i know i wasted 90 mins of my life.

This is a must-see and one of the best documentaries - and films - of this year.

This is one of the few movies I've ever seen where the whole audience broke into spontaneous, loud applause a third of the way in.

A clunky actioner with a handful of cool moments.

'Song Of The Sea (2014)' is a straightforwardly beautiful folk-tale with a wonderfully kind and magically uplifting spirit. Its profound emotional payoff will surely bring a tear to the eye of even the most stone-hearted of giants. The animation itself is gorgeous, echoing the simple pure-soul of the piece, and the film's overall effect is one which makes you want to smile for quite a while, impressed that what you've just witnessed was aimed at children and yet touched you so deeply and effectively on an emotional and intelligent level. Profound, sometimes saddening yet pleasantly stirring. 8/10

I was already aware of the work of the director of this film, Tomm Moore, when I saw his previous animated feature film The Secret of Kells (2009). That film like this one was very distinctive in that it was based around Irish folklore. It is highly encouraging to see a nation not really associated with much cinema output like Ireland start to release their own unique animated movies. As it turned out, both of these films got additional visibility by being nominated for Oscars at the Academy Awards, so it seems like the Irish have certainly hit on something here and I hope that more such features emerge from the Emerald Isle in the future.The Song of the Sea is another animated fantasy-adventure. It focuses on a boy and his little sister, the latter of which is a Seal child, also known as a Selkie. They live in a lighthouse on a small island with their dad, their mother having died while giving birth to the daughter. Despite being almost six years old, the little girl has never uttered a single word, alienating her from her brother. But soon the mysteries of her origins begin to emerge and strange events follow.Like Moore's last film this is another that has been made using traditional animation methods, i.e. its hand drawn. This pleases me a lot as this type of animation always seems to have more soul that CGI. The whole thing is awash with great Celtic art and it really feels like every frame is constructed with consummate care. The story tells of primal things like the call of the ocean and interweaves this with imaginative fantasy creations such as an Owl Witch. Although it has to be said that I thought some of its best and most atmospheric moments were during the domestic scenes such as the parts set in Dublin. Whatever the case, the beautiful art-work creates a feeling all of its own. I have to admit to not being entirely drawn in by the characters though, with the boy Ben being somewhat irritating to be quite honest. If I had made more of a connection with the characters then I would have rated this one higher no doubt. Nevertheless, this is a lovely piece of animation which climaxed with a sequence of extraordinary beauty when the little girl sings the 'Song to the Sea'. I have to admit it put a lump in my throat and was genuinely emotional and beautiful. This ending alone is worth watching the movie for. All-in-all, this has to go down as a creative triumph.

Animation is a tricky thing (no pun intended). On the one hand it's considered a kids domain, though recently many films have proved that their storytelling is at least as good as any "real" feature film out there. Then there is a the issue with the animation style in general. This right here, will not please everyone's eye or style/liking they may have. But it's substance rather than anything else that matters here. And it's how you should look at it.Having that out of the way, the movie tells a story that I reckon almost everybody can get behind with. While it should therefor appeal to parents or adults in general too, it's the kid in this that takes the journey, discovering and growing (up) along the ride. There was a reason this was nominated for an Oscar ... Sometimes the Oscars do get it right

I personally feel that this is the best animated film of 2015, surpassing even the highly acclaimed Inside Out and Princes Kaguya.The magical story unfolds in a style that is so refreshingly different to the the standard computer animated films that have become far too commonplace. Song of the Sea has been constructed with lovingly drawn, hand detailed animation. The animation style is so simplistically real, yet the animators use their incredible story telling skills to allow you to feel an immediate closeness to it.From the opening we are blessed in hearing the hypnotic "Song of the Sea" melody, within seconds it is clear that this film is something special. The song while beautiful, also perfectly complements the tempo of the film.Massive praise to all those involved in creating such a beautiful film, well done, thank you and please carry on.