You most likely recall me mentioning the Secret of Kells when I first found out about it, back in August. The trailer absolutely mesmerized me, and I couldn’t wait to see it – but no theaters nearby were playing it! Boo, hiss. However, it came out on Tuesday and was at the very top of my Netflix queue, so now that I’ve seen it, I’ll share my thoughts.
First off, the animation is breathtaking. It’s almost something like a cross between the Fairly OddParents and medieval artwork. The colors are lush and bright and lovely, and there are little touches and amazing details in every single frame. I’m pretty sure you’d have to watch the movie several times to catch it all.
The film starts off in a monastery in Ireland, where 12 year old Brendan lives with his uncle, the Abbot. His parents were both killed by Vikings. (I don’t think this is explicitly stated in the movie, but it’s in the summary I just found, so.) His uncle is extremely overprotective, forbidding Brendan to leave the wall that’s being build around the monastery and the surrounding village. One day Brendan disobeys, seeking the ingredients to make green ink at the suggestion of Brother Aiden, who traveled there after his own monastery was ransacked. In the woods, among other things, is Aisling, a wood fae, who dislikes Brendan at first but warms up to him.
That’s the start of the story, anyways. Obviously there’s more to it than that, I can’t just give it all away!
I did have a few quibbles with the movie. First and foremost, the trailer makes it out (at least to me!) as though Aisling and the forest will be the focus of the movie, but they weren’t in the movie as much as I expected. I wish there would have been more! Secondly, the plot feels a little rushed – it seems like more time is spent setting the movie up than is spend wrapping it up.
Overall, though, I’d recommend the Secret of Kells. If nothing else, the animation is beyond amazing. The story, although too short for my liking, isn’t bad either. If you’re an animation enthusiast, love Irish mythology or illuminated manuscripts, or you just want to see a good movie, check it out. Very young children might be frightened by some of the violence or the underworld initiation-esque scene, though.
