Movie Review:
Coraline
Rated by 29 members
Rated PG for thematic elements, scary images, some language, and suggestive humor.
Recommended for ages 8 and up. (Will be okay for some kids younger, and not for some older: definitely know-your-kid fare.)
Run Time: 100 minutes
Quick Take: Subtle 3-D elevates this creepy alternate universe but scary stuff too much for young tots.
This 3-D Scary Fairy Tale Sneaks Up on You in the Right Way
Imagine getting a giant inflatable mallet for Christmas and not using it to bop your kid brother over the head. Not even once.
That, my friends, is restraint. It's also Coraline, the enchanting movie that has one of the coolest toys on earth -- 3-D -- and yet resists assaulting you with it, but rather waves it around in a way that let's you know it's there without whacking you over the head. No jolts, barbs or otherwise cheap tricks. Instead, Coraline, with its stop-motion animation, is beautiful, fluid art. The marvel isn't just what you see -- it's what you don't see: no flying pies, hurling yo-yos, careening bouncy balls, nor any other random act of 3-D gimmickry designed to make you wince, start, or otherwise recoil.
The movie -- about a girl who finds a passageway to an alternate universe -- slyly reaches out and pulls you into the screen. It never says, "Look at me!" It extends a crooked, bony finger and beckons, "Come with me." You're the bored kid rattling around the big old creepy halls and getting into everybody's hair. You're the inquisitive imp padding through the dark house late at night and happening upon a secret door. You're the middle-of-the-night adventurer on hands-and-knees all wide-eyed and curious as a hidden passage unfolds before your eyes. Coraline's world becomes your world. And, when Coraline gets into trouble, let's just say it's more startling than any careening, spiky-edged, oversized water balloon could ever be.
It helps that Coraline has a narrative to match director Henry Selick's tea-stained window dressing. Neil Gaiman's story is irresistible to anyone who's ever wondered if there isn't something better out there -- which, let's face it, is pretty much all of us. The "something better" is Coraline's alternate-universe Other Mother, a cheerful Donna Reed type except for the fact that she has buttons sewn into her head, and some serious deep-seated control issues. (Note to kids: we moms could be so much worse.) After the Other Mother bestows a gift on Coraline, her true nature is revealed. It's a gloriously chilling moment made more so by the fact that Selick's world is so vivid, it's practically tactile.
Though Coraline picks up the adrenalin in the second half, the movie's at its best when it opts for subtle. Like so many things, Coraline is most entrancing when it's a mystery. Still, it's a marvel to experience, especially when it sneaks up on you. Such understatement made me wonder early on whether the 3-D ticket was worth the price. That is, until my brain registered the dopey smile on my face, and the fact that it was a direct result of the ride on screen. It's a shame that not everyone will get to experience Coraline in 3-D (only about 900 of the 2000 theaters are properly equipped). But, if you do have the option, by all means: splurge. That third "D" might not hit you in the face.
But then, that's just the effective use of "R" -- as in restraint.
Kids Will Like:
Stop-motion animation (the first feature of its kind to be filmed in 3-D) imparts something on the movie that may not be definable, but kids will know it's there. Learning about the painstaking process -- with puppets and handmade set! -- is sure to fascinate them. The first half of Coraline is every kid's fantasy -- the spooky house, the secret door, and the alternate universe where cats talk, mice dance, and a magical garden blooms. The fact that the kid saves the day is even better.
Parents Will Like:
Love it or hate it, the portrayal of over-stressed parents interacting with bored children is right on the money. Every parent laughed familiarly (and guiltily) at the testy interactions, particularly when Coraline dumps dad's hard drive by pushing the button labeled, "Don't push." The soundtrack is just lovely.
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