Film Review: The Secret of Kells

I hadn't heard of the film until it was nominated for Best Animated Feature Film of the 2010 Academy Awards. I watched the trailer and it looked interesting.

Premise: As the Vikings and other groups pillaged Europe, Irish monks protected, reproduced and illuminated many texts that would have otherwise been lost after the fall of Rome. This story is a fictionalised account of the the production of The Book of Kells, an illumination of the gospels. As the village of Kells continues fortifying itself against a potential Viking attack, refugees continue to pour in, including the master illuminator Brother Aiden. Brendan, nephew of the Abbot, always interested in the monks' illuminations, becomes etranced by the legends surrounding Aiden and does his best to help continue the completion of The Book of Iona ook, despite his uncle's commands that he should never leave the village to get supplies for the illuminators.

The film itself features top-notch quality animation and is especially bright and colourful. The story is straightforward and mostly without surprise, though the quality of the animation and music -which is, naturally, Celtic and excellent- drive the film forward. The character designs, too, are varied and interesting. While the brightness of much of the film may appeal to younger viewers, the scenes of Viking attacks are rather intense, even if there is no on-screen blood, as many people are killed. I would recommend this film to fans of animation and of fantasy, though if you are patient and do not mind the pace of the film (perhaps slower than some may enjoy, though I did not mind), I feel you may enjoy this as well. Overall, I would call this film highly original.

I GIVE IT
4.6 / 5

The Comprehensive List of Film Ratings

In the interest of volume, I’ve put together a bare-bones, ratings-only list of films with brief reviews to be filled in later. I also felt the need to switch to a 5 point system instead of a 10 point system, as my reviews tend to skew towards higher ratings. Here’s more-or-less how I see the system:

5 = An amazing, engaging, and/or moving film
4.5 – 4.9 = An excellent or exceedingly entertaining film with very few or no flaws
4.0 – 4.4 = A solid, good film
3.5 – 3.9 = An OK film
3.0 – 3.4 = A mediocre, though not terrible, film
2.5 – 2.9 = An irritating, flawed or unentertaining film
2.0 – 2.4 = A poor film
0 – 1.9 = A terrible and/or offensive film

Again, seeing as how I tend to skew higher, I honestly can’t think of any film (that I have seen) to which I would rate between 0 and 2.4. I will continue to tweak these ratings over the next week.

50 First Dates – 3.9
Across the Universe – 3.9
The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension – 4.8
Akira – 4.6
Aladdin (1992, Disney) – 4.4
Amadeus – 4.7
American Pie – 2.5
Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy – 4.6
Batman (1989) – 4.3
Be Kind Rewind – 4.4
Big Fish – 4.5
The Big LeBowski – 5
Bram Stoker’s Dracula – 4.8
Brazil – 5
Buena Vista Social Club – 4.1
Cars – 4.3
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (2005) – 4.2
Clash of the Titans (2010) – 3.0
Dark City – 4.4
Death at a Funeral (2007, not 2010) – 4.0
The Departed – 4.4
Die Hard – 4.0
Dinner for Schmucks - 3.2
Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb – 4.7
El Laberinto del Fauno (Pan’s Labyrinth) – 5
El Orfanato (The Orphanage) – 4.5
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind – 4.5
Everything is Illuminated – 4.7
eXistenZ – 4.5
The Fall – 4.8
Fantastic Mr. Fox – 5
Fight Club – 4.2
Finding Nemo – 4.4
Garden State – 4.4
Ghostbusters – 4.4
He’s Just Not That Into You – 2.6
Hellboy – 4.4
Hercules (1997, Disney) – 3.7
Hot Fuzz – 4.5
I, Robot – 3.5
I’m Not There – 4.0
Idiocracy – 4.3
The Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassus – 4.5
In Bruges – 4.3
Inception – 4.7
Inglorious Basterds – 4.5
Intacto (Intact) – 4.5
Interstella 5555: The 5tory of the 5ecret 5tar 5ystem – 3.9
Juno – 4.0
Kill Bill (Volumes 1 & 2) – 4.5
The King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters – 4.4
King Kong (2003) – 3.8
Krull – 4.4
Kung-Fu Hunstle – 4.5
Labyrinth - 4.5
The Ladykillers – 4.3
The Last Samurai – 4.0
Leon: The Professional – 4.5
The Lion King – 4.3
Little Miss Sunshine – 4.0
Madagascar – 3.5
Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa – 3.7
Marie Antoinette – 4.2
Mary & Max – 4.6
Meet the Parents – 2.7
Mirrormask – 4.4
Monty Python and the Holy Grail – 4.8
Monty Python’s Meaning of Life – 4.3
Mystery Science Theatre 3000: The Movie – 4.3
The Neverending Story – 4.4
Nueve Reinas (Nine Queens) – 4.3
O Brother, Where Art Thou? – 4.7
One Hundred and One Dalmatians (1961) – 4.3
Persepolis – 4.8
Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End – 4.0
Pirates of the Caribbean: Curse of the Black Pearl – 3.8
Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest – 3.9
Princess Mononoke – 4.7
Rango – 4.6
Ratatouille – 4.5
Remember the Titans – 4.1
Return to Oz – 4.4
Rio – 4.0
The Royal Tenenbaums – 4.7
Run Fat Boy Run – 3.8
Rushmore – 4.2
Scott Pilgrim vs. The World – 4.8
The Secret of Kells - 4.6
Semipro – 2.5
Sen to Chihiro no Kamikakushi (Spirited Away) – 4.8
A Series of Unfortunate Events – 3.9
Shaun of the Dead – 4.0
Shrek – 3.7
Shrek 2 – 3.8
Smart People – 3.9
The Social Network - 4.4
Something Borrowed – 2.8
South Park: Bigger, Longer and Uncut – 4.4
Spriggan – 4.2
Stepbrothers – 3.8
Strangers with Candy – 4.4
Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street – 4.5
The Sword in the Stone – 4.4
Talladega Nights – 4.0
Team America: World Police – 3.8
Tekkon Kinkreet – 4.5
Thank You for Smoking – 4.4
The Sword in the Stone – 4.4
Time Bandits – 4.4
Titus – 4.9
Topsy-Turvy – 4.3
Toy Story – 3.9
Toy Story 2 – 4.3
Toy Story 3 – 4.6
The Sword in the Stone – 4.4
Twilight – 3.9
The Twilight Saga: Eclipse – 4.1
The Twilight Saga: New Moon – 4.0
Up – 5
Wall-E – 4.4
Waltz with Bashir – 4.7
Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory (1971) – 4.0