"Majestic animation fails to conjure a sense of enchantment in The Secret of Kells, a beautiful two-dimensional work devoid of dramatic vigor." - Nick Schager

A lovely art style that combines the sharp geometry of Sita Sings the Blues with the semi-cubist look of Thief and the Cobbler. It pops off the screen with unique designs and gorgeous colors. But the story is a little on the dull side, and even with such a simple plot it feels longer than its 70 minutes. The character of Brendan really isn't that well-developed and scenes that should have been exciting or scary or emotional seemed to just lay there. Beautiful to behold, but left me empty.

Yummy animation, throwaway story & characters.

Open inquiry: What's with the blackface?

Beautiful animation. Absolutely beautiful. I just wish it had a stronger story to go along with it.

The story is quite weak and this wouldn't really be interesting at all without the amazing 2D animation.

The visual presentation makes this film as great as it is. There's a depth to the 2D animation that never fails to engage the eye. Strong contrasts between the abbey and the forest help to vary the palette as well as underline the theme of removal from vs. engagement with the world. The story is the weak link, with no explicit reference to what is actually in the book. And some of the narrative turns are not well enough developed. Overall though, a very enjoyable film and a worthy Oscar nominee.

Visually captivating. Lacking substantially on plot though.

Beautiful artwork and music, but an empty and simplistic story. I've never really felt interested in what they were going to tell me later, just what they were going to show me.

Overall Enjoyment: 15/40, Plot/Theme: 5/20, Cinematography/Direction: 15/20, Acting/Writing: 10/20. The movie is very pretty, but ultimately the story doesn't really go anywhere and the viewer is left wondering why they even watched in the first place.

Kinda boring and overly stylised for my tastes

The animation is wonderful, and I really like many of the ideas involved. It's a good movie, but not a great one, for a couple reasons, and one of those is problems with the structure of the plot. Simply, the big scene where the protagonist overcomes his great obstacle comes *before* the big scene where everything goes wrong and all the characters are at their lowest moment. It's an odd choice, and it messes up the characters' journey, leaving the end of the movie feeling rushed and incomplete.

The plot is a little too simple to support its feature length, but the visuals are original and absolutely stunning.

84.250

The animation in this is absolutely stunning at times. Worth watching for that alone.

I did not like the power-puff-girl-style in terms of the characters but I really liked how they integrated the illumination style of the real Book of Kells.

The most amazing, gorgeous animated movie I've ever seen with a score to match. There wasn't more than five minutes would go by without me thinking at least once, "Holy shit, this is the most amazing animation I've ever seen!"

Brilliant animation; a combination of anime style, with a strong Celtic influence. The characters and plot are steeped in metaphor, combining elements of medieval Christianity and pre-Christian Celtic myth. Beautifully done.

A beautiful piece of animation, constantly shifting from rigid religious forms and detailed Celtic weaves to floating ethereal sway. It hits a tone both reverent and embellished, matching the illuminated manuscripts it celebrates, and manages to stick with the story, however nondescript, instead of selling out to easy entertainment and dumb humor. The transmutation of the cat was a standout scene: quiet, vital, otherworldly and surprisingly touching.

The story of this film is rather forgettable. However, the animation is simply out of this world, and that's enough to make it worth a viewing.

Its saving grace is directors Tomm Moore and Nora Twomey's decision to follow the style of lluminated manuscripts.The movie glows.

I pretty much feel the same way as my highest-ranking TCI's - the animation and art style were great, the story wasn't as much. Doing some research after viewing the movie helped, but I think I would have appreciated it more if I already had an idea of what was going on. When I first heard about this one, someone described it "like Samurai Jack, but not" ... there are a couple of parts where the art style could be compared, but you'll be disappointed if you start this one with that anticipation.

Some of the most incredible, stylized animation I've ever seen. Very interesting plot, presented in an appropriately disjoint and "mythological" manner.

There will always be people who are seeking to destroy us and what we stand for in their search for something. The defense against them is not to physically fortify us or arming ourselves (TSA, Homeland security..) but to fortify our knowledge and protect it through good education. It also shows the importance of growing in touch with nature.. as it causes something inside you to bloom like no other. And.. an animation that leaves you in awe of the handicraft woven by human mind than all the 3D

I generally skip animated films, but since I'm a pretty big lover of anything celtic I had to check this one out. The visuals are really stunning, the sound score brilliant, while the plot is nothing spectacular. I, however, disagree that it should be complex! It's a cartoon, and while I agree it offers a lot to an adult viewer, it should be fun for kids as well. Of course, lacking a gripping plot makes it easily forgettable (with the exception of the visuals!).

I'm never a fan of when a movie centers its whole plot around a mystical object, especially when it doesn't delve into character or even the nature of the object itself. It distracts you from this with admittedly gorgeous animation.

"The secret of Kells" is simply stunning thanks to the awesome visuals and beautiful likeable characters like the abbeys and Aisling the fairy. This movie shines in thousand different colors and conjures pure magic on the screen. But even if Kells looks like a movie for children, itīs not the case. The Northman are really brutal and the whole story is very dark.

Freakishly beautiful, but even that isn't enough to compensate for its lack of anything interesting happening.

"Steeped in both magic and mythology, The Secret Of Kells offers a refreshing alternative to Hollywood fare." - Allan Hunter, Daily Express

Cool animation, but it didn't hold my interest at all

The film has its moments thanks largely to its often unique and mesmerizing visual imagery. But the plot is too flimsy and the conclusion too abrupt to make much of an impact. A wasted opportunity to turn this fabled story into a great animated film.

I was enraptured by the stellar artwork and fluidity but ultimately felt like a drooling 3 year old looking at a pretty cartoon. Either I didn't get it or there just wasn't much there.

Visually one of the most stunning films I've seen so far...

Love the visuals. The art style is brilliant. Too bad the story is mediocre.

I was drawn in but not necessarily enticed by the undemanding story, as it was never transcendent enough to be undeniably unique. The same thing can not be said about its aesthetic density, boasting the most wonderful use/compositions of colour I've seen in a very long time. The beauty of this film is worth your time alone.