masterpiece

Rating: 9/10 (11 September 2009)

CORALINE If you liked 'The nightmare before Christamas' and 'The corpse bride' then you're in for a real treat with this 3D masterpiece! Coraline is the creation of the makers of 'the nightmare before Christmas' and offers a dark alternative to the animations by pixar and dreamworks. The pinnacle of this creation is the 3D effects which make it a joy to watch without the trek to the IMAX. The story begins with the central character of 'Coraline'(Dakota Fanning), who feels ignored and under appreciated by her overly busy parents (Teri Hatcher and John Hodgman). She discovers a small door which leads to a mystical world where she meets different versions of everything in her world however everything is magical and based around her happiness. But to carry on this perfect existence she must sacrifice her eyes. This fuels the chase to escape the mystical world, her parents and those trapped within it! Coralines experience takes the audience on a journey where she discovers that her parents may sometimes be too busy to spend time with her but still love her; and she learns to appreciate what they do to give her a good life. The film manages to display the hidden moral that the grass isn't always greener on the other side. Her journey introduces the audiences to eccentric characters; both lovable and peculiar; they provide the humour in this tale through the character Bobinsky's antics and eccentric behaviour of Miss Spink and Miss Forcible (Dawn french and Jennifer Saunders), in particular, the semi-naked burlesque shows they perform. This sets it apart from an animation geared towards the young and makes it enjoyable for the adults too! Even with its brilliance the film does have a few downfalls just like all the greats. The films drives me ask why the witch doesn't want to or can't enter the normal world and how she came to be in that place. Another thought it provokes is the replicas of people that the witch has in her world and raises the questions of whether everyone has a twin?? Furthermore there are also correlations between this and the cult Steven King thriller 'IT', in which the antagonist becomes a spider. However, it was more fitting in this film because it portrayed the web of illusions caused by the witch in the film perfectly. Nevertheless, the film makes up for any drawback with the riveting vocals by the cast, the recognisable voices manage to amuse those who didn't know the cast beforehand and enjoy guessing them. "Coraline" continues to stay entertaining throughout and leaves you guessing. The suspense is enough to leave you at the edge of your seat! This is a must see film that displays the thrilling adventures that is synonymous with that of "Pan's Labyrinth" and the fun of "The nightmare before Christams"; making it a reason to take a trip to the cinema and sporting those unpleasant 3D glasses.