Coraline (2009)

Well, it's happened again: another animated movie that can I describe "the greatest-looking animation I've ever seen!" (This has happened several times now in the past few years, and especially when them available on a stunning Blu-Ray disc transfer).

You literally have to see this animation to believe it.....and I'm talking about the 2-D, not the 3-D (which is not even in the same ballpark.) Forget the 3-D glasses and watch this as you would any other movie....and get the Blu-Ray, if you can. You'll be extremely impressed at the colors and detail, and just plain blown away by it all.

Not only to the colors and detail dazzle, but the inventiveness here is really fun to watch and items change from one form or color to another. It reminded me of the Beatles' "Yellow Submarine" but with more sophisticated art.....but the same cleverness.

To me, all of this made the story almost secondary but the latter is very interesting, too. The story is unique; quite different, with a good message getting everything you want not always being as attractive as that sounds. Once "Coraline" meets here "other" parents, you'll really get hooked into this strange story filled with weird images and characters.

I only wish the Coraline had been a little bit nicer kid since it's easier to root for someone when they're likable but the story should keep you guessing and in suspense. That made the last half of the film very easy to get engrossed in because so many bizarre things happen here, you don't know how it's all going to end. Thus, I found myself not being concerned about her personality flaws. The minor characters in this story, by the way: such as "Mr. Bobinsky," "Miss Forcible" and "Miss Spink" - are a real hoot.

I'd say this film is more for adults than kid, especially if one appreciates great artwork and creativity.

Fmovies: i went into this movie knowing 1 thing. It was by the same guy who did Nightmare Before Christmas. so right away i knew i was in for a pretty great movie visually, if nothing else.

as it turns out, the musical score was amazing, as well as the 3-D animation and the storyline.

to those who think it won't be as creepy as the book. i can't say much for the book, having not read it. but i can say that the movie is pretty creepy in it's own right! all i can say is that i'm going to see it again when it opens. probably for a 3rd and 4th time as well.

for those who are looking for a good time with the kids, i highly recommend this. for those who are looking for a good 'trip' movie, i highly recommend this. and for those who think the magic in movies are gone, PULL-EEEZ go see this!

CORALINE is an exceptional movie and I really have to admire the folks who made it. However, I should point out that this is NOT a movie for younger viewers because the movie is basically like walking into a nightmare. I think I'd be very hesitant to take a child younger than 10 to see it--it is that dark and scary.

When the film begins, you are blown away by the amazing stop-motion film work. I assumed it must have been computer generated, but amazingly the film was made using models and figures with interchangeable features. It is many generations beyond the old Rankin-Bass animation or even "The Nightmare Before Christmas" (also by the folks who brought us CORALINE). The artistry was amazing and so many little details and touches made the film look magical. In addition, I found a theater where it was shown in 3-D and I really think it's well worth the extra money to get the three dimensional experience because it was flawless.

The story is about a young girl who is unhappy. Her family just moved into a weird old Victorian era home but the parents are so busy with their job that they don't have much time for poor Coraline. Later, however, Coraline discovers an alternate world--one where everything looks a lot like the real world but seems perfect--so perfect that she'd rather live there. However, being a scary story, things of course aren't as they seem and this leads to a confrontation that could spell doom for the girl and her parents.

Excellent all around and I have no serious complaints. A very good film for older kids, teens and adults....but not little kids, as the film will probably scare them out of their wits. Don't let the PG rating fool you--this is NOT like a Disney or Nickelodeon film but more like an even more intensely dark Roald Dahl story done in stop-motion. Neil Gaiman is the author of this tale and my daughter read his story and the film and although they were different here and there (the film adds Wybie, for example), she said both were equally wonderful.

Coraline fmovies. Almost 3 weeks ago, I attended a screening from Ain't It Cool News to see Henry Selick's latest film, 'Coraline.' I was excited because the screening would showcase the film in 3-D technology, and there was the chance to do a Q&A with Director Henry Selick (unfortunately due to bad weather, Mr. Selick did not make it to our screening).

Before going in to see 'Coraline,' I had read the book on which the film was based. While many acclaimed it for it's storyline, I found it rather dull and predictable. I've been surrounded by fans of Neil Gaiman's work, though so far had never picked up a book written by him (though 'American Gods' did pique my interest).

Going into the film, I was not quite sure what to expect. I had had tastes of the film from the trailers, but the general consensus was that Henry Selick had tarnished Gaiman's story, turning it into 'Disney fodder.' The truth is: the film manages to be both charming and creepy.

For those not in the know, "Coraline" tells the tale of Coraline Jones, who moves to a new town and a house with several strange characters. As well, Coraline's parents just seem to have no time for her, and so she takes to exploring her new abode by herself. In her exploration, she uncovers a small door in the house, which seems to lead to nowhere. But upon revisiting the door late at night, it opens onto a parallel world that is much more whimsical and fun than the real world.

The one difference is that in the 'Other World,' almost all the inhabitants have buttons for eyes. But still, the other parents in this world pay attention to Coraline, and the rather blasé atmosphere of the real world is electrified with color and interesting flights of fancy. It seems just so perfect...or is it? Henry Selick manages to take Neil Gaiman's story, and crafts a world that just seems to take great advantage of stop-motion in a world where the obvious choice would be to go for a totally computer-generated world. Seeing minute details such as Coraline's clothing made of actual material makes the world seem even more magical, where invisible giants manipulate the Lilliputians in this miniature world.

