Review of The Secret of Kells (2009) by Truthslinger — 01 May 2011

I should preface my review by stating that I only give it a 9 rating instead of a 10 because I feel perfection should always remain unattainable. But certainly in the realms of animation, storytelling, and world-immersion, "The Secret of Kells" excels nearly all Hollywood prefabricated animated movies of the past 25 years.

From the lush and almost pungent colors, to the stark and exaggerated shapes and dimensions, to the fluid and surreal movements, the animation in this film falls second to none for vision, distinction, and uniqueness.

Those looking for a photo-realistic or purely verisimilar approach to animation should most definitely look elsewhere, since the style, nuance, character, and idiosyncrasy of "The Secret of Kells" do not fall in the realm of most contemporary, digitally enhanced, video game-lookalikes presented by the Hollywood studio-industrial complex and acting as the next wave in dumbing down our cultural discourse and homogenizing the human imagination.

In addition, the themes of friendship, community, daring, assertiveness, and communion with the earth and all her creatures allow the aesthetically pleasing animation to find an equal complement in thematic richness and meaning.

The character of Aisling, while not altogether unproblematic for her self-sacrificial tendencies, nevertheless offers children, young people, and anyone with an open mind and heart the opportunity to hear the voice of earth's children in a language any English-speaker can comprehend.

In short, "The Secret of Kells" offers great aesthetic, empathetic, and ethical potential to anyone looking for an experience of beauty and meaning. You've been warned.