Coraline... Everything's right in this world, kiddo.

Rating: 7/10 (15 October 2009)

Coraline: 7 out of 10: Whom is this movie for is a question that dashed through my mind while watching it. It is too scary and adult for most children. The film is full of High Octane Nightmare Fuel and retired adult entertainment stars with naked elderly puppet breasts... come to think of it that is High Octane Nightmare Fuel as well.
As for the adults in the audience, I fear that in my case the film was too distant. I never felt emotionally attached to our plucky protagonist. In part because she is not a very nice girl (nor terribly plucky now I think about it) and partially because the film seemed to place her and her predicament at a distance.
On the other hand, I was floored by the sheer artistry of the film. Visually this is simply one of the most stunning films I have ever seen. Director Henry Selick who helmed such stop motion masterpieces as James and the Giant Peach and The Nightmare Before Christmas has taken his art to a new level. Words simply cannot describe the visual delights that lie inside Coraline.
While I found the story somewhat distancing I also recognize the depth of the tale. Coraline’s two universes mirror each other in a complicated web rather than a simply black and white as one might expect. The ocean here may not be that wide but it is amazingly deep. To bad the water was a little cold for this swimmer.