Genres

Visitors Review

Steve Skafte 2013-06-19 07:52:42

A film of more depth and power than nearly all of its recent peers.

As far as children's fantasy films go, "Skellig" is excellent. One ofthe best ever, in fact. Unlike a lot of other such adaptations to comeout in the past few years, this film is never overwhelmed by specialeffects or action sequences. Rather, it's quite grounded in reality asnatural feeling. There's that certain combination of improbability andcinematic style that always keeps it from being an experience thattranscends the genre, but that comes with the territory.Bill Milner (as Michael), who I'd seen previously in "Is AnybodyThere?" is what focuses the film. He offers up a performance that's atonce easy to identify with and totally believable. Skye Bennett, whoplayed his friend, was also very good. She has the kind of brilliancethat makes you look forward to seeing more of her. Two actors I'dpreviously liked a lot (Kelly Macdonald and John Simm) play Michael'sparents. Though less significant roles, it's their talent that makesthe family aspect of the film so much more convincing.As for Tim Roth - he is what it all hinges on. The melancholy,fearfulness, emotional expression and power of his performance gives"Skellig" something beyond expectation. He takes the film to a higherlevel. The director, Annabel Jankel, who'd not previously made anythingapproaching decent quality, proves herself to be someone capable oftelling a good story. I enjoyed this film, and I'd show it to my kids.If I had any.

2013-06-18 09:25:41

3 Stars for being family friendly.

It's a little bit of a ridiculous fantasy which is disconnected, but it keeps you on the edge of your seat wanting to know the "secrets." You never really learn who "Skellig" is, but it has a nice happy ending. Safe for the whole family, even little ones.

2013-06-17 20:34:35

Interesting !

I really liked this but the kids never settled down to watch it. It was great for a rainy/snowy Sunday afternoon.

2013-06-17 00:14:48

A Must See

I rented this movie from Netflix and ended up watching it twice in one weekend. This has everything anyone could possibly want: a good story, great acting, and creativity. The story was beautifully told. It pulled you in and took you on a heartfelt journey blending a families trials with the magical restoration of the fantastic being, Skelling. Tim Roth is truly captivating in his role as Skelling. He fully embodied the character. By the end of the story you believed in the owl man. I would recommend this movie as a must watch to anyone looking for a good quality movie. That being said, I do not want to pay $22 for a DVD, especially when the Blu-ray is only $23. I want this movie, but I will wait for the price to drop a little.

2013-06-16 08:24:14

Good little movie for the family

Its a good little simple movie with not too many special effects, good acting and a good little story. Its like one of those Saturday afternoon movies thatcan be watched, enjoyed and re-watched again later. I did'nt mind renting it but i surely would not dish out the money they wantfor the DVD. Also, im glad that there are still making smart movies out thereas there 's lot and lots of crappy movies still being made.

2013-06-15 23:52:04

movie

This review is from: Skellig: The Owl Man (DVD) It came shortly after ordering. it worked well and i would recommend to anyone who wants to see this movie.

2013-06-13 22:43:16

Kind of sad story

We scanned movies to watch on a lazy day stopped on this one. It was good although sad subject required some discussion to help my 8year old understand how baby's can be born sick. But over all he was into it he likes the idea of flying and adventure. This gave him both. Amazon prime video provides a great service for our lazy days. thank you

2013-06-13 13:28:09

Not a film for 'the entire family' as stated unless you are a sadistic parent

My action adventure seeking, Harry Potter and Lord of the Rings loving 8 year old walked out on this film tonight as we watched during the scene where the father burns down the shed while his son is inside rescuing Skelling. He said he didn't like it and wanted to go to sleep. He just stopped crying from nightmares calling for us and screaming he was scared. The editorial and most other reviews make this film sound benign. It is not. It is beautifully acted and fit for an adult audience. I would strongly encourage you to pass this one by for the under age crowd. at least watch it in advance. My husband relied solely on the reviews as a family film. Huge mistake.

dwight ward 2013-06-12 08:16:02

Compelling adaption of David Almonds masterpiece

A beautiful and compelling movie...I read the book when I was fourteen years old and never forgot it, infact I loved it so much that I was determined to make a movie after it.Sadly this version was made first, but I'm not angry for it is truly aworthy adaption, I only wish it played in the cinema. Most kid moviesnowadays are filled with rot and trash, this film however is packedwith good morals and deep characters.A must see for fans of the book and certainly for any child around oradult for that matter. David Almond should be proud and I hope thisfilm moves into the public's eye, cause a better kids movie I have yetto watch. The graphics are perfect and the book to screenplay formatworks wonderfully. Tim Roth does an excellent job, who would havethought Ted the bellhop/Mr Orange could have acted as an angel/bird,well the awesome Taurus pulled his weight and shines. The children alsoare great, in fact the cast and crew together made an amazing film!100 out 10

JRlock 2013-06-11 23:18:31

Recipe for a good movie.

