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- 2010
- Not Rated
- GKIDS
- 1 h 11 m
- 2010
- Not Rated
- GKIDS
- 1 h 11 m
Summary Magic, fantasy, and Celtic mythology come together in a riot of color and detail that dazzle the eyes, in a sweeping story about the power of imagination and faith to carry humanity through dark times. Young Brendan lives in a remote medieval outpost under siege from barbarian raids. But a new life of adventure beckons when a celebrated ...
Directed By: Tomm Moore, Nora Twomey
Written By: Fabrice Ziolkowski, Tomm Moore
- 2010
- Not Rated
- GKIDS
- 1 h 11 m
- 2010
- Not Rated
- GKIDS
- 1 h 11 m
The Secret of Kells
7.8
Where to Watch
Summary Magic, fantasy, and Celtic mythology come together in a riot of color and detail that dazzle the eyes, in a sweeping story about the power of imagination and faith to carry humanity through dark times. Young Brendan lives in a remote medieval outpost under siege from barbarian raids. But a new life of adventure beckons when a celebrated ...
Directed By: Tomm Moore, Nora Twomey
Written By: Fabrice Ziolkowski, Tomm Moore
Where to Watch
Top Cast
Metascore
Universal Acclaim
Based on 20 Critic Reviews
81
95% Positive
19 Reviews
19 Reviews
5% Mixed
1 Review
1 Review
0% Negative
0 Reviews
0 Reviews
Metascore
Universal Acclaim
Based on 20 Critic Reviews
81
95% Positive
19 Reviews
19 Reviews
5% Mixed
1 Review
1 Review
0% Negative
0 Reviews
0 Reviews
Teaches important lessons in the most casual, joyful way. How it manages to do that is probably the biggest secret of all.
A gorgeous transcription of medieval decorative art and its themes into a contemporary animated narrative, one that should enthrall children older than 8 or so, along with the adults lucky enough to watch with them.
User Score
Generally Favorable
Based on 96 User Ratings
7.8
85% Positive
82 Ratings
82 Ratings
9% Mixed
9 Ratings
9 Ratings
5% Negative
5 Ratings
5 Ratings
User Score
Generally Favorable
Based on 96 User Ratings
7.8
85% Positive
82 Ratings
82 Ratings
9% Mixed
9 Ratings
9 Ratings
5% Negative
5 Ratings
5 Ratings
Having been trained in fine art, having studied art history, and being an enormous fan of animation and cartoons, I must say this is one of the finest creations in the last five years. The story itself is simple and sweet, perhaps nothing to celebrate, and set in a medieval Ireland some 1200 years ago. However, the Tartakovskian stylization of characters, the backgrounds abstracted to a nearly Byzantine flatness, and the romanticization of monastic inspiration pay great homage to the original Book of Kells.
And if you don't like all the heady intellectual stuff, it's incredible to look at, the soundtrack is totally mesmerizing, and I will sheepishly confess being moved to tears by Aisling's Song to Panger Ban. Great for the family, spooky and lovely, I'd recommend it to any one with an interest in animation, Irish lore, or art history. Check it out! (As of December 2010, its Watch Instant on Netflix!)
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For only 75 minutes this movie puts so much in itself. The animation while limited is still fantastic and greatly expresses the beauty of the forest and the walls of Kells. The music can compare itself to the music of the Disney Renaissance movies and Pixar's Up. The song Aisling's Song is my personal favorite and is one of the many highlights. Another is the performance of Abbot Cellach by Brendan Gleason, one of the best-animated performances of all time.
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The Secret of Kells is a magical adventure unlike anything we've seen on screen before.
Kells proves that in the increasingly high-tech world of feature animation, there still can be a place for old-time tradition.
The Secret of Kells manages to feel simultaneously old-fashioned and mesmerizingly modern,and the slight story at its center has the emotional weight of a classic fable: A boy's wild, fantastical adventure, simply told.
Gorgeous work, and its imagery and themes dovetail perfectly: a story about creating art, artfully created.
Regrettably, the film's story is so busy yet flat that the effect isn't magical -- it's more like watching the tale of some very enchanted wallpaper.
I really liked this film for two main reasons - 1) the folk music, with a celtic, mystical sound to it - I particularly like the violin and the harp and 2) the brilliant animation used, with some quite detailed celtic patterns/imagery present (which I admired the intricacy of) and otherwise lots of geometric patterns. I particularly liked the detail shown in the individual snow flakes falling slowly from the sky, for one thing. Some of the animation looks like watercolour paint.
It has quite a fantastical and perhaps even spiritual feel to it. I liked the voices too, the characters sounded quite like like and vulnerable. Plot wise, it has a mythical element to it.
I thought it was a quite engrossing watch, although I didn't think it was quite as good as Song of the Sea, which is by the same Irish animation studio Cartoon Saloon. In any case, I'd definitely recommend this film to fans of animation.
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Like most others have commented, the animation was decent enough though seen before, nothing special, and the plot was engaging enough until its denouement, which was hurried and not well motivated so that was disappointing.
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This movie is beautiful but suffers from a singular flaw: it doesn't really go anywhere. The Book of Kells is simply not something that most people in the world know or care about, so the climax of the movie being that the book is DONE is, well, anticlimatic. There is no closure with Ashley, there is no real resolution of mystery, and indeed overall only two characters develop, and then not enough to really feel like adequate payoff. The climax for most audiences comes in halfway, with the theft of the eye.
It's worth watching once to appreciate the artistry, but it left me unfulfilled.
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Production Company
Les Armateurs,
Vivi Film,
Cartoon Saloon,
France 2 Cinéma,
Eurimages,
EU Media Plus Program,
MEDIA Programme of the European Union,
Canal+,
CinéCinéma,
Conseil Général de la Charente,
Conseil Régional de Poitou Charentes,
Piste Rouge,
Bord Scannán na hÉireann / The Irish Film Board,
Broadcasting Commission of Ireland,
Vlaams Audiovisueel Fonds,
Centre du Cinéma et de l'Audiovisuel de la Fédération Wallonie-Bruxelles,
Télédistributeurs Wallons,
Promimage,
Wallimage,
Tax Shelter ING Invest de Tax Shelter Productions,
Belgacom TV,
Kinepolis Multi,
Mélusine Productions
Release Date Mar 5, 2010
Duration 1 h 11 m
Rating Not Rated
Tagline Turn the darkness into light
Website
http://www.kellsmovie.com/
Awards
Academy Awards, USA
• 1 Nomination
Irish Film and Television Awards
• 1 Win & 2 Nominations
Annecy International Animated Film Festival
• 1 Win & 2 Nominations
