach.
Mick Lally as Aidan.
Liam Hourrican as Brother Tang/Leonardo.
Paul Tylac as Brother Assoua.
Paul Young as Brother Square.
Animation: 10! Ah! As I said in my intro, this is spectacular! I love the 2D style and the amazing references to the book are so good. I just love it, and I'm sure that you all will, too.
Music: 9, on my notes I wrote, "Oh, the music is pretty!" All throughout it is really good and ties it together nicely.
Music by: Bruno Coulais.
Quotes: 8, "If there are no books, all knowledge would be lost for eternity."
Oscars won: Nominated for Best Animated Feature Film, but didn't win.
Content: 7, there is some death, violence, scary images, and a crude joke or two.
'"Old fools should keep quiet."
"Unless young fools want to listen."'
Originality: 10, oh, this story is so cool! I've never seen anything like it. Though it is only a little over an hour it doesn't feel that way because there is always something happening.
Good For: people in isolation (hey, that's us now), fans of amazing animation.
Age Range: As I said, there are some scary things, but it is overall perfectly family friendly. Anyone over 8 should be fine. But, as always, if you have a very sensitive child it might be hard.
Overall Score: 9!
Bonus thoughts:
Ah, this movie. For me, it's one of those movies that when I think about it I am pretty indifferent, but whenever I watch it I think, "That was stunning!" I like it a lot, in fact it is probably one of my favorite animated films. My little sister hates it. It's funny because the main characters are named Brendan and Aisling and my family first watched this because we know people by those names. Brendan is so lovable and Aisling is very doubtful, but I love their friendship. So good! This movie also has some pretty funny bits. I cannot forget to mention Pangar Bán. As my mom said: "If I ever have a cat I am going to call it Pangar Bán, even if it is not white."



Your turn! Have any of you seen this? Isn't the animation gorgeous? Thanks for reading!

MovieCritic

4 comments:

  1. I don't think I've seen this one but it looks really good. And, yes, the animation is beautiful.

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  2. I haven't seen this (or even heard of it!) but that animation looks LOVELY. Especially Pangar Ban! Goodness. I never knew how aesthetic a white cat in a green-and-purple field could be. I kind of want to look at that picture forever, hehe.

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    Replies
    1. When my mom bought it I was surprised that I had never heard of it, either! Now I'm on the mission to get others to watch it. ;) Oh yes, Pangar Bán is so aesthetic! Her mismatched eyes give her face so many expressions, it's amazing. :)

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