Movie Review of Coraline

Coraline is a kind of film that probably won't be made for much longer (it's actually a bit of a surprise it was made even now). In an age where CG movies rule animation and high comedy is the current wave of children's films, Coraline is a bit of an odd film. It's subtle, it's subdued, it's carefully animated by hand and, while beautiful, that animation is not seemless. It relies on imaginative ideas rather than hypnotic images to keep the attention of the younger audience. In short, it doesn't treat kids like they're ADD riddled annoyances that need to be strapped down and mesmerized just to get through to them. And thanks to this approach it's easily one of the best films for kids to come out in the past several years, really only rivaled by the films of Pixar.

Coraline begins when the titular character, voiced by Dakota Fanning (War of the Worlds), and her parents move into an apartment in an old and somewhat isolated house. Her parents, voiced by Teri Hatcher (TV's Desperate Housewives) and John Hodgeman (Baby Mama) are overworked writers for a gardening magazine. Mother is rather irritable and Father just seems perpetually on the verge of falling asleep on his feet. Coraline wastes no time exploring the new home and in addition to encountering a line-up of eccentric neighbors, she soon discovers a small door in the wall. At first the door just seems to open to a brick wall, but then that night Coraline finds that there is a tunnel leading to another version of the house. She finds that other versions of the house residents are all happy to see her. Her Other Mother (also Hatcher) cooks the finest meals for her and her Other Father (also Hodgeman) has plenty of time to entertain her. Early on, the only thing that seems unusual about this wonderful world is that all those who dwell there have buttons where their eyes should be. However, it isn't long before Coraline is given a dire warning from a talking Cat speaking with the voice of Keith David (First Sunday) and the dream world starts to show some ugly seams.

Coraline is the kind of children's story that is rarely told anymore. The political correctness wave of the 1990's seems to have left in its wake the edict that all children's entertainment must be light and cheery. There must be life lessons that are explained explicitly, danger should be temporary and try not to scare anybody. Coraline is not this kind of story. It's certainly aimed at children but it's not afraid to give them a nightmare (not to say that nightmares are the goal, simply that the film isn't going out of its way to avoid them). The overall tone warrants comparisons to the non-Muppet work of the Henson Company such as Labyrinth, or of course director Harry Selick's own The Nightmare Before Christmas. While this is aimed at younger audiences it never talks down to them, so it's very easy for adults to take enjoyment from the story and characters as well. Coraline herself is a character who is easy to identify with and to look up to. She's clever and creative but also still very much a kid, enjoying childish things and maintaining that wonder that a kid has when they make new discoveries. Thankfully all of the supporting cast are also given nicely nuanced characters to work with. Even the oddball neighbors (which in these sorts of movies are usually throwaway characters for cheap jokes) all have layers and depth to them, and all the voices are perfectly cast.

Coraline had an all too brief run in theaters as a 3-D film (it got booted out soon after by the Jonas Brothers Concert 3-D movie) but the effect that the 3-D work had on the film was sublime. Coraline follows in the footsteps of Beowulf in its use of 3-D. It's not there as a gimmick to have things pop out at the audience (in fact that only happens about three or four times in the entire film). Rather the 3-D is used to extend the image back, making it seem almost more like a stage than a flat screen. It's perfect for a handmade animation director like Selick because his works have a tangible feel to them in the first place, and well done 3-D just brings that out all the more. The 3-D hardly makes or breaks the experience but it's a level of immersion into this wonderful fantasy world that should be experienced. Sadly if you missed the 3-D in the theater there isn't really a way to replicate it as well at home yet.

Coraline is rather low-key when compared to most modern children's films. It's not bombastic and it relies on clever ideas and characters to keep the attention of its audience rather than lots of action or big laughs (though there are some of each). As a result, the film overall is a slow build and if you're not ennamored with the beautiful animation you may find it a little on the dull side at first. Coraline more than anything is meant to be a kid's story in the classic sense, a simple but inventive tale. As opposed to the action or comedy extravaganzas that most modern kids movies strive to be. Coraline is a beautiful piece of film, but its more subdued nature will likely mean that it will not get the attention it deserves from families. Make no mistake though, Coraline is not disposable entertainment meant to keep the kids still for a few hours. This is the sort of story that will leave an impression on the imagination of kids and re-awaken that same sense of wonder in adults.

Final Score: 4 out of 5