Tomm Moore
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Princess Mononoke (1997)
Directed by Hayao Miyazaki
influenced Wolfwalkers (2020)
Visuals Themes Characters
Aside from the obvious parallels to the epic ecological war of Hayao Miyazaki’s Princess Mononoke (there is even a shot of a stag that looks eerily similar to that of the first glimpse of the Spirit of the Forest) and the dreamy trip into a pastoral wonderland of My Neighbor Totoro , Moore and Ross cite The Tale of Princess Kaguya as a source of inspiration — and that latter film’s influence becomes clear in the sketch-like animation style, which feels as if some strange magic has been placed on a storybook that brought it to life.
A similar battle between man and nature has been explored wonderfully in animations such as Princess Mononoke (1997) and The Tale of Princess Kaguya (2013), and Cartoon Saloon handles weighty themes with just as much intelligence and perhaps even a greater degree of style.
As well as this, there is the inspiration from Studio Ghibli’s Princess Mononoke (1997), but instead of Wolfwalkers being an Irish version of this, Cartoon Saloon have created something unique.
An instance where Robyn stands fearless with her hair blowing in the wind as she defiantly demands her father refrain from committing an act of cruelty or one riding a massive wolf through the gates of town echoing Miyazaki’s “Princess Mononoke,” vibrate with unforgettable heroism.
Bill doesn’t seem all that passionate about liquifying the lupine population that have lived in the area for God knows how long — even if they travel in scary, gnashing packs that are closer in spirit to the sacred wildlife of “Princess Mononoke” than the talking creatures found in most Disney cartoons — but any resistance poses a direct risk to his spirited young daughter Robyn (a plucky and expressive Honor Kneafsey), a tow-headed tomboy who so closely resembles Saoirse Ronan that the “Little Women” star might deserve some royalties.
And as much as Moore’s focus is on Ireland’s history, his work also communicates with like-minded movies: Brave, Princess Mononoke, Ferngully, Avatar, and The Lord of the Rings trilogy—stories about environmental destruction, mankind’s dominion over Earth, and the swift, jarring learning experience of becoming the “other” you so wildly and unreasonably fear.
Films like The Secret of Kells , Song of the Sea , and Wolfwalkers (each of them Oscar nominees) stand out among a saturated field thanks to their astonishing visuals, universally appealing themes, and commitment to Irishness.
From Netflix and Cartoon Saloon, the animation company that gave us the Academy Award-nominated films “Wolfwalkers” (2019), “Song of the Sea” (2014) and “The Secret of Kells” (2009) comes “My Father’s Dragon,” a 2D-animated entry based on the 1948 children’s novel by American writer Ruth Stiles Gannett.
There’s an appealingly fecund quality to the hand-drawn animations produced by the Irish studio Cartoon Saloon ( Wolfwalkers , Song of the Sea ) – stories that unfold in verdant worlds that always seem about to burst into bud or leaf.
Each of the four films they’ve crafted into reality — Kells , Song of the Sea (2017), The Breadwinner (2017), and Wolfwalkers (2020) — are not only beloved by audiences, but by the industry as a whole as each film earned an Academy Award nomination in the Best Animated Feature category.
It’s undeniably made for kids first, and while it doesn’t hit the visual lusciousness or emotional resonance of Song Of The Sea — still, arguably, Cartoon Saloon’s high-water mark — it is so beautifully crafted, so rich in detail, that grown-ups will be spellbound in other ways.
They have a nearly unbeatable record of feature films, including “The Secret of Kells,” “Song of the Sea,” “The Breadwinner,” and “Wolfwalkers.”
My Neighbor Totoro (1988)
Directed by Hayao Miyazaki
influenced Wolfwalkers (2020), Song of the Sea (2014)
Visuals Themes
Aside from the obvious parallels to the epic ecological war of Hayao Miyazaki’s Princess Mononoke (there is even a shot of a stag that looks eerily similar to that of the first glimpse of the Spirit of the Forest) and the dreamy trip into a pastoral wonderland of My Neighbor Totoro , Moore and Ross cite The Tale of Princess Kaguya as a source of inspiration — and that latter film’s influence becomes clear in the sketch-like animation style, which feels as if some strange magic has been placed on a storybook that brought it to life.
Song of the Sea is more inspired by than based on Irish mythology … The world of the movie’s adapted mythology — like the unseen world in a Hayao Miyazaki film like My Neighbor Totoro or Spirited Away — stands matter-of-factly alongside the everyday world.
The Secret of Roan Inish (1994)
Directed by John Sayles
influenced Song of the Sea (2014)
Characters Themes Plot
Fans of John Sayles’ “The Secret of Roan Inish” will see echoes of that 1994 drama in the main character, a shape-shifting “selkie” who abandons her human body in the water to become a seal.
(John Sayles wonderful 1994 film “The Secret of Roan Inish” is another selkie tale.)
Both John Sayles’ “The Secret of Roan Inish” and Neil Jordan’s “Ondine” did so as well.)
"Song of the Sea" begins with the myth of the selkie, a creature (also featured in John Sayles' 1994 "The Secret of Roan Inish") who manages to be a seal in the ocean but a human on land.
(Fans of independent cinema may remember a live-action movie sourced from this legend, John Sayles’ “The Secret of Roan Inish,” in 1994.)
