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THE SECRET OF KELLSMovie Reviews
Animated tale about a 12 year-old boy who ventures outside the confines of the medieval abbey he inhabits, risking the ever-present Viking threat in order to help complete a mystical manuscript. Cast:Evan McGuire, Christen Mooney, Mick Lally, Brendan GleesonDirector:Tomm MooreRelease Date:March 5, 2010DVD Release:October 5, 2010From:GKIDSLength:1 hr 15 min
The Secret of Kells played in key cities to excellent reviews. • Claudia Puig wrote in USA Today, "...a magical adventure unlike anything we've seen on screen before.... beautifully drawn adventure will resonate with all ages..." • And Ann Hornaday wrote in the Washington Post, "...it's easy to see why it dazzled the technicians and artists who nominated it for an Oscar, although it's not nearly as accomplished narratively as it is visually." More Reviews Below...
The Secret of Kells Positive Reviews (28 Reviews, reviews below)
Owen Gleiberman, Entertainment Weekly: MODERATE(cg) "...the film's story is so busy yet flat that the effect isn't magical -- it's more like watching the tale of some very enchanted wallpaper."(See all of Owen Gleiberman's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 107 words, 03/12/10
Claudia Puig, USA Today: OUTSTANDING(cg) "...a magical adventure unlike anything we've seen on screen before.... beautifully drawn adventure will resonate with all ages..."(See all of Claudia Puig's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 408 words, 04/02/10
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times: VERY GOOD(cg) "...in a season where animated images hurl themselves from the screen with alarming recklessness, I was grateful that these were content merely to be admired."(See all of Roger Ebert's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 661 words, 04/01/10
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NEW YORK/LOS ANGELES/CHICAGO/TORONTO (8 Reviews)
A.O. Scott, New York Times: OUTSTANDING "...gorgeously and intricately drawn.... discloses strange new vistas that nonetheless seem to have existed since ancient times."(See all of A.O. Scott's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 779 words, 03/05/10
Joe Neumaier, New York Daily News: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "...at times too heady for its own good. The purposefully old-fashioned artwork, reminiscent of stained-glass figures, draws you in, as does the lovely Celtic music."(See all of Joe Neumaier's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 126 words, 03/05/10
Kenneth Turan, Los Angeles Times/Chicago Tribune: OUTSTANDING "...ravishing, continually surprising... an inexpensive and sophisticated European production in an age of broad-stroke studio films..."(See all of Kenneth Turan's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 695 words, 04/02/10
Lou Lumenick, New York Post: OUTSTANDING(cg) "It's easy to see how the Academy animation nominators fell in love with this charmer based on Celtic mythology, which is quite unlike anything I've ever seen before."(See all of Lou Lumenick's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 300 words, 03/05/10
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times: VERY GOOD(cg) "...in a season where animated images hurl themselves from the screen with alarming recklessness, I was grateful that these were content merely to be admired."(See all of Roger Ebert's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 661 words, 04/01/10
Ella Taylor, Village Voice/LA Weekly: OUTSTANDING "...a gorgeously mounted tale of enlightenment through art and courage.... an exquisitely etched riot of color that evokes the rapturous, gaudy abandon of Klimt."(See all of Ella Taylor's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 542 words, 03/03/10
KEY CITIES (12 Reviews)
Ann Hornaday, Washington Post: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "...it's easy to see why it dazzled the technicians and artists who nominated it for an Oscar, although it's not nearly as accomplished narratively as it is visually."(See all of Ann Hornaday's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 265 words, 04/02/10
Amy Biancolli, Houston Chronicle/San Francisco Chronicle: VERY GOOD(cg) " 'The Secret of Kells' is flat and proud of it. Its hand-drawn two-dimensional animation springs to life with color and meticulous technique..."(See all of Amy Biancolli's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 558 words, 04/09/10
Roger Moore, Orlando Sentinel: OUTSTANDING(cg) "...the most original animated film since 'Toy Story,' an eye-opening and mind-blowing cartoon experience and a glorious entertainment."(See all of Roger Moore's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 356 words, 08/27/10
Bill Goodykoontz, Arizona Republic: EXCELLENT(cg) "Augmented by the breathtaking visuals, it's something else altogether. And that's the point of a movie, after all, from the very beginning of the medium."(See all of Bill Goodykoontz's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 459 words, 04/23/10
Ty Burr, Boston Globe: OUTSTANDING(cg) "...a visually overwhelming labor of love, a hand-drawn medieval adventure tale that seeks and finds cosmic connections.... astonishing..."(See all of Ty Burr's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 577 words, 03/19/10
John Hartl, Seattle Times: OUTSTANDING(cg) "Is this supposed to be a mirage or a real threat? The infectious score, including one song cowritten by co-director Tomm Moore, helps to keep you guessing."(See all of John Hartl's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 336 words, 05/14/10
Shawn Levy, Portland Oregonian: OUTSTANDING(cg) "...bursts with imagination, beauty and wonder.... Very few films -- animated or otherwise -- have this much poetry built into their very bones."(See all of Shawn Levy's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 417 words, 04/30/10
