The Melody of the Sea - DVD

Film: When his mother died a few years ago, a world fell apart for little Ben. The only thing he has left of his beloved mother is a seashell in which he can hear the sea rushing. His father tries to give him support, but he himself has become a broken man through his grief. And Ben's little sister Saoirse is more of a drag on the boy. The girl doesn't speak a word, but hangs on her brother's coat-tails wherever she goes. When Saoirse discovers Ben's great treasure, her mother's shell, she is lured to the sea by a magical melody. Convinced that the child is in danger there and that her father is incapable of looking after his children, her grandmother takes Ben and Saoirse to the big city. But Saoirse cannot stay here. For there is a magical connection between her and the sea. When Ben realizes this, he decides to save his sister by taking her home. And so begins a fantastic journey for the two children into the world of Irish legends and myths.

The Melody of the Sea by Tomm Moore (The Secret of Kells) is a small wonder. As much as I appreciate the films of Pixar and co, and as stunning as some computer animated works are, it's always refreshing when traditional animated films make it into our cinemas. But since our viewing habits have become more conditioned to technical perfection, one might fear that rather simplistic-looking drawing techniques just don't work anymore. In the first minutes of this excursion into the world of Irish myths this fear seems to be confirmed. But then something really special happens: the enchanting story takes you completely captivated and the images suddenly unfold an imaginative beauty, as you have not experienced in animated film in this form for a long time.

You are immersed in a very special world filled with a magical atmosphere and lovable characters. Moore strikes a very good balance between fairytale mysticism, drama and humour, with Ben's dog Cú and old Seanachai with his magical hair providing some amused laughs in particular. The story itself does have some somewhat dark moments, but they are still kept child-friendly enough that even younger children can safely embark on this magical journey.

The Melody of the Sea is a timeless masterpiece. A heartwarmingly beautiful fairy tale full of imaginative imagery and original ideas, immersed in plenty of Irish folklore. No wonder this animated film was nominated for an Oscar and many other major film awards. A truly enchanting contrast to the 3D overkill and therefore also: absolutely worth seeing!!!

Image + Sound: The technical realization is on a very high level. The picture is absolutely clean and the overall sharpness is more than satisfactory. The powerful coloration and convincing detail also contribute to the overall very positive impression. The Dolby Digital 5.1 mix has some good surround effects to offer, but doesn't come across as too cluttered so as not to overwhelm the little viewers too much. Good.

Extras: In addition to an interesting audio commentary by director Tomm Moore, which thankfully has very helpful subtitles, the DVD also has a very brief behind-the-scenes look (approx. 2:42 min.), some animation tests (approx. 7:27 min.), a look at the design of the film (approx. 7:07 min.), a picture gallery, and the teaser and trailer for the film.

Conclusion: The Melody of the Sea is a wonderful animated film that tells a timelessly beautiful story in images that are simply magical in their simple beauty. The DVD transports this magical world very coherently into the home cinema. The bonus material includes an interesting audio commentary, which is thankfully presented with German subtitles. Not only for children absolutely recommendable!

An article by Frankfurt-Tipp