For a movie with no dialog and little action. The Red Turtle holds your attention thoughout the whole film. The hand drawn quality of the senery and animation is beautiful and the story is clear to follow and emotional. Overal a very beautiful piece of art.

The ambience and immersion created by the graceful animation and punchy sound design quickly wears thin as The Red Turtle reveals itself to be a ponderously self-important work. The curious decision to avoid dialogue altogether makes it quite difficult to care about the hollow little figure at the centre of it, and the heavy use of metaphor doesn't help ratchet up the emotional appeal, either. I spent most of the running time wishing I was watching Cast Away or even that similarly laconic sea adventure All is Lost.

Where to begin. I can count the number of films on one hand I've watched that have resonated with me on a spiritual level; The Red Turtle joins that elite group. If you appreciated Darren Aronofskys' masterpiece The Fountain, you'll be mesmerized by this incredibly delicate and deeply profound animation that is justifiably adorned with the Studio Ghibli stamp of approval.Short but incredibly rich in its simplistic approach to detail; joyful and tragic at the same time - The Red Turtle is not just a twist on Robinson Crusoe, but rather a multi-layered fable that below the surface addresses mankind; its misunderstanding and contempt of nature; its fear of relinquishing control, accepting and finding forgiveness; its ability to learn lessons - and ultimately learning how to become one with its environment.The Red Turtle is a tear-jerking, beautiful yet devastating love story on a galactic level between Man and Nature manifested in breathtaking detail; it has a duality that children and adults will appreciate, and doubtless it will leave the majority of viewers emotionally spent come the end, regardless of age.As someone wiser than myself once said, "A thing of beauty is a joy forever." - and that rule applies most certainly to The Red Turtle. 9.2/10

Highly unusual. Enormously atmospheric. Ultimately moving. The French animated film "The Red Turtle" will not bowl you over so much as it will quietly bring you under it's alluring spell.Writer/Director Michael Dudok de Wit, Music Director Laurent Perez Del Mar and the animation team led by Supervisor Jean-Christophe Lie collectively impart an enduring message about, among other themes, becoming an adult, creating a family, forgiveness and letting go. And if that seems like a lot to chew on, perhaps "The Red Turtle" is best summed up thusly: A man has not lived, and certainly never LOVED, until he comes to know those who are more important than he.