Song of the Sea Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		5.0
Video		5.0
Audio		4.5
Extras		3.5
Overall		4.5

Song of the Sea Blu-ray Movie Review

"Remember me in your stories and songs. Know that I will always love you. Always."

Reviewed by Kenneth Brown March 22, 2015

Song of the Sea joins Irish director Tomm Moore's The Secret of Kells in a slow-growing canon of wondrously imagined, beautifully animated, deeply moving Academy Award-nominated films. Both are dazzling, declaring with breathtaking certainty that traditional animation is far from obsolete, much less dead. But while Kells remains a stunning achievement, Song of the Sea has the distinction of being the slightly more refined, touching, and ultimately resonant of the two, joining Hayao Miyazaki and Isao Takahata's final films, The Wind Rises and The Tale of the Princess Kaguya, as one of the most stirring hand-drawn masterworks in recent memory. Deceptively simple on its surface, Moore's profoundly sincere story of a brother and sister bound by tragedy and propelled by fate is a wellspring of surprisingly strong emotion and heartache, touching on darker themes often neglected in the pursuit of levity and silliness. Yet it never descends into sentimentality, nor does it sacrifice the joy of wide-eyed discovery, dwelling instead in the honesty of its characters' journey and the magic of the hidden world into which they're thrust.

Ben (David Rawle) has never warmed to his sister Saoirse (Lucy O'Connell), a silent but willful little girl born the same night their mother died. For years, he's begrudgingly looked after Saoirse, keeping her safe whenever his father (Brendan Gleeson) is hard at work, tending to the hilltop lighthouse they call home, or staring out across the sea, grieving the loss of his wife. But Ben's relationship with his sister begins to change when the siblings are sent to live with their grandmother (Fionnula Flanagan), a cranky old hag who insists a lighthouse isn't a suitable place to raise children. Escaping into the city, determined to make their way home, Ben and Saoirse are soon swept up into a world of faeries desperate to free their brethren from a spell cast by the heartless Owl Witch, Macha, who collects emotions before turning her victims to stone. The faeries reveal that Saoirse is a Selkie, a magical being capable of breaking Macha's curse with a song, and beg for the little girl's help. The witch's owls interrupt the meeting and attack the faeries, though, sending Ben and Saoirse on a quest to reclaim her voice, fulfill her destiny, and right an ancient wrong.

It might surprise you to learn that the magic and mythology woven through Song of the Sea are secondary to the characters at the heart of Moore and screenwriter Will Collins' story. The filmmakers have little interest in merely telling the tale of a Selkie saving her kind. Their interest lies in the journey of a headstrong but wounded young boy who's lost his mother, blames his sister and feels abandoned by his father. The plight of a little girl struggling to uncover her true identity and stand tall in the face of death and destruction. The salvation of a heartbroken, pragmatic widower drowning in sorrow and loneliness. And even in the redemption of a bitter, misguided monster longing to be free of the pain that haunts her past. It's down these winding, tangled paths that Moore's animated film surpasses the usual CG-animated studio fare and becomes something more. Much, much more. Steeped in truth, sobering character arcs, gorgeous animation and sweeping music, Song of the Sea is modern myth-revival at its finest; drawing upon the folklore of old while crafting a tale so rich, sophisticated and timeless that it transcends its roots and achieves something far more memorable and meaningful.

There's also a very good reason Hayao Miyazaki and Isao Takahata were mentioned at the outset. Song of the Sea, perhaps more than any other animated film I've encountered, is entrenched in the influence and philosophies of Japan's preeminent icons of animation; albeit without ever resorting to dull, sparkless imitation. Moore's second feature is a magnificent foray into a spiritual "second generation" of Ghibli filmmaking, one that defies international borders and establishes something unmistakably inspired yet entirely unique: call it Celtic Ghibli. It's subtler than you might expect too. Song of the Sea's visuals, designs, characters, mythology, songs, score and story are completely its own; unlike any other film, save The Secret of Kells. However, Moore and Collins' storytelling priorities, approach to character development, depictions of childhood, challenging themes and emotional power, along with a perfect balance of color, line, minimalism and beauty is so intimately derived from Studio Ghibli that Japanese and Irish animated filmmaking suddenly seem united in soul and mind. This infusion of influence is incredibly rewarding, with Moore always summoning the spirit of Ghibli rather than invoking the name or face of Ghibli. It's one team of artists inspiring another team of artists, nearly half a world away.

