Coraline (Henry Selick, 2009): USA
Reviewed by Vee Rice. Viewed at Plaza Stadium Cinemas 14, Oxnard.
A 3D must-see. From the dark mind of Henry Selick comes his latest masterpiece, Coraline, which is not a movie for everyone. While animation may lead viewers to believe this is a children’s film, Coraline is far from being “family friendly.” It is actually quite nightmare-esque and disturbing. In the first several minutes a doll is completely defiled—its mouth and back sliced open, its eyes popped off, and its stuffing torn out. After the doll is ripped apart and reconstructed, we see a mini-Coraline doll float out the window, and the story begins. A truly wonderfully twisted Alice in Wonderland/Through the Looking Glass adventure.
Coraline Jones is a young girl, voiced by Dakota Fanning, freshly moved into a new home, over 150 years old and housing many dark secrets. Her parents have no time for her, and her neighbors are freaks, by several standards. The neighboring boy, Wybie (short for Whyborn), and his cat stalk Coraline; it is he who comes into contact with and gives Coraline the doll of her resemblance. One afternoon with nothing to do, Coraline discovers a small door, which leads her to a magnificent otherworldly milieu, much better than her own. The food is delicious, her parents love her, and her neighbors are much more interesting. Everything goes beautifully until her Other Mother requests replacing her eyes with buttons and keeping her forever, at which time Coraline must count on her resourcefulness, fortitude, and valor to get back home—and save her family.
Personally, I think this film should be rated PG13. As an animated feature, it is exceptionally disturbing for most, but it is thoroughly astounding for fans of Henry Selick. Coraline greatly relies on the use of heavy material, dark story threads, and bleak possibilities. The imagery is top-notch; there is amazing contrast between the drab real life and the eerily similar, but more fantastic parallel world. Fans of The Nightmare Before Christmas will be pleased with a new creepy stop-animation film. The biggest difference between the two films is that many of the younger Nightmare fans will more than likely have nightmares after watching Coraline. It really is not suited for a younger audience. The 3D effects are wicked cool and oftentimes frightening. They are not in-your-face like most 3D action of the past; it is subtle and enhancing. It gives a new life to stop-animation. The biggest downfall of the movie? The music was not composed by Danny Elfman. However, I am a big fan of They Might Be Giants, and they, along with Bruno Coulais, did an all right job of imitating 1990s Elfman.
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