90
Village Voice
Gorgeously mounted tale of enlightenment through art and courage.
The Secret of Kells
Critic Rating
(read reviews)User Rating
- France,
- Belgium,
- Ireland
- 2009
- · 75m
Director
Tomm Moore
Cast
Evan McGuire,
Christen Mooney,
Brendan Gleeson,
Mick Lally,
Liam Hourican,
Paul Tylak
Genre
Animation,
Family,
Fantasy
Brendan lives in an outpost that is under siege. So when a master illuminator arrives with a magical book Brendan begins to hope that it can help end the siege. But the book is unfinished. Brendan journeys into an enchanted forest and, with the help of a mysterious fairy, ventures to complete the book.
Stream The Secret of Kells
What are critics saying?
90
The New York Times by A.O. Scott
It is only fitting that a movie concerned with the power and beauty of drawing -- the almost sacred magic of color and line -- should be so gorgeously and intricately drawn.
90
Salon by Andrew O'Hehir
A gorgeous transcription of medieval decorative art and its themes into a contemporary animated narrative, one that should enthrall children older than 8 or so, along with the adults lucky enough to watch with them.
90
Boxoffice Magazine by Pam Grady
The exquisite art and fairytale ambience will win over animation fans and children alike.
90
Village Voice by Ella Taylor
Gorgeously mounted tale of enlightenment through art and courage.
90
Wall Street Journal by Joe Morgenstern
This wonderfully strange and exquisite little feature was created, especially for young children, to celebrate the book through another kind of illumination that's been falling into disuse--hand-drawn animation.
90
Los Angeles Times by Kenneth Turan
Teaches important lessons in the most casual, joyful way. How it manages to do that is probably the biggest secret of all.
88
New York Post by Lou Lumenick
Quite unlike anything I've ever seen before.
88
Boston Globe by Ty Burr
A visually overwhelming labor of love, a hand-drawn medieval adventure tale that seeks and finds cosmic connections.
88
USA Today by Claudia Puig
The Secret of Kells is a magical adventure unlike anything we've seen on screen before.
85
NPR by Bob Mondello
There's something kind of captivating about a film that's been painstakingly drawn to glorify the craft of illustration, and that's comfortable using retro techniques. Because after all, what else makes sense for bringing to life the gold and scarlet ornamentation in ancient manuscripts?
80
The Hollywood Reporter by Michael Rechtshaffen
Kells proves that in the increasingly high-tech world of feature animation, there still can be a place for old-time tradition.
80
Time Out by Joshua Rothkopf
The movie isn’t quite suitable for the extremely young, but its apocalyptic tint may be catnip for smart preteens. They’ll breathe in the chilly air of a mysterious forest--the way forests should be.
80
Variety
With its jewel-bright colors and intricate use of lines, the result is absolutely luscious to behold.
50
Entertainment Weekly by Owen Gleiberman
Regrettably, the film's story is so busy yet flat that the effect isn't magical -- it's more like watching the tale of some very enchanted wallpaper.
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