Secret of Kells - Let It Out  
| Much like the film, I'm going to keep this short. I don't have a lot to say and apparently neither does the film.
A simple search finds that the "Kells" in question refers to The Book of Kells; one of Ireland's finest national treasures that dates as far back as the 6th century. This book is an illuminated manuscript containing the four gospels of the New Testament, among other things. For the purposes of the film, it holds the answer to defending ones village. I won't get much into the plot because lets face it, there isn't much of one. The movie is short, only 75 minutes, so there isn't a whole lot of ground covered. The film is basically about young Brendan trying to complete the Book of Kells before an impending attack by the vikings.
Yes, the ideas presented in this film are weak and simple (defying authority...been there, done that), but the animation is not. The attention to detail is superb. I don't even know how to explain it besides the fact that it isn't your usual 3D extravaganza (which I appreciate immensely). While it is true that animation has come a long way, it's nice to see something old fashioned every once in a while. There are two scenes in particular that I just can't get out of my head. The first being the giant snake monster sequence in the woods. It was so amazingly well done. The second is the vikings attack. The use of colors (not only in that scene, but the entire film) is wonderful.
All this amazing animation is perfectly matched with a brilliant score. The music, rich in Celtic tones, works so well with the film and adds a whole other level.
The Secret of Kells is a special and rare breed. In this extraordinary case, the actual animation and look of the film trumps the lack of story. The film is just so breathtakingly beautiful that you forgive (or just ignore) the fact that the story is paper thin. Some may call this style over substance (and while it very much is), this breaks the mold and becomes actual art. Just imagine going to an art gallery for 75 minutes, only here it is set to perfect music.
This is one secret that should not be kept. Let it out and show the world this masterful piece of work.
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