Dakota Fanning, Teri Hatcher, and a number of other vocal actors give voice to a number of wonderful characters, with Hatcher really doing double and triple-duty with her vocal talents. Fanning on the other hand, fleshes out a character that seemed rather dull in Gaiman's work. Her voice gives Coraline the life that I didn't think was possible.

One unsung hero (along with the countless animators who will be passed over in the press junkets) is the composer, Bruno Corlais. Mr. Corlais had never crossed my ears until the screening, but his music lends a touch of brilliance to the film, and makes it seem almost like a European production. Growing up in he US in the early 80's, I saw a number of stop-motion productions from Europe that played on the Nickelodeon show 'Pinwheel.' Corlais' music just transported me to that simpler of times when music didn't need to be 'commercial.' His score really helps to establish the world as well, and uses some instruments that may sound foreign to American ears.

And if anyone is questioning if the 3-D is worth it-it is! This isn't the fly-in-your-face #-D that was seen 2-3 decades ago. It's subtler, but gives dimension to the miniature world of 'Coraline.' I think if you showed this film to a ch

Henry Selick's "Coraline" is a smart adaptation of Neil Gaiman's extremely popular award-winning novella. Selick's screenplay is excellent and faithful without being a carbon-copy of Gaiman's story, and Selick adds some of his own dialogue to the film, so his contribution is most certainly not only visual, and chooses which dialogue to use from the novel wisely. Less of a horror story than the novella and more of a dark fantasy, "Coraline" features a well-written and well-drawn lead character and brings the novel's bizarre world to life without compromise. The film's fantasy world grows more bizarre each time we see it, and is as discomforting as it is fun. I missed the singing rats from the novella, but this was more than compensated for by the visual splendor of the garden scene, and there are numerous other examples of the changes from the novel making total sense as Selick's vision of the story differs from Gaiman, but doesn't betray the original work of art, only compliments it. The voice cast is very good and one cannot praise the spectacular animation enough. I was very pleased with the 3D presentation here, it was very, very rarely (only once or twice) used as a 'cool effect', and overall was very tastefully used to give the visuals more depth. Perhaps the first really good film to have a wide release in 2009, and looking at the next few weeks I see more than one film I'm moderately interested in, so this might end up being a pretty good year.

OK America, before you go blindly into an animated film with your young children, why don't you do a little research on what they are about to witness. A PG rating and stop-motion animated aesthetic do not always make a child-friendly adventure. Based upon the horror novella by acclaimed author Neil Gaiman, Henry Selick's Coraline is chockfull of heavy material, dark story threads, and bleak possibilities. For a guy like me, those things equal undivided success; for a child aged ten, those things equal nightmare filled evenings and parents writing angry letters to Focus Features for subjecting their children to lewd and horrific imagery. Well guess what parents? No one is to blame but you. I'm not saying keep all youngsters away, but do use some discretion on whether your son or daughter can handle the fantastical elements. This is very much Alice in Wonderland displayed in all its non-Disney possibilities. A cautionary tale on being careful what you wish for, our heroine must discover the difference between a world of people neglecting her and that of people doing all they can so that they may give her all she could ever want in the future. Life is not about getting it all right now, but instead a slow and steady climb built on love and trust, one whose benefits far outweigh the whirlwind romance that is never truly as it seems.

Remember folks, this is a story that won the 2002 Bram Stoker Award for Best Work for Young Readers; it's not all sing-songy like Selick's masterpiece A Nightmare Before Christmas. With that said, however, it is very, very good in a very, very different way. Be prepared for a methodically and deliberately paced story. More psychological terror than jump out at you scares, the tale of Coraline escaping into a parallel world, perfectly mirrored of her own only inhabited by animated dolls, is one of enlightenment and discovery of what love truly means. Do we all want the parents that dote on us? The guardians that will do what we want and when we want it? Of course we do. But that idyllic utopia doesn't exist, especially in the times for which we live today. Children need to be raised and supported and that takes money and a lot of hard work. What may seem like neglect in the eyes of a child is really two people doing all they can, sacrificing their time, in order to give him/her a chance at success. Only when Coraline sees the manipulation and truth behind the "kindness" her Other-Mother gives her does she realize what she has back at home.

What we are shown is a world through a tiny door in the wall of an old triple-segmented home. There are stories about this door used to explain the disappearances of some local children, including the sister of loudmouthed and shy Wybie Lovat's grandmother. Only a weathered black cat appears to know what is going on, what the too good to be true farce beyond the door is actually masking behind it. This cat can travel between worlds and therefore knows it all, allowing him to warn Coraline by orchestrating events via those she encounters. A disgruntled child is easily malleable and fooled when doted upon and given sweets and a smile. The mantra "never talk to strangers" is never more applicable than it is here. With something a tad off-kilter in the fantasy world, Coraline finds herself shaking it off and relishing the opportunity to experience all that she had dreamed of, not knowing that if her parents succeed with their new gardening catalog, those dreams will be fulfilled in reality. Patience is a virtue an