Song of the Sea Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Song of the Sea continues to enchant and mesmerize thanks to Universal's 1080p/AVC-encoded beaut of a video presentation. The slightest hint of banding -- and I mean slightest, as in nearly imperceptible -- appears in a handful of scenes (primarily during Saoirse's birthday celebration and Ben's hearthside encounter with Macha). However, in each and every instance, the anomaly is inherent to the source animation, not a product of a fault in the encode. And what a proficient presentation it is. I did catch fleeting glimpses off exceedingly minor aliasing along the finest lines while taking screenshots, but couldn't detect a single sliver when the film was in motion. There also isn't any significant artifacting, noise, crush or other issue that might detract from the gorgeous hand-drawn animation. Colors are warm, bold and full of vibrant life, with strong primaries, inky black levels, and perfectly tuned saturation and contrast. Detail is crisp and refined too, with sharp, clean line art, wonderfully resolved background textures, and no distractions to speak of. Scrutiny is invited, not feared, I'm happy to report. And the image always delivers, again and again and again, several times over.

Song of the Sea Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Song of the Sea's DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 surround track complements the visuals magnificently, capturing the nuances and subtleties of the film's at-times hushed, subdued sound design without incident or exception. Voices are clear, intelligible and smartly prioritized at all times, and ambient effects are convincing, engaging and present throughout the whole of the immersive soundfield. Music surges and relents with masterful ease, and the mix's dynamics never falter or fail. LFE output is powerful and robust as well, lending its strength to the crash of waves, the thunder of owl wings, the roar of a stormy ocean, and the rumble of stone giants returning to life. Likewise, the rear speakers offer plenty of playful, lighthearted, sometimes foreboding atmosphere, using soft directional effects and wind-swept channel pans to excellent effect. All told, Universal's AV presentation is almost as stirring as the film it accompanies.

Song of the Sea Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Audio Commentary: A pleasant, soft-spoken Tomm Moore delivers an extensive and engaging audio commentary for Song of the Sea, delving into the inspirations behind the story, the development of Will Collins' screenplay, the tremendous work invested into the animation, the music and voicework, and the personal touches that grace the film's world, visuals, themes and characters.
• Behind the Scenes (HD, 3 minutes): An all too brief glimpse behind the scenes, though, interestingly, it includes an optional commentary track with Moore, which provides additional context and details.
• Animation Tests (HD, 8 minutes): Moore offers optional commentary here as well, discussing everything from line tests through more complex aspects of the animation process.
• The Art of Song of the Sea (HD, 7 minutes): No commentary, just a montage of the production's concept art and paintings set to a selection from Bruno Coulais and Kíla's beautiful film score.
• Conceptual Trailer (HD, 1 minute): An early conceptual preview, completed prior to the film being greenlit.
• US Trailers (HD, 3 minutes): Additional GKids promos.

Song of the Sea Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Song of the Sea dazzles and delights to such a degree that it begs the question: does the entire Academy actually take the time to watch every film nominated for Best Animated Feature? I suspect not, otherwise Tomm Moore would currently have an Oscar sitting on his shelf. No matter. The film is an astonishing achievement in every regard, telling a timeless story with stunning animation, stirring music, and a cast of characters whose believability, coursing emotions and sincere arcs mark the real magic of the film. Universal's Blu-ray release is a must-own title too, thanks to the addition of a gorgeous video presentation, enveloping DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 surround track, and satisfying collection of special features. This one comes highly recommended.