Puts Some Magic Back in Animation

Rating: 9/10 (25 March 2009)

I've had a lot of respect for the Pixar folks over the past several years. I enjoyed THE INCREDIBLES and WALL-E and to a lesser extent FINDING NEMO and RATATOUILLE. CORALINE is a different class of movie altogether. While Pixar has been breaking barriers in realism, CORALINE follows Alice down the rabbit hole into a world of fantasy. And it's a fantasy land I haven't visited in a while: a welcome change. CORALINE's world is designed to beguile her with wonder and Henry Selick manages to beguile the audience with wonder too. This is the first 3D movie I've seen that actually knows what to do with the process. While the story is as classic as a trip down the rabbit hole or to Oz, its sinister twist and vivid imagination make it a fresh experience.