Movie Review: The Secret of Kells (2009)


Big Fat Film Review

Shhh It's A Secret

The storyline of Secret of Kells follows 12 year old Brendan the nephew of the Abbott who is tasked with building defenses around the village in preparation for an inevitable attack by the Vikings. When monks, fleeing the Vikings, arrive they pass down the task of illuminating the Book of Kells to Brendan against the wishes of his Uncle. Brendan must face his fears outside the walls of the village in order to complete his task and in doing so makes a friend and overcomes some harrowing events. It's a great story and I really liked the unique art style. The first 60 minutes of the movie are evenly paced and build up the story and drama nicely. Sadly they last 15 minutes of the film seemed really rushed to me. It didn't ruin the film, but I definitely felt like I was robbed of 15-20 minutes of the film and that I was pushed towards the end. Overall it's a great film for the family (maybe a little scary for kids at some points) and totally worth watching if not just for the animation style.