air jordan spizike The Secret of Kells DVD Review

Now The Secret of Kells has arrived on DVD [link widoczny dla zalogowanych], which will hopefully bring this charming film to a wider audience.
The audio commentary by director Tomm Moore, co-director Nora Twomey and art director Ross Stewart lacks energy, but they clearly know what they're talking about which makes for an informative, if unexciting, commentary.
In addition, there are two 'making of' featurettes plus a Director's Presentation, and an extremely short clip of Aisling at the 2009 Oscar ceremony.
When so much family-friendly animation demonstrates a seeming contempt for its audience (I'm looking at you, Alpha and Omega), it's great to see a film that offers something different than the usual talking-animals-doing-cute-things. The Secret of Kells is a magical little film for both young and old, which is why it gets a 4/5.
The 'Voices of Ireland' featurette joins voice actors Brendan Gleeson, Evan McGuire, Christen Mooney and Mick Lally in the studio as they record their parts. Unusually for an animated film, the actors were together as they recorded which made their parts complement each other that much more.
The Secret of Kells Stars Brendan Gleeson, Evan McGuire, Mick Lally and Christen Mooney
The Secret of Kells DVD Extras
However, when a Master Illuminator named Brother Aidan (Mick Lally) arrives at Kells, Brendan suddenly finds a reason for being. Aidan has a half-completed Bible in his possession, and he's too old to finish the task. With the help of a mysterious wolf-girl named Aisling (Christen Mooney), Brendan discovers a gift that will allow him to complete the legendary Book of Kells, one of Ireland's greatest artistic treasures. But can Kells stay protected from the Viking horde?
Read on
Batman: Under the Red Hood Blu-Ray Review
How to Train Your Dragon Double DVD Pack DVD Review
Who Will Win Best Animation at the 2010 Oscars?
But the film's biggest feat is making the painstaking art of Illumination seem exciting. That's where the art really comes into play so much so that the action onscreen starts to meld with the images in the book. That's where The Secret of Kells leaves the realm of filmmaking, and enters the realm of fine art.
Visually, The Secret of Kells is a stunning film. The animators clearly drew on medieval illuminations, particularly the Book of Kells, for inspiration. While the animation initially looks crude, it suits the period setting beautifully – almost like the film is itself a moving illumination – and the colours leap from the screen. While the film does get abstract-expressionistic at points, especially an underwater combat sequence, it absolutely works in context. Composer Bruno Coulais – who also scored the wonderful Coraline – contributes a beautiful, moody score here.
The Secret of Kells Is an Underrated Treasure
Flatiron Film Company's The Secret of Kells was a surprise nominee for Best Animated Feature Film at last year's Academy Awards. Although it lost to the mighty Pixar and Up, animation fans were impressed with the gorgeous images this dark horse contender from Ireland unleashed on the silver screen.
If there is a criticism, it's that the ending drops off incredibly quickly, as if the director suddenly said, "Oh crap [link widoczny dla zalogowanych], we're out of time! Wrap this up fast [link widoczny dla zalogowanych]!"
In the tiny monastic community of Kells, a young monk named Brendan (Evan McGuire) seeks to discover a wider world outside the slowly rising walls erected by his uncle the Abbot Cellach (Brendan Gleeson), to protect the outpost from Viking raids.

The post has been approved 0 times