The Secret of Kells (2009)
Genre: Animation / Adventure
Duration: 75 minuten
Alternative titles: Brendan and the Secret of Kells / Brendan: Het Geheim van Kells / Brendan et le Secret de Kells
Country:
Ireland / France / Belgium
Directed by: Tomm Moore and Nora Twomey
Stars: Evan McGuire, Christen Mooney and Brendan Gleeson
IMDb score:
7,5 (40.412)
Releasedate: 9 February 2009
The Secret of Kells plot
"Turn the darkness into light"
Ireland, ninth century. Brendan, a cheerful and cheerful 12-year-old orphan, lives in Kells Abbey, which is hidden in a deserted green valley. He is strictly brought up there by his uncle, the abbot Cellach, who runs the abbey with an iron fist. One day he meets the old brother Aidan. This somewhat strange man is a master of illustration and preserves an extraordinary, as yet unfinished book. Enthusiastic and inspired by this encounter, Brendan lets himself be carried away by the lure of creativity and imagination. He has only one goal left: to become a master illustrator himself and to finish Kells' valuable book. He eventually escapes his uncle's strong hold and ventures outside the walls of Kells.
Actors and actresses
Brendan (voice)
Aisling (voice)
Abbot Cellach (voice)
Aidan (voice)
Brother Tang / Leonardo (voice)
Brother Assoua (voice)
Adult Brendan (voice)
Brother Square (voice)
Additional Voices and Walla (voice)
Additional Voices and Walla (voice)
Reviews & comments
The One Ring
-
- 29974 messages
- 4109 votes
Yes, a beautiful visual style. I immediately recognized that it was based on medieval art, but wasn't sure if that would really work in animation. However, I quickly got used to it, and that results in many gems of scenes. The fight against the monster Chrom, for example, but also just the scenes in the forest or the abstract threat of the Vikings. It's very atmospheric and always captivating to watch.
The Tale of Princess Kaguya is another such animated film drawn in an ancient art style, and like that film, The Secret of Kells feels somewhat older than it is. Also, like Takahata with Kaguya, Tomm Moore seems to have paid close attention to old legends. Instead of creating a simple children's tale, Moore doesn't shy away from maintaining an element of mystery in the story, not to mention a dark edge. The way in which Aisling is more or less sacrificed and subsequently appears only in wolf form is a good example. Mysterious because no real explanation is ever given as to how this happened to her, and dark because it feels like it wasn't a pleasant transition for her. It also adds to the magic of the story.
The central conflict, between a visionary father figure and a free-spirited surrogate son, isn’t original, but the execution is. It’s ultimately more of a spiritual journey than I’d anticipated, and nearly the entire town getting wiped out isn’t exactly what I’d expect from something billed as a children’s film. It could have been as cliché as How to Train Your Dragon, but it’s far more unique.
I really enjoyed it, though. I have no idea how it will go down with children.
4*
By the way, I'd never heard of the Book of Kells, but I later discovered it actually exists. What a beautifully designed thing it is.
Translated from Dutch · View original
mrklm
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- 11374 messages
- 9897 votes
This beautifully crafted animated film earned an Oscar nomination for Best Animated Feature. Especially in its second half, this story, about the young aspiring monk Brendan, who volunteers for a quest to find magical ingredients to help a "master illuminator" finish his book, is a feast for the eyes. The references to Irish history and Celtic culture are underscored by a beautiful score featuring the hypnotic and goosebump-inducing "Aisling Song," based on a 9th-century Irish poem. It's a shame that the story is somewhat superficially developed, meaning its content doesn't match its form.
Translated from Dutch · View original
Fisico
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- 10039 messages
- 5398 votes
A beautiful, atmospheric animated film in the same vein as his other films. The vibrant and atmospheric colors used throughout the film are striking. Red, brown, and yellow are vibrant. The characters are simply drawn with many curves and clean lines, but I quite liked them. The Vikings also looked terrifying, almost devilish, but the wolves were just as impressive.
Weaving Irish or Celtic history into the story is definitely a plus. The soundtrack and Irish song were also incredibly fitting and greatly enhanced the film's atmosphere and feel.
I didn't like the story itself as much, but that was more than compensated for by all the other good things that can be said about this film.
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