Wonderful Flick

Rating: 10/10 (13 March 2009)

This odd little film turned out to be one of the best kid-type films I've seen in awhile. Mind you, little-little kids under the age of 6 or so may find some parts a bit un-nerving but older kids (like my nephew Sam who's 10) really got into it. Sam has the attention span of a gnat but he sat all the way through this, rapt with attention (which can't be said for the travesty of a film called "Hotel For Dogs", which found my nephew bored silly, making paper airplanes out of the empty Raisenettes box he had). Anyhow, this film has a magical, otherworldly feel to it with a great little message about "being careful what you wish for" throughout the movie. Dakota Fanning voices the sometimes bored, sometimes insolent, often frustrated Coraline perfectly. Teri Hatcher surprises here to, switching between the modern, impatient mother of Coraline's reality and the "Other Mother", a creepily saccharine character in the other realm. Ian McShane's "Mr. Bobinsky" is a hoot and it's always cool to see the comedic teaming of crazy Brit chicks French and Saunders as outlandish neighbor ladies with a penchant for taxidermy on their multiple scotty dogs (whether the dogs are ready to go to the "great beyond" or not). This film was cool and original. It may be too different for kids (and adults) who prefer the cookie-cutter Disney mold with predictable stories but for people who enjoy an interesting and darkly imaginative tale, this is for you.