Maybe you’ve caught screen interpretations, like John Sayles’s “The Secret of Roan Inish” (1994) or Neil Jordan’s “Ondine” (2009).
Spirited Away (2001)
Directed by Hayao Miyazaki
influenced Song of the Sea (2014), The Secret of Kells (2009)
Themes Visuals
For it's a love letter to Irish folklore through and through; that, and a series of impressions and variations on a theme by Miyazaki Hayao (there's unexpectedly rich veins of Spirited Away in the film's bones), played on Gaelic instruments.
With the closest comparison being his own prior work as well as Hayao Miyazaki’s Spirited Away, his film brim full of wonder and lessons of morality, all tinged with childlike glee in its artistry.
Song of the Sea is more inspired by than based on Irish mythology … The world of the movie’s adapted mythology — like the unseen world in a Hayao Miyazaki film like My Neighbor Totoro or Spirited Away — stands matter-of-factly alongside the everyday world.
The rare exceptions have been two Hayao Miyazaki films ("Howl's Moving Castle," "Spirited Away"), Silvain Chomet's "Triplets of Belleville" and now Tomm Moore and Nora Twomey's "The Secret of Kells."
There the movie lifts off into a Celtic eco-pantheism not far in feel from the work of Hayao Miyazaki (“Spirited Away,’’ “Ponyo’’).
Both John Sayles’ “The Secret of Roan Inish” and Neil Jordan’s “Ondine” did so as well.)
The Neal Jordan fable “Ondine,” starring Colin Farrell, was inspired by the same myth.
Maybe you’ve caught screen interpretations, like John Sayles’s “The Secret of Roan Inish” (1994) or Neil Jordan’s “Ondine” (2009).
For what it’s worth, I prefer Song of the Sea.) Moore has also cited The Jungle Book and Mike Newell’s Into the West as influences, but I keep coming back to Miyazaki.
Both agreed the stylistic attempts in drawings and the incorporation of split screens and vertical panels were somewhat experimental and the inspiration came from the 2018 Best Animated Feature Film Oscar-winning work, Spider-man: Into the Spider-verse , the 2005 Frank Miller and Quinten Tarantino Sin City , and from the early Expressionist films whereby frames were hand-painted to create coloration.
Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (2018)
Directed by Bob Persichetti
influenced Wolfwalkers (2020)
Visuals
Both agreed the stylistic attempts in drawings and the incorporation of split screens and vertical panels were somewhat experimental and the inspiration came from the 2018 Best Animated Feature Film Oscar-winning work, Spider-man: Into the Spider-verse , the 2005 Frank Miller and Quinten Tarantino Sin City , and from the early Expressionist films whereby frames were hand-painted to create coloration.
(This applies as equally to Frozen as it does to something like Despicable Me, which feels like a descendant of something like Gerald McBoing-Boing.)
The film follows through on that promise in a way reminiscent of Dreamworks’ How to Train Your Dragon movies and it’s incredibly refreshing to see that dynamic built on as more than a barrier to a singular idea of happiness.
Shades of How to Train Your Dragon come out as we watch this young English girl attempt to tell her father and the town that the wolves aren’t as bad as their fear presumes.
Like “The Wizard of Oz” and other great children’s stories, the constant threat of death envelops nearly every scene, creating a sense of unease that underscores just how much is at stake, not just for the kids, but for the fading tradition of Celtic folklore.
Just as Dorothy disappeared into her imagination in The Wizard Of Oz to deal with her fears, so too does Ben (David Rawle), who is forced to come to terms with the death of his mother and face the responsibility of looking after his younger sister Saoirse.
It’s a bit more commercial than The Secret of Kells and Song of the Sea, the other two features by Tomm Moore (who directed this one with Ross Stewart), yet sacrifices neither of his hallmarks: sincere fairytale pathos and a lovely visual style that places cartoony figures against rich backdrops.
Tomm Moore's touching Song of the Sea is not anime, but it shares elements with some of the best anime films of recent years, particularly Mamoru Hosoda's Wolf Children.
The Miyazaki influence goes deeper; Studio Ghibli fans may at turns be reminded of Ponyo as well as Totoro and Spirited Away.
Dudok de Wit appears to fall in the latter category, and so he takes “The Red Turtle” in a wholly different direction in its remaining running time, putting the film firmly in the territory of Neil Jordan’s “Ondine” and Tomm Moore’s “Song of the Sea,” movies rooted in Irish folklore where seals shed their skins and adopt human forms while on land.
The Triplets of Belleville (2003)
Directed by Sylvain Chomet
influenced Song of the Sea (2014)
Visuals
I was reminded, at times, of the painstakingly detailed beauty of “The Triplets of Belleville,” but Moore has a more ethereal, rounded aesthetic all his own.
The premise also bears (geddit?) a striking resemblance to both DreamWorks’ How to Train Your Dragon as well as the Oscar nominated The Secret of Kells (which also featured fantastical elements such as sprites and wisps) .
The writers and animators blend the oafish, brawny Scots humor of “How to Train Your Dragon” with the magic of “The Secret of Kells” into a story about being brave enough to change your fate.
Cartoon Saloon’s The Secret of Kells has an aggressive case, while Song of the Sea has a more benign form.
This is a fantasy world that should feel like a more action-oriented cousin to the films of Cartoon Saloon, the Irish studio behind Song of the Sea, who make films indebted to Irish mythology without ever flirting with a caricature.