Fascinating visuals and imaginative film making.

Rating: 6/10 (19 October 2012)

Coraline is a film released in 2009 and directed by Henry Selick, who is famous for "The Nightmare Before Christmas" (1993). Coraline uses an animation technique called stop motion (stop frame), where it manipulates photographic subjects such as clay dolls or stuffed animals by moving them one frame at a time, so that it appears as if they move by themselves. The expressions of characters are rich like a human being.
The story starts off with an old house where Coraline moves in with her parents. Coraline finds no interest in the house, has no friends, and feels neglected by her parents. While she is looking around the house, she finds a small door blocked by a brick. However, only during her sleep, she goes through the door into another world, where another nice mother and father look after her. The "other" parents look the same as her real parents and they are way too nice for Caroline, except that they have button eyes. When she realizes what the other mother wants, she tries to escape from other mother's desire in the evil world and fights with the other mother in order to get her back to the reality.
Overall, the visuals of the film were imaginative and fascinating, but the story was still one you can predict. And this film is easily compared with "The Nightmare Before Christmas" which is better. So, I would say, this film is not something you want to watch in a theater.