From the creative director of “The Nightmare before Christmas” (1993) is a brave child’s nightmare, “Coraline.” The images were disturbing, this was expected, but the storyline was surprisingly sinister.
Coraline Jones (Dakota Fanning) is a gutsy, unpleasant girl with an attitude that no one can stop. She complains a lot about her miserable life with her too-busy-to-notice parents. Coraline is adventurous and has a tendency of meeting odd people, like Wybie (Robert Bailey Jr.), the hunchback boy who has a tendency of stalking her and talking too much. Although Coraline is very annoyed by this unique character, he becomes a hero in her time of need.
Because of Coraline’s curiosity and desire for adventure, she finds herself trapped in an alternate-world, where everything is almost too good to be true. She meets the same people from her real world, including her parents, but they all have button eyes. Her Other Mother (Teri Hatcher) seems to be the perfect loving mother, wanting everything perfect for her daughter.
The only way Coraline is allowed to stay in this awesome alternate-world is to have buttons sewn on to her very own eyes. Sounds like a painful procedure and Coraline wants out.
Director Henry Selick uses the same stop-motion and other animations from “The Nightmare Before Christmas,” to create Coraline’s worlds. In select theatres, you can watch the film in 3-D animation, which creates crazy murky images that come to life right before your eyes.
The film is rated PG for the eerie visuals and some suggestive humor. The ideal audience is the Tim Burton fan who loves artsy detailed work. If “Nightmare before Christmas” scared you as a seven-year-old, this film will definitely remind you of that. Selick introduces characters through the 3-D animation that are interesting and creative, but obscure and elongated in the alternate-world just behind the wall-papered little door in the living room.
Coraline’s neighbors in the Pink Palace Apartments are the kind of neighbors you only hear about and wish to stay away from. The two old ladies (Jennifer Saunders and Dawn French) who live in the basement are retired actresses from the suggestive adult industry who are obsessed with their Scottish terriers and 100- year- old taffy. Then there is Mr. Bobinsky (Ian McShane), who seems like a total drunk, but isn’t. He is just “eccentric,” as Coraline puts it. He is a circus mice trainer who lives in the attic, nothing normal about him.
The alternate-world becomes everything a child could wish for, but it is the real world that they want in the end. Coraline realizes her love for her real parents after they go missing; Other Mother uses them as bait to keep Coraline for herself.
The visual effects were definitely worth seeing. I could have seen it in 3-D or not and it would have been just the same. The storyline, although creepy, teaches us – as well as Coraline – a lesson: be careful what you wish for, you may actually get it.
