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The Secret of Kells
WHY'D I WATCH IT?
Just like Song of the Sea, Tom Moore and Cartoon Saloon bring another Irish myth to life with fantastic visuals and great animation.
While this is clearly inferior to Song of the Sea's level of quality provided it was it's predecessor, it's still exceptional with the same elegant preference for presenting characters as simple rounded polygonal shapes and presenting it's environment as a busy canvas with what I might describe as "a creative disregard for reality".
Again, just like Song of the Sea, The Secret of Kells frequently takes creative liberties with it's presentation and framing, abstracting out environments to appear as portraits and playing with perspective to evoke a sort of paper-cutout aesthetic.
I really like it and even more than before I get a strong impression of the creators' reverence for nature.
As much as I might praise the visuals and talk up the themes the movie might present however, I can't help but point an accusatory finger at the story.
The Secret of Kells
Fantasy / English / 2009
WHY'D I WATCH IT?
Been meaning to ever since I saw Song of the Sea.
WHAT'D I THINK? *SPOILERS*Just like Song of the Sea, Tom Moore and Cartoon Saloon bring another Irish myth to life with fantastic visuals and great animation.
While this is clearly inferior to Song of the Sea's level of quality provided it was it's predecessor, it's still exceptional with the same elegant preference for presenting characters as simple rounded polygonal shapes and presenting it's environment as a busy canvas with what I might describe as "a creative disregard for reality".
Again, just like Song of the Sea, The Secret of Kells frequently takes creative liberties with it's presentation and framing, abstracting out environments to appear as portraits and playing with perspective to evoke a sort of paper-cutout aesthetic.
I really like it and even more than before I get a strong impression of the creators' reverence for nature.
As much as I might praise the visuals and talk up the themes the movie might present however, I can't help but point an accusatory finger at the story.
The story sets up a young Brendan living a sheltered life within the walled town of Kells which is lorded over by his surrogate father (who I'm just gonna call Dad) who maintains a strict belief in the inevitable arrival of a viking horde.
The movie presents Dad is a negative light all throughout giving him all the typical elements of a zealous overprotective ruler: it's always the job before Brendan, he makes light of personal growth, he throws around scary words like "faith" and "pagans", but REALLY...
Dad's not such a bad guy, and that I'm supposed to root for Brendan rebelling against him simply doesn't work.
For one thing, Brendan's main driving motivation is a single speech and subsequent dream that feels to brief to mean anything about a book said to have wondrous powers. When the writer of the book visits, the old man indulges in Brendan's curiosity and pushes him to write in it firstly suggesting he go outside the wall to collect berries in the admittedly dangerous forest.
Brendan's saved by a "fairy" named Aisling (but is pronounced Ashley for some reason, probably because Celtic names are friggen' obnoxious) from wolves that would otherwise have eaten him.
So let's take a moment and consider:
Dad warns Brendan that the forest is dangerous.
Old man urges Brendan to go into the forest.
Brendan goes into the forest and nearly dies because it is dangerous.
Dad's the bad guy?
While Brendan's out in the forest he stumbles across some ancient evil tomb that Ashley warns is dangerous, professing an intimate familiarity with the forest. Brendan, after acknowledging that SHE'S A FAIRY, poopoos her claim as "just kid stories". ****in' really? Are we really going here? Yes.
Later the Old Man encourages Brendan to go to the tomb to find a jewel that will help him write the book. Once again...
Dad reminds Brendan the forest is dangerous and the vikings are coming.
Brendan goes into the forest, almost dies, and returns to a viking attack.
Dad's the bad guy? He legitimately wants to keep Kells safe, but it's like the audience is somehow supposed to be invested in this stupid book instead EVEN THOUGH both the book and jewel turn out to be completely mundane trinkets anyway. Sorry guys, but your artbook is second to OUR LIVES.
The viking attack is dumb too, so what, they built a wall and really thought any aggressor would just see it and go, "Ah, screw that noise."
No, they siege the damn wall, and you know who's there to stop them? Nobody. There's no offense, this entire population is just building the wall, no weapons, no armor, no other defenses to speak of, they just put all of their eggs in the proverbial basket (which is reminds me... >_>).
On top of everything, the movie ends on a timeskip that tries to force Dad into some sort of redemption arc that obviously can't work because it wasn't set up properly and Ashley who was set up in a key role as a main character isn't resolved either, she's just ignored. She's not even well presented as any sort of narrator on the outside looking in on this story about Brendan and Dad, so what gives? She's so heavily promoted along with this movie, but the story only seems to involve her by chance.
Song of the Sea was WAYYY better. Better visuals, better music, better story, better characters, and an ending that's ACTUALLY pretty emotional.
I hope Tom Moore and Cartoon Saloon do another of these Irish fables because I still think they can do better.
Final Verdict: [Meh...]
The movie presents Dad is a negative light all throughout giving him all the typical elements of a zealous overprotective ruler: it's always the job before Brendan, he makes light of personal growth, he throws around scary words like "faith" and "pagans", but REALLY...
Dad's not such a bad guy, and that I'm supposed to root for Brendan rebelling against him simply doesn't work.
For one thing, Brendan's main driving motivation is a single speech and subsequent dream that feels to brief to mean anything about a book said to have wondrous powers. When the writer of the book visits, the old man indulges in Brendan's curiosity and pushes him to write in it firstly suggesting he go outside the wall to collect berries in the admittedly dangerous forest.
Brendan's saved by a "fairy" named Aisling (but is pronounced Ashley for some reason, probably because Celtic names are friggen' obnoxious) from wolves that would otherwise have eaten him.
So let's take a moment and consider:
Dad warns Brendan that the forest is dangerous.
Old man urges Brendan to go into the forest.
Brendan goes into the forest and nearly dies because it is dangerous.
Dad's the bad guy?
While Brendan's out in the forest he stumbles across some ancient evil tomb that Ashley warns is dangerous, professing an intimate familiarity with the forest. Brendan, after acknowledging that SHE'S A FAIRY, poopoos her claim as "just kid stories". ****in' really? Are we really going here? Yes.
Later the Old Man encourages Brendan to go to the tomb to find a jewel that will help him write the book. Once again...
Dad reminds Brendan the forest is dangerous and the vikings are coming.
Brendan goes into the forest, almost dies, and returns to a viking attack.
Dad's the bad guy? He legitimately wants to keep Kells safe, but it's like the audience is somehow supposed to be invested in this stupid book instead EVEN THOUGH both the book and jewel turn out to be completely mundane trinkets anyway. Sorry guys, but your artbook is second to OUR LIVES.
The viking attack is dumb too, so what, they built a wall and really thought any aggressor would just see it and go, "Ah, screw that noise."
No, they siege the damn wall, and you know who's there to stop them? Nobody. There's no offense, this entire population is just building the wall, no weapons, no armor, no other defenses to speak of, they just put all of their eggs in the proverbial basket (which is reminds me... >_>).
On top of everything, the movie ends on a timeskip that tries to force Dad into some sort of redemption arc that obviously can't work because it wasn't set up properly and Ashley who was set up in a key role as a main character isn't resolved either, she's just ignored. She's not even well presented as any sort of narrator on the outside looking in on this story about Brendan and Dad, so what gives? She's so heavily promoted along with this movie, but the story only seems to involve her by chance.
Song of the Sea was WAYYY better. Better visuals, better music, better story, better characters, and an ending that's ACTUALLY pretty emotional.
I hope Tom Moore and Cartoon Saloon do another of these Irish fables because I still think they can do better.
Final Verdict: [Meh...]