Recipe for a good movie. First, as the base, you take an award winningnovel, two awards in this case are better than one, then you add agenerous portion of creativity, from Brignull and Jankell you couldhardly expect anything less, and finally you throw in the right amountof great talent which the casting people (whoever was responsible) werenot stingy about doing. Follow this process and you get a good movie. Idid not specify what kind, genre or type of movie because the formulashould work with just about all types. In this case it's about a fantasy/mystery/social drama kind of movie,not at all what attracts the general population of moviegoers. Somemovie connaisseurs will find it hard to resist one of the elements ofthis recipe and if the critics favour the result than more movie loverswill care to give it a look. Finally when you add the reviews of allthose that have seen the movie and like it, you will get a good rating;(44.4% had rated it 8 or more, at the time I wrote this review), whichin turn will hopefully attract more and more viewers. That's not at all why I watched it or why I liked it or even why I'mrecommending it by giving it a really good rating. I am a fan of TimRoth, have been for some time. I am a fan of Kelly Macdonald, justrecently since I watched the HBO series 'Boardwalk Empire'; she caughtmy attention in that series, thus I've been looking for projects whereshe plays a role and so I stumbled on this fine movie. Roth and Macdonald play their characters as well as you'd expect,certainly as well as I expected. Bill Milner was the surprise for me asthe main and most important part in the movie is played by thisfourteen year old. His character is the thread that binds all the partsof this movie and he pulled it off like a pro. I don't care for fantasy movies and unless a similar set ofcircumstances occurs, I'll likely not see one for a long time. At theend of this movie I felt good about life just a little bit more and fora fleeting moment. Whatever your reasons are for watching it, the rightrecipe or the right set of circumstances, in either case, don't missit. If on the other hand you don't believe the recipe has merit, don'tagree with the talent I referred to or are not a fan of any of the keyactors, you won't like this movie; also if you have little time tospare and only get to watch a few movies now and then and require asure mass entertainment product, stick with the tried and truecandy-ass movies you always watch and you won't go wrong.

2013-06-10 20:17:18

Outstanding movie

I ended up watching this twice in one day. It was THAT good. Anyone who knows Tim Roth's work knows, he doesn't choose bad roles to play. This is no different. He was so good in a role of a lone man living (or dying) in a shed and somewhere deep down, the aid he is given by the boy is necessary if not wanted. Foreshadowing in the movie may be missed the first viewing so I highly recommend watching more than once. It was more enjoyable the second viewing. The reviews/description of the movie tells all that needs to be known other than my recommendation. 5 stars!

JRlock 2013-06-10 14:42:19

Recipe for a good movie.

Recipe for a good movie. First, as the base, you take an award winningnovel, two awards in this case are better than one, then you add agenerous portion of creativity, from Brignull and Jankell you couldhardly expect anything less, and finally you throw in the right amountof great talent which the casting people (whoever was responsible) werenot stingy about doing. Follow this process and you get a good movie. Idid not specify what kind, genre or type of movie because the formulashould work with just about all types. In this case it's about a fantasy/mystery/social drama kind of movie,not at all what attracts the general population of moviegoers. Somemovie connaisseurs will find it hard to resist one of the elements ofthis recipe and if the critics favour the result, then more movielovers will care to give it a look. Finally when you add the reviews ofall those that have seen the movie and like it, you will get a goodrating; (44.4% had rated it 8 or more, at the time I wrote thisreview), which in turn will hopefully attract more and more viewers. That's not at all why I watched it or why I liked it or even why I'mrecommending it by giving it a really good rating. I am a fan of TimRoth, have been for some time. I am a fan of Kelly Macdonald, justrecently since I watched the HBO series 'Boardwalk Empire'; she caughtmy attention in that series, thus I've been looking for projects whereshe plays a role and so I stumbled on this fine movie. Roth and Macdonald play their characters as well as you'd expect,certainly as well as I expected. Bill Milner was the surprise for me asthe main and most important part in the movie is played by thisfourteen year old. His character is the thread that binds all the partsof this movie and he pulled it off like a pro. I don't care for fantasy movies and unless a similar set ofcircumstances occurs, I'll likely not see one for a long time. At theend of this movie I felt good about life just a little bit more and fora fleeting moment. Whatever your reasons are for watching it, the rightrecipe or the right set of circumstances, in either case, don't missit. If on the other hand you don't believe the recipe has merit, don'tagree with the talent I referred to or are not a fan of any of the keyactors, you won't like this movie; also if you have little time tospare and only get to watch a few movies now and then and require asure mass entertainment product, stick with the tried and truecandy-ass movies you always watch and you won't go wrong.

2013-06-09 19:19:18

fantastic story

The Owl Man is based on David Almond's award winning novel, Skellig. This novel is spectacular and the movie does well by it. Although some scenes are a bit intense, the story is beautiful and should be seen. Families will enjoy the creature and the journey Michael and Mina take along with him. Granted, the novel and movie have been more popular in England...it doesn't mean this isn't worth a view. In addition to reading the novel you should surely watch this film!

