The Secret of Kells (2009)

The animated story of the boy behind the famed Book of Kells. [imdb]

Nominated for 1 Oscar:

Best Animated Feature

It's so funny thinking that the Irish spiritual folkloric Kells got the 5th animation nom and not the American superficial comercial Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs. They couldn't have found more different competitors. The Secret of Kells is a special movie and you have a feeling it's quite unique because of the way it's drawn. Even so, I don't really agree with it.

The visual part is quite stunning and there's a scene where the boy goes to fight an evil spirit in the shape of a snake: it is one of the best scenes I've seen in a 2009 movie (take that, Avatar), because of the way it's directed and put together. But at just 70 minutes, the subject could've been compressed and more adequate for a Short animation. The story doesn't always keep my interest and there's little character development or attention to the ending. However, visually it's a colorful delight.

My rating for the film: 7/10. I wish I'd given it more, but 7 is what I feel. Anyway, the Academy is very cool for nominating it! It's probably the best year this Oscar category's ever had.