Joe Williams, St. Louis Post-Dispatch: VERY GOOD(cg) "...has elements of a quest adventure and a coming-of-age story, but it's more beautifully stylized and astutely abstracted than the average kiddie cartoon."(See all of Joe Williams's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 304 words, 05/07/10
Steve Persall, St. Petersburg Times: GOOD(cg) "A more mature theme and execution is hard to find in a Hollywood 'toon.... a movie about a picture book that practically becomes one itself."(See all of Steve Persall's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 325 words, 04/15/10
Rene Rodriguez, Miami Herald: VERY GOOD(cg) "...manages to feel simultaneously old-fashioned and mesmerizingly modern,and the slight story at its center has the emotional weight of a classic fable..."(See all of Rene Rodriguez's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 353 words, 04/30/10
ALTERNATIVE/INDIE PRESS (4 Reviews)
Ella Taylor, Village Voice/LA Weekly: OUTSTANDING "...a gorgeously mounted tale of enlightenment through art and courage.... an exquisitely etched riot of color that evokes the rapturous, gaudy abandon of Klimt."(See all of Ella Taylor's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 542 words, 03/03/10
Jeffrey Gantz, Boston Phoenix: OUTSTANDING(cg) "...it's the way the visuals tap into mediæval Celtic art that elevates this Oscar-nominated animation from Tomm Moore and Nora Twomey..."(See all of Jeffrey Gantz's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 219 words, 03/18/10
Curt Holman, Atlanta Creative Loafing: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "It may overstate the case to compare 2-D animators to humble artisans besieged by a horde of gigabyte barbarians, but 'The Secret of Kells' conveys the power of images crafted by hand."(See all of Curt Holman's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 717 words, 04/21/10
HIGHBROW PRESS (4 Reviews)
Bob Mondello, NPR All Things Considered: EXCELLENT "...there's something kind of captivating about a film that's been painstakingly drawn to glorify the craft of illustration, and that's comfortable using retro techniques."(See all of Bob Mondello's reviews...)(Listen to the full review...) 215 seconds, 02/25/10
Joe Morgenstern, Wall Street Journal: EXCELLENT "...exquisite... created, especially for young children, to celebrate the book through another kind of illumination that's been falling into disuse -- hand-drawn animation."(See all of Joe Morgenstern's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 206 words, 04/02/10
A.O. Scott, New York Times: OUTSTANDING "...gorgeously and intricately drawn.... discloses strange new vistas that nonetheless seem to have existed since ancient times."(See all of A.O. Scott's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 779 words, 03/05/10
Kenneth Turan, Los Angeles Times: OUTSTANDING "...ravishing, continually surprising... an inexpensive and sophisticated European production in an age of broad-stroke studio films..."(See all of Kenneth Turan's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 695 words, 04/02/10
MOVIE INDUSTRY (5 Reviews)
Leslie Felperin, Daily Variety: EXCELLENT "Refreshingly different precisely because its look is so profoundly retro... With its jewel-bright colors and intricate use of lines, the result is absolutely luscious to behold."(See all of Leslie Felperin's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 659 words, 02/25/10
Kenneth Turan, Los Angeles Times: OUTSTANDING "...ravishing, continually surprising... an inexpensive and sophisticated European production in an age of broad-stroke studio films..."(See all of Kenneth Turan's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 695 words, 04/02/10
A.O. Scott, New York Times: OUTSTANDING "...gorgeously and intricately drawn.... discloses strange new vistas that nonetheless seem to have existed since ancient times."(See all of A.O. Scott's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 779 words, 03/05/10
Joe Morgenstern, Wall Street Journal: EXCELLENT "...exquisite... created, especially for young children, to celebrate the book through another kind of illumination that's been falling into disuse -- hand-drawn animation."(See all of Joe Morgenstern's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 206 words, 04/02/10
15.7 Percentage Points Average Difference Between Reviews (Norm is 18.4pp; <18.4pp = More Consistent; >18.4pp = More Mixed)
The Secret of Kells's reviews are separated by an average 15.7 percentage points. The norm for this measure is 18.4 percentage points. Less than 18.4 indicates more consistent reviews; greater than 18.4 indicates more mixed reviews. In the chart below, each dot represents a review, with the dots at the top more positive than the dots at the bottom. From left to right, the dots represent reviews in big, bigger and biggest publications. Roll over each dot for more detail.
The Secret of Kells (28 reviews) Roll over dots for each review
Coverage:The Secret of Kells's reviews cover 39.7% of potential readers (average is 67.9%). Volume:The film's reviews total 11,395 words involume (average is 20,194 words). Length:The film's reviews average 407 words in length (the norm is 517 words).
The Secret of Kells Coverage, Volume & Length (28 Reviews, reviews below)
Reviews Broke 19 Days After Release (Norm is 1.2 Release)
The Secret of Kells's reviews on average broke 19 days after opening. Norm for this measure is 1.2 hours before. The chart below shows reviews on opening day and the days before and after opening; the left side is earlier and the right side is later. The red bars extending above the horizontal mid-line represent more positive reviews, and the red bars extending below represent more negative reviews. The white space/red bar in the middle is The Secret of Kells's opening day. Click on any bar for a list of the reviews for that day.
The Secret of Kells (28 reviews, click on bars for reviews)
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