A wonderful step into the future of animation

Rating: 7/10 (29 October 2009)

A young girl (Fanning) finds a secret world where her reality is changed into everything she has ever wished for.
Marking the dawn of a new age Coraline brought neutrals and fans into theatres across the world as we viewers start to implement ourselves in the new 3D age.
Though not the first 3D picture this was marked as the first stop motion animation to be shot entirely in 3D and what an accomplish this is. Plaudits all around the world rightly justified the achievement made in order to adapt the Neil Gaiman novel. The effects really are superb. Back over a decade ago Selick's renowned picture The Nightmare before Christmas was likewise a sharp advance in the animation world.
The days before Pixar are almost forgettable exempt for cartoon Disney. And rightly so that picture still remains a classic, and where this doesn't have the panache of that hit, it should be praised for the breathtaking visuals and bewildering dark plot.
The impressive title sequence with all the knitting works a treat as we see the scale of the task of 3D working away magically. And though we don't know it yet this little sequence shapes things to come.
The first couples of plot events are pretty standard social setting with Coraline isolated and looking for things to do. And at first the blue haired child is certainly aggravating. Her constant whining and bothering with her parents are reminiscent of today's modern youthful stereotype. Nevertheless Coraline's curiosity and imagination are to be admired and as the plot gets darker and more dangerous, the title character becomes easier to watch. The collection of characters together make interesting viewing as "The other mother" demonstrates a delicious slice of hidden evil whilst it is wonderful character development regarding the father figure in both worlds. The black cat is great fun for the kids as well.
This concept regarding the two worlds is highly imaginative and a wondrous challenge to tackle as we viewers join Coraline as she tries to decode her own reality and desires. The weaving of emotions into dreams makes everything juicy and springy. The contrasts of positives and negatives, dreams and nightmares and good and evil are all present with a script thriving on drama and fantasy.
The scene settings are picturesque to capture the plot's ever changing moods whilst the lighting and animation consistently spill the goods.
However given everything that works in the making of this, there are still a few major doubts. For one the plot isn't what you would describe as excellent as the dialogue in the action sequences make for questioning. There can also be too much talk at frequent significant stages where more action would have been better placed. And in all honesty, a large proportion is conventional fantasy and drama. The kid hates her family, wants escapism; the bad people are egotistical and script-fully inevitable.
Though the original nature of his previous smash is missing Selick really has created a spellbinding picture, and let the animation development continue.