Sunday, July 19, 2009

Quick Kells

The stills, two or three that I had seen, were unappealing. Despite internet enthusiasm, I had no expectations for "The Secret of Kells."


No expectations is for the best.

Turns out the character design works well for animation, and the big blocky ugly hands are unobtrusive.



above: an animator's reel

A few scattered thoughts:

The animation itself is workmanlike, without much flourish. The design overpowers the picture.

The film owes a great debt Richard Williams -mostly in design. "The Thief and the Cobbler" predicts the ornate quality mixed with the tight retro-style line.

The crowd layout is particularly strong. Crowds of several monks move with a witty stylization.

It's a kids film, but contains very few throwaway gags we've seen in American children's films.

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