This Irish animation opens of a remote island as Bronagh tells fairy tales to her young son Ben. She is heavily pregnant and suddenly states that she must leave. Six years later there is no sign of Bronagh; Ben is living with his father and Saoirse, the young sister who was born on the night his mother was last seen. Saoirse doesn't talk and Ben appears to resent her. On the night of her birthday she finds a strange coat in a locked chest; then she goes down to the sea and swims with the seals; it is clear that she is no ordinary child. In the morning she is found on the beach. Ben and Saoirse are taken to live in the city with their grandmother while their father puts the coat in the chest and throws it into the sea. Soon Ben decides to run away because he misses his dog; Saoirse follows, playing an instrument made from a seashell. The soon meet a group of fairies and it becomes clear that the tales their mother told him were true. This includes the story of Macha the Owl-witch who takes the feelings of magical beings and turns them to stone; if they are to be freed Saoirse must be reunited with the coat so she can sing the Selkie song. It won't be easy as Macha is aware of her.I found this film to be an utter delight, like Cartoon Saloon's previous offering 'The Secret of Kells' it features Irish mythology in a beautiful manner. The story is beautifully animated with charming characters and stunning backgrounds. The settings vary from the city to the countryside to a sea with waves reminiscent of those created by Japanese artist Hokusai. There is a sense of threat but nothing that should be too scary for younger viewers. Even Mocha, the antagonist of the film isn't actually malicious. The music that accompanies the story is charming and works well. Overall I'd recommend this to fans of animation; it was something special; by the end I was both smiling and crying thanks to a bitter-sweet ending.

This is a wonderful movie with wonderful artwork that really brought back my childhood. You know those vibrant and colorful story books with pictures that your elementary school teachers use to read to the students. Well it's kind of like that except it's like watching a moving children's story book that even adults can enjoy and be mesmerized with. It's rare to see amazing 2D animation movies that isn't from japan, so this movie was a treat to sit through. This is a stunning and hand-drawn animated folk-lore journey. That encompasses the importance of understanding, bonding and how good intentions might not always be the right choice. This is a wonderful 2D animated movie I would recommend to kids and adults.9/10

A young Irish lad finds out that his younger sister is a mythical half-human creature called a 'selkie' - a discovery that eventuates in adventures for them both in this pleasant animated feature film. The mythologies surrounding selkies are a little on the complex side, however, the film stands up well as a tale of a boy coming to understand and truly appreciate his sister for all her special and unique qualities, even if some of the finer points of the narrative are hard to nut out. His sister is simply adorable and as she hardly utters a word throughout, this is something that is best attributed to the animation itself and the way the character is written: how much she dotes on her brother despite her affections not being returned, etc. Though a drama first and foremost, the film has several effective comical moments. Not all of the humour works, but there is a lot of amusement to be had in the seal-like creatures trying to track the sister down while donning random disguises and hiding in garbage bins. The music is also as good as one would expect for a film with 'Song' in its title.

The existing reviews say it all. Unfortunately, not the total score, dah!! I cannot say no more, other than i had to subscribe to IMDb, just for this rating. And since IMDb is asking for a few more lines in order to post the review... A modern fairy tale, a bed time story about a child's quest, one of a few of its kind, magical yet real, inspiring, and in times breath taking, and at the climax greatly emotional, i dare you watch this movie, cry your eyes out, and then, just maybe, subscribe to IMDb. Unfortunately (or not) Hollywood animation does not provide such depth, trying to make things complicated, captivating the audience through elaborate CGI action scenes. This movie is a real masterpiece defying the very nature of that western ideal. Took me back to an early age (now 38), when mother used to tell me that story about some pigeon that embarked on a quest to find its stolen babies. Congratulations to the makers. This movie should not have lost the Oscar, especially over Big 6, which was a poor movie after all. But then again, more and more people are turning their backs to the academy. About time.