Exceptional, but probably not for younger viewers

Rating: 8/10 (7 March 2009)

CORALINE is an exceptional movie and I really have to admire the folks who made it. However, I should point out that this is NOT a movie for younger viewers because the movie is basically like walking into a nightmare. I think I'd be very hesitant to take a child younger than 10 to see it--it is that dark and scary.
When the film begins, you are blown away by the amazing stop-motion film work. I assumed it must have been computer generated, but amazingly the film was made using models and figures with interchangeable features. It is many generations beyond the old Rankin-Bass animation or even "The Nightmare Before Christmas" (also by the folks who brought us CORALINE). The artistry was amazing and so many little details and touches made the film look magical. In addition, I found a theater where it was shown in 3-D and I really think it's well worth the extra money to get the three dimensional experience because it was flawless.
The story is about a young girl who is unhappy. Her family just moved into a weird old Victorian era home but the parents are so busy with their job that they don't have much time for poor Coraline. Later, however, Coraline discovers an alternate world--one where everything looks a lot like the real world but seems perfect--so perfect that she'd rather live there. However, being a scary story, things of course aren't as they seem and this leads to a confrontation that could spell doom for the girl and her parents.
Excellent all around and I have no serious complaints. A very good film for older kids, teens and adults....but not little kids, as the film will probably scare them out of their wits. Don't let the PG rating fool you--this is NOT like a Disney or Nickelodeon film but more like an even more intensely dark Roald Dahl story done in stop-motion. Neil Gaiman is the author of this tale and my daughter read his story and the film and although they were different here and there (the film adds Wybie, for example), she said both were equally wonderful.