The Secret of the Kells (2009)

I may have missed the unique, Irish children’s tale “The Secret of the Kells” if it had not landed an Oscar nomination for Best Animated Feature for 2009. Thank goodness it did. “Kells” boasts some of the most innovative, out-there animation I’ve ever seen. The story is simple, playing like a first chapter: A young orphan boy is kept within the village walls by his paranoid, shockingly tall uncle. Young Brandon wants to visit the forbidden forest, and with the help of an elderly scribe, he does just that. I shall give away no more. Directors Tomm Moore and Nora Twomey have made one beautiful film. “Kells” pops with artwork inspired by ancient Bible margin art, Cubism, Expressionism, Japanese inks, water colors, chalk drawing, kaleidoscopes, etc. Inspired. Not charted to exceed CGI 3-D box office records. The dialogue is great and slyly funny, the themes dark and magical, the music hummable and ... what else is there to say? I’m ready for more Kells. A-