Review of Coraline (2009) by Taylorryan — 13 Feb 2017

“Coraline”, Buttons You Up at the Start.

After I watched “Coraline” in English for a project, I haven’t been able to look at a button the same. Coraline is a PG animated fantasy / thriller movie. The producer of “Coraline” is Laika Entertainment. Some main character's voices include actors such as Dakota Fanning as Coraline, Teri Hatcher as the Mothers, and Ian McShane as Mr. Bobinsky. I enjoyed this film but I still have some critical thoughts.

Coraline and her parents move into The Pink Palace Apartments and it seems to be very bland and normal, but she comes to find this mysterious place has big secrets behind a little door. Coraline wishes for a better life. Her parents are caught up in their own business and leave her to make fun for herself. While Coraline explores the house she meets her boring neighbors and a bizarre boy who is the grandson of the owner of the complex. This boy is Wybie, he says his grandmother doesn’t usually rent to people with children. He tells her things that leads her to question her new home. She then unlocks the door to a perfect universe. She meets her other parents and Coraline has everything she has ever wanted. Her other mother just needs one thing in return, to sew buttons into her eyes. But what all does that involve, you say? Watch the movie to see for yourself!

One thing I noticed while watching the film was stop motion. Some might think stop motion isn’t very good, but in this movie it’s really effective with the plot. The details in this movie are excellent. All the characters including mice and stuffed animals had buttons for eyes. For Coraline, a child that wants the perfect life, this image sure is maintained, of course until all turns evil. I disliked the creepiness and scenes where you see the true side of the other mother.

This movie is rated PG. This movie can be frightening to little ones but it doesn’t contain any content to have it be PG 13. I would recommend not taking your little children of ages 8 and under to this mature animated movie. Your child would likely not understand the concept of this film and would have nightmares for the rest of their lives. Some scandalous scenes with grandmas are best not seen by youngsters. These parts are not inappropriate but not recommended for the button eyes of a child. I would suggest that parents should view this movie before taking their kid to view this. I would not refer to this as a scary/horror movie but it does in fact have a very eerie vibe to it.