Movie Review: Coraline

The grass is always greener on the other side.

Be careful of what you wish for; you just might get it.

These two ancient adages are the driving points of the movie Coraline, the Henry Selick adaptation of the Neil Gaiman book of the same name–but the movie is so much more than these maxims.  Gaiman, who just won the Newbery Medal Award for the 2008 book release The Graveyard Book, wrote Coraline in 2002 to much fanfare; it won the Hugo Award for Best Novella, the Nebula Award for Best Novella, and the Bran Stoker Award For Best Work For Young Readers in 2003.

Selick, who directed A Nightmare Before Christmas, knew the story of the little girl Coraline offered a purely magical tale and he ran with it using the technology he pioneered in Nightmare–while improving it with 3D!

The result: a wonderful tale filled with the magic of Disney, the darkness of the Victorian Age story Alice in Wonderland and the fantastic characters of The Wizard of Oz–all in one movie!

Put simply, the movie adaptation of Coraline is wondrous and fantastic.

The story of Coraline is relatively simple: A young girl and her family move into a tri-plex where she finds an odd, mystical door. Realizing her parents, Mr. and Mrs. Jones, care more about their lives than they do her, Coraline ventures through the door to escape into adventure where she discovers an alternate trip-plex where her “Other Mother” and “Other Father” live. They make promises to her, showing her all the attention she ever wanted, until Coraline’s life becomes all too weird and all too dangerous–and big black buttons are set aside for her.

For the terrible truth is: Coraline’s “Other Mother” wants the little girl all for her very own and she is willing to do anything to get her.

With my black-rimmed 3D glasses securely fixed to my face, I watched the opening credits of the film and was blown away by what Selick and company had accomplished. 3D technology has come a long way since I was a child twenty years ago. Once upon a time, 3D work was relegated to being a gimmick and nothing more, the possibility of true 3D far into the future. But in the case of Coraline I found myself drawn into the world through the 3D. The movements of a needle and thread, hummingbirds flying through the air at your head, vampire Scottie dogs hanging from rafters in rows, biting snap dragon flowers—these are but a small bit of the marvels Selick has been able to achieve.

If you love wearing the 3D glasses, this is the movie for you!

The opening credits of this movie were amazing in 3D. I can’t say enough about them. Then the real movie begins. The next 15 minutes of story took a while to get going but by that time the movie was on its way and I sat in my theater seat mesmerized.

Thankfully, story drives this movie. It would have been easy to get lost in the 3D and forget an actual story was important. Selick did not do that. The adventures of Coraline are filled with the wondrous and the magical, but the character development Gaiman and Selick put her through is masterly. She goes from being a petulant brat to being responsible for many others. Coraline touches the hearts and souls of those she interacts with–and those who watch her in the theater. My favorite moments are Coraline on screen with the Cat, a creature who reminded me a bit of the Cheshire Cat but more fun, and who can reside in both the real world and the “Other” world but who can only talk and philosophize in the “Other” world. Coraline really is more than just the 3D that drives the movie; it, quite simply, is a good solid movie about coming of age, realizing what is important in life, and making choices not based on what we wish would be but what we can control to be.

I think it works for all ages too. As Gaiman recently said, if a young adult or child can watch The Wizard of Oz, they should be able to watch Coraline.

I agree.

If you are looking for a fun getaway in the vein of Alice In Wonderland and The Wizard of Oz, try Coraline this weekend. I really doubt you will be disappointed.

Besides, who is scared of buttons?

I mean, really?