Member review

Young Brendan lives in Kells Abbey, a remote mediaeval city under attack from barbarian raids. One day a beloved master enlightener arrives from foreign lands with an ancient but unfinished book, filled to the brim with secret knowledge and powers. Brendan has to overcome his deepest fears in a risky quest to help complete the mystical book that brings him into the enchanted forest where mythical creatures hide. Here is where he meets Aisling the fairy, a mystical young wolf-girl who helps him along the way.

The best way to interpret the film would be a fairytale-like theme depicting mystical creatures such as fairies and monsters intertwined with the Vikings past with Irish god mythology. The Secret Of kells shares a similar tone with other films including Song Of Sea, both directed by Tomm Moore and animated by the smaller Irish creator Nora Twomey. They also use recognizable Irish actors/actresses for secondary characters, including Brendan Gleeson who was in large-scale productions including Harry Potter, for example.

Overall, I enjoyed the film as visually it was beautiful as it played on both 2D and 3D aspects which made what you saw feel real while letting the audience know it is still an animation, the animation was imaginative with an artistic flair for art and detail which made the film more interesting to watch. On the other hand, the plot brought it down for me as the storey started slowly in the beginning and began to pick up its self towards the end but ultimately the moral message and tale didn't resonate with me as it is more targeted at a younger audience who are still learning and developing that still have the spark of imagination left. Ultimately the film is made for families to watch and is able to be enjoyed by all ages if you are willing to open your mind to it.