Young Brendan lives in a remote medieval outpost under siege from barbarian raids. But a new life of adventure beckons when a celebrated master illuminator arrives from foreign lands carrying an ancient but unfinished book, brimming with secret wisdom and powers. To help complete the magical book, Brendan has to overcome his deepest fears on a dangerous quest that takes him into the enchanted forest where mythical creatures hide.
Just watched this on Netflix Instant with the boy. It has to be one of the most beautifully animated films I have seen, but it’s not your typical cartoon (the bad guy’s aren’t vanquished and the ending, though positive, is a bit ambiguous compared to typical kid’s movies). Despite that my son did like it and I think it’s because the animation was so imaginative. Here are some clips from the film and this A.V. Club article does a good job laying out the film’s back story.
