Review of Coraline (2009) by Zal — 14 Dec 2012

Coraline was one of my favorite books in middle school. When I heard that there was going to be a movie version, I was excited. And the movie did not disappoint.

The story has an Alice in Wonderland vibe since it involves a young girl ending up in topsy turvy word. It reminds me of Corpse Bride in the designs of the two worlds where the real world is grey and drab while the alternate world is colorful and fantastical. I love the design of the Other Mother's world. It's bright and colorful and everything is made to please Coraline. However, as Coraline starts to resist, everything becomes darker and the Other Mother looks less and less human. And I don't know about anyone else, but the climax scared me to death.

I also enjoyed the characters. Coraline is a believable kid. She's kooky and weird and has strange taste in fashion. She gets on her parents nerves but she just wants them to to pay attention to her. The parents are also believable. There are times when my parents are so wrapped up in their work that they don't have time for me. They aren't bad people. They're just unbelivably stressed. The Other Mother is freaky as hell. She really seems like the kind of mother we all wish we had. She's funny and loving and gives you whatever you want. Too bad she's doing it so that she can ensnare and kill you. The other characters are mostly hit or miss.

Fans of the book might not like the changes made, but I think there were for the better. The book lacked detailed descriptions about Coraline's appearance. I really liked the blue hair. It fits her character. I also like the addition of Wybie. While he wasn't a HUGE part of the plot, they made his character relevant. And thank god they didn't make him a love interest.

I can understand why people wouldn't like it as much. It does have a lot of slow moments, but I liked those scenes because they were used to show us what kind of person Coraline is and about her relationship with her parents and Wybie.

I'm not sure if it will appeal to Tim Burton fans. It doesn't strike the same balance between macabre, comedy, and whimsy, but it's not trying to be The Nightmare Before Christmas. The only things it has in common with it is stopmotion and director Henry Selick. If you like stopmotion, this is a good movie to see.

And if you liked this movie, watch Laika's other major stopmotion film, ParaNorman.