2013-06-09 08:08:59

An Unusual Film is a Sleeper

The Owl Man is a quite good family film -- not a typical British (or American) product. It is understated, but shows the troubled life of a young boy whose family takes a move to a dilapidated house in a new neighborhood at the same time his pregnant mother delivers a premature baby with multiple problems. If there was already a stressful change, it becomes doubly so because the parents attention is focussed almost totally on the baby to the detriment of their son who feels abandoned. Fortunately he does make some friends, one of whom is an elderly man living in a nearly destroyed shack on their property. The boy begins to provide some care for the elderly man and ultimately finds out the old man is not what he seems. Therin lies the development of the plot and the title of the movie. It is a growing up movie, but hardly in a traditional sense. While there is some language which may bother parents, it is a generational film, enjoyable by both young and their parents. I enjoyed it because it is by no means the typical growing up film, yet contains many of those elements. The characters, including the second level parts are quite well acted. However, if you aren't reasonably up on a "cockney" accent, you could lose some conversation. It is not for everybody, but overall a family film. No violence, some language. Four stars.

2013-06-08 23:36:12

Just not my type of show,

Others may like this movie, but I do not. So perhaps my two stars is not really accurate its just a matter of personal taste..

2013-06-08 15:44:44

such a good one

I watched this and was so surprised.This was a great movie.I called my grandchild 9yrs old and she watched it .She said it was good but scared her some in a good way.It was a magical discovery of imagination.what's hiding in yr shed.Will be looking when I go in mine.

2013-06-07 16:18:57

Spiritual Art & Visual Art

A gem.. a perfect gem..a fantastical tale told with such restraint it reminds us that mystery and magic are everywhere within and around us. Amazing photography..perfectly and subtly cast..wonderfully costumed..defintely one for the permamnent family library..definitely one to watch over and over and over ..a masterpiece of spiritual art.. a master piece of visual art..a masterpiece of story telling.. a masterpiece of cinematic art.

2013-06-07 00:44:43

I actually liked it!

I was a bit skeptical about this movie- the title and cover art threw me off.It turned out to be a good movie! I cried on a couple parts. I don't think this is a kids movie- in fact I don't think teens would dig it either.It's a story of hope. The main boy feels neglected as his parents welcome a new baby. The new baby is very sick and this consumes most of the movie. In the meantime he finds this owl man.SPOILER ALERT:Of course the owl/angel man has special powers. Guess who he heals?? Happy ending.

2013-06-04 22:34:00

If you like quirky...

This review is from: Skellig: The Owl Man (DVD) This is a truly weird movie that makes no pretense at being otherwise. Its full meaning is so subtle, I'm not sure I completely grasped it. As an overview, "Skellig" is a beautiful, touching and fascinating movie, even if some of the pieces never seem to gel. For example, what's with all those insects, not only serving as Skellig's food, but making an appearance in the boy's school? And in the long run, who the heck is Skellig, anyway?I bought this because I'm a fan of John Simm, and although he's something of a background character, he delivers sympathetically and emotionally as always. Tim Roth, a fabulous actor, is predictably believable and great.Ultimately, this is an uplifting story, although it's a bit uncomfortable getting there. While I wouldn't put it at the top of my favorites list, it's worth a watch, if for nothing more than the good intentions it ultimately delivers.

seedofbilly 2013-06-04 06:46:24

As good as the book? No. A fitting adaptation? Yes. A good film? Absolutely.

Skellig was one of my childhood books and it has stuck with ever sinceI was 10 years old (at my school there were two camps for a littlewhile, the Chamber of Secrets camp and the Skellig camp, I was in thelatter). I was always sure that in the right hands it could translateinto a great film, but was never sure who's hands those were.My mind certainly didn't ever even consider Annabel Jankel, especiallyafter she aided in the insulting filmic version of one of my otherchildhood loves (Super Mario Bros.). But, all in all, I was veryimpressed. Casting was near perfection, especially Tim Roth and JohnSimm, relative newcomer Skye Bennett also did very well in what wasprobably the most difficult role of them all (Mina). Kelly Macdonaldwas also on good form as the mother, however she didn't get nearlyenough face time and a good few of her better moments from the bookwere omitted.Luckily that and an amusing moment involved Michael's fatherdesperately searching for the missing aspirin while in the grip of ahangover were the only parts cut from the tale. The ending felt a bitmore blatant than it had been in the book, I would've like the'dancing' scene and Skellig's curing of the baby to have felt moredistant and dreamlike as they did in the novel. Still, Skellig himselflooked fantastic and the production team did well to steer clear of thetemptation of religious iconography, it was as David Almond likelyintended it, a heartwarming tale of love, intrigue, the natural and thesupernatural. All of those ideas translated perfectly, and I'm glad tosee Skellig maintained his ever entertaining penchant for brown ale and27 and 53.