Rating: MMMM

Review of Coraline first published in a May 2009 issue of Spark*, the newspaper of Reading University Students’ Union.

Director: Henry Selick
Starring (voices): Dakota Fanning, Teri Hatcher, Ian McShane
Running time: 100 mins

Given its excellent source material (based on Neil Gaiman’s widely acclaimed children’s book) and with The Nightmare Before Christmas director Henry Selick at the helm, it is easy to approach Coraline with high expectations, and gladly these are not at all misplaced. From its highly original and meticulously detailed opening title sequence to its well-paced closing scenes, Coraline is a thoroughly engaging and entertaining piece of gothic-tinged cinema for children. Having said this however, it must be said that in places, the film verges on being just slightly too creepy and sinister (arguably not surprising to those familiar with Gaiman’s work which often draws on elements of horror) to be appropriate for very young children, as there are jumps, shocks and certain details in some scenes which would not be out of place in the work of John Carpenter or early Sam Raimi. Also the general tone of the film is altogether more disturbing and unsettling for it to be recommended for a very young audience – in comparison with The Nightmare Before Christmas, Coraline is arguably much more disturbing. But the scare factor is just one of its many strengths.

The film boasts an excellent premise (to say more than very little of this would give away too much): a little girl discovers a doorway to another world and has to deal with the consequences when the two worlds she inhabits begin to collide. The film’s narrative and characterisation are very good, with Dakota Fanning being generally less irritating than usual as the voice of the eponymous heroine. Teri Hatcher does sterling work in the double role of Coraline’s Mother and ‘Other Mother’, as does Ian McShane as Mr Bobinsky. With Gaiman as co-screenwriter, it is no surprise that the script and storytelling is deftly handled and well paced. But it is truly in its visual style that Coraline excels. As previously mentioned, the opening sequence of stitching and textile work is fabulously detailed, as is the world in which the characters move – the light from Mrs Jones’ laptop on her face, the raindrops running down the windows and the eerie mist surrounding the house are just a few of the excellent visual subtleties at work in the film.

However, where director Henry Selick truly must be praised is in the stunning set-pieces which are nothing short of breathtaking (even more so as they have been achieved in stop-motion animation), inviting only a response of “wow” (this being only increased in 3D format, which for the purple tunnel connecting Coraline’s two worlds is well worth it). The garden scene in particular is nothing short of visually arresting, while the film’s climax involving a spider-web style netted sky and spiralling world is a sublime treat. With its highly original plot, visually stunning art direction, charming music and nice little touches here and there (Mrs Jones’ “I love mulch” mug, the piano that seemingly plays Coraline’s father), Coraline is a wonderfully entertaining, highly engaging animated noir that will leave you with a new-found creepy mistrust of dolls and buttons alike.

Rating: MMMM