It’s shame not a lot of people have been able to see “Song of the Sea” on the big screen, mainly since it did not have the luxury of getting a wide release like

“How to Train Your Dragon 2” and “Big Hero 6” and was reduced to running in art-house theaters where only a small amount of people usually visit.

Not only is the hand-drawn animation impressive but it also features a good story where children and adults could really benefit.

Rather than try to imitate Disney family flicks, meant to be watched in 3-D and packed with energetic music numbers, it actively strives to deliver an experience we will never forget. I certainly haven’t.

The story focuses on two siblings, Ben and his little sister Saoirse. They live with their father on an island near Ireland. Ever since their mother mysteriously disappeared years earlier the night Saoirse was born, she has yet to speak.  Ben resents having to always take care of her. It is eventually revealed she is really a Selkie, a person who can change into a seal while wearing a magic coat under water.

However, when the children’s grandmother takes them to live with her far away from the ocean, an ancient evil becomes aware of Saoirse’s existence and seeks to capture her. Ben must then take his sister back to the sea, protecting her from harm and learning to fulfill his duties as the older brother.

Like an Irish successor to Hayao Miyazaki, director Tomm Moore shows us the beauty that hand-drawn animation can still have in a world dominated by CGI, and it becomes clear particular art form still has much to show us. With its colorful and surreal visuals, you almost get the sense you’re looking at a fancy pop-up book where a whole new world is unfolding right before your eyes. This careful attention to detail and devotion to craftsmanship alone makes it worth seeing just to admire its artistic power.

Films like this are hard to review in-depth because it’s so original and I risk giving away all the good stuff, so I’ll just say the following: It’s a new contemporary fairy tale that delivers a healthy mix of Celtic mythology, childhood bravery, and family drama. The film deals with these ideas in a surprisingly mature manner that makes it more sophisticated than its Hollywood counterparts, while also coming off as deeply personal on the part of the animators.

This is not a cash-grab but a piece of artistic passion that leaves you wanting more by the time the credits role, not to mention a superb soundtrack.

However, its greatest strength is not the artistic merits and entertainment value but the brother-sister dynamic between Ben and Saoirse. The former is a great role model for today’s young boys, whose journey from disgruntled sibling to courageous protector of his little sister supplies the emotional core of the story and ultimately culminates in a climax that may have some viewers holding back tears.

It made me want to go back in time and take back all the fights I had with my own sister when we were younger.

This is the kind of film I wish had been made when I was younger so I could have appreciated it for its message and animation. I am grateful, however, to have experienced it now and hope that it will have a positive effect on the children who watch it. In many ways, a film like this is hard to review because I risk spoiling all the good stuff that makes it so enjoyable.

The best I can really say about it is that we don’t often get films like this anymore, so we have to appreciate them when we do.