DVD Reviews

Skellig: The Owl Man – Blu-ray Review

By Jeff Swindoll Aug 19, 2010, 18:48 GMT

This moving tale of a boy who befriends a mysterious man with unearthly powers will cast a spell on the entire family! Young Michael hates his dilapidated new home, he\'s worried about his sick baby sister and hes bullied at school. But life changes when he stumbles upon "Skellig" hiding out in a backyard shed (Tim Roth, The Incredible Hulk), and quickly realizes that there\'s something very special about him. ...more

Misdirection on the cover aside, Skellig is the tale of a boy with troubles who discovers the secret of an odd homeless man who is living in a dilapidated shed.  The troubles of life melt away has the lad discovers himself through his new friend.  If only it all was solved so handily.  

Michael (Bill Milner) and his parents Louise (Kelly MacDonald) and Steve (John Simm) have moved into a new house.  The reason for their moving is that Louise is very pregnant and they need the room.  The rooms they move into are rundown but they’re working hard to make the place inhabitable. 

That hard work causes Louise to go into labor and the daughter born to them appears to have a heart defect that could be fatal.  In the meantime, Michael has discovered a homeless man in the abandoned shed in the house’s backyard.  He says his name is Skellig (Tim Roth) and he appears to be in very bad health with scaly skin, covered in filth, grouchy, and appears to be uncaringly wasting away. 

He also has strange, double-lidded eyes and Michael and his friend Mina (Skye Bennett) soon discover that Skellig has wings.  

I think that Image Entertainment is trying to do you a favor.  They’ve pretty much spoiled the film’s reveal in the box art (so I didn’t mind mentioning it above).  Skellig has wings.  It’s right there on the front of the box.  I suppose they felt bad about using that so they’ve tried to misdirect you by adding a subtitle, specifically “the owl man.”  Erm, thanks? 

We’re not really given concrete proof as to what exactly Skellig is, but we imagine that his origins are more celestial.  The film is based on the 1998 award winning children’s novel by David Almond, which as in turn been adapted into a play and even an opera. 

For the record, the book is just called “Skellig.”  It remains vague about Skellig’s origins as well.  Bill Milner carries the film ably and is given support from MacDonald and Simm.  Tim Roth doesn’t make his appearance until well into the film, but he makes him an oddity and enigma from the beginning. 

Seemingly content to lie grouchily in a shed and fade away, you wonder why Michael bothers since Skellig is consigned to his self-imposed fate.  Drama is brought even more into the film with the birth of Michael’s sister, who has some all-too-real health problems. 

Of course, his new mysterious friend will repay his kindness in a magical way.  Too bad we don’t see more of that in real life, but this is a fantasy after all.  

Skellig is presented in a 1080p high definition transfer (1.78:1).  Special features include the 1 minute trailer.  

Skelling is well acted and has a Brit feel, even if the name of the film takes some of the mystery out of it or even misdirects you.  In other ways it’s gritty and realistic in its portrayal of a fantastical character.  Forget what it’s called and give it a go.

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