"I'm your OTHER mother, silly" (Coraline (DVD))

Member Name: JJJJ

Product:	Coraline (DVD)
Date:	21/10/09 (155 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Beautiful Animation

Disadvantages: N/A

"Coraline Jones always dreamed of finding a better world... but never did she imagine that she would discover it in her own home"...

Frequently, modern-day animated films can be a bit lifeless, utilising the same smooth textures and ultimately lacking a certain spark - but this certainly isn't the case with the Henry Selick directed 'Coraline'. Coraline is a visually impressive and occasionally frightening tale featuring dark and unnerving themes in its portrayal of the Neil Gaimen novella of the same name. On its release, Coraline was available as a 3D cinematic experience, but this review focuses on the regular DVD version.

Voiced by Dakota Fanning, our eponymous heroine is a blue-haired little girl whose inquisitive nature frequently gets her into mischief. When she moves to a creepy new home, Coraline finds life to be a little dull, as both her parents are too busy to play with her (arrrr). However, Coraline's interest is roused when she spots a tiny locked door at the bottom of a wall, inside which, she finds an alternate reality complete with another set of fun-loving parents... but is this seemingly perfect second-life all that it seems?, and why do its inhabitants have buttons for eyes? - creepy!

The visual effects featured in Corline are very impressive indeed - and it's far from the smooth-flowing and pleasing eye-candy animation which Pixar produces. Here we see a traditional stop-motion style, which, when combined with state-of-the-art computer effects, creates a beautifully mesmeric and unique end result. The outcome is akin to a technically superior version of 'The Nightmare Before Christmas' (which Seleck also directed - even though most people assume it was Tim Burton). The colours are stunning, and the attention to detail is top-quality - we see a range of wonderful textures and visual nuances which help extenuate the contrast between both worlds which are depicted in the movie. You can tell that the film was designed with 3D in mind, as there are a number of objects constantly coming toward the viewer, and even when watching the 2D version, a selection of onscreen bits and pieces appear to pop out from the screen.

Although it's primarily a kids film, Coraline is a un-nerving spectacle - the central character feels like she's in actual peril for a great deal of the movies duration, and her dreamlike fantasy world quickly turns into a nightmaric vision. That said, there is no violence or bad language, and ultimately, it's one of those movies which comes packaged with a "contains mild fantasy peril' warning.

Dakota Fanning is very good as the adventurous young lady who is just looking for a bit of attention, and she packs a lot of character into her voice acting role. Similarly, the supporting cast (including Terri Hatcher and John Hodgman as Coraline's parents) fulfill their duties with style and substance.

The range of secondary characters who inhabit both of the worlds around Coraline are an interesting and slightly crazy bunch. Ian McShane works especially well as the acrobatic neighbour 'Mr Sergei Alexander Bobinsky', and French and Saunders pop up as a couple of washed-up actresses, with a passion for Terrier dogs.

All in all, Coraline is a beautiful yet disturbing tale which makes a change from the current crop of Disney / Pixar animated features that all have a similar feel about them. Both adults and kids will enjoy the antics of Coraline, whose eccentric imagery and firm moral undercurrent helps create a thoughtful and engaging story.

Lead Roles
- - - - - - -
Dakota Fanning - Coraline Jones (voice)
Teri Hatcher - Mel Jones / Other Mother / Beldam (voice)
Jennifer Saunders - Miss April Spink / Other Spink (voice)
Dawn French - Miss Miriam Forcible / Other Forcible (voice)
Keith David - The Cat (voice)
John Hodgman - Charlie Jones / Other Father (voice)
Robert Bailey Jr. - Wybie Lovat (voice)
Ian McShane - Mr. Sergei Alexander Bobinsky / Other Bobinsky (voice)

You can currently purchase the DVD version of Coraline for £11.98 from Amazon, which includes the 2D and 3D Versions of the film, plus four pairs of 3D glasses.

Summary: Animated Fantasy Adventure