Delightful intro to Irish culture

Riverdance: The Animated Adventure (Netflix, rated TV-G) is a welcome way to dip one’s toes into Ireland and Irish culture with a film aimed at younger viewers that parents may enjoy also.

Tousle-headed young Keegan has just lost his kindly grandpa, a lively lighthouse keeper who loved to dance and tell tales. One of grandpa’s myths warned that the lighthouse’s beacon must be kept lit to keep away the Huntsman—a powerful nautical figure who wished to destroy the rivers that provided life to their town.

Keegan and his Spanish friend Moya are swept away to a parallel world inhabited by bipedal Irish elk, whose enormous horns make their Irish jigs a beautiful sight. The two friends must help the elk to stave off the Huntsman, a figure just scary enough to add conflict to the film, without being too frightening for children.

Viewers might wish for more beautiful animation of the village instead of the alternate world, but you will enjoy the Irish dancing throughout the films. The writers have avoided the common downfall of many animated movies that steer too closely to portraying demonic powers and forces sympathetically and attractively. Regrettably, there is one point where blasphemy is used.