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A screen adaptation of the 2002 novella of the same name by Neil Gaiman, Coraline signals Henry Selick's long-overdue return to the realm of stop-motion animation (after The Nightmare Before Christmas and James and the Giant Peach). In an era dominated by computer-animated movies (courtesy of Pixar, Dreamworks, etc), stop-motion puppeteers are few and far between, which makes Coraline an enchanting breath of fresh air. Better yet, the film doesn't rely on toilet humour, blatant morals or hackneyed plotting. Just like The Nightmare Before Christmas, Selick's latest effort can be absorbed by both kids and adults - kids can admire the luxurious visuals, while adults can absorb the themes and enjoy the scares. Coraline is a gorgeous motion picture, but it lacks substance, and the visuals often overwhelm basic storytelling requirements.
Fundamentally Alice in Wonderland reconfigured for David Lynch fans, this eerie-yet-elegant tale sets its sights on an adventurous young girl named Coraline (voiced by Dakota Fanning). Having moved with her family to a remote apartment building in Oregon (far away from her friends), Coraline is bored with her new home and annoyed by the inattentiveness of her workaholic parents. One day Coraline discovers a hidden door that turns out to be a portal which transports her to a bizarre alternative dimension that contains an idealised version of her home. But the time-honoured cliché applies: if it looks too good to be true, it probably is...
As the animation realm gradually becomes dominated by computers, Henry Selick seems wholly content operating in the world of stop-motion. It's impossible to deny the visual mastery of Coraline when it's a proud member of the stop-motion club; relinquishing routine CG sheen for breathtaking textures and luscious artistry that can be delivered only through this painstaking process. Selick's amazing visual style is almost smooth enough to be mistaken for CGI, but there's a distinctive appearance to this approach that reveals itself as something more laborious. Selick additionally explores Gaiman themes of heroism and magic while furthering his own interest in spooky creatures and surreal Burton-esque production design. Coraline has been tagged with a well-earned PG rating as it definitely falls on the dark side of the fairytale spectrum. It isn't an excessively violent movie, but there are a few intense, frightening scenes.
The plot, while admittedly rather slim, is involving from start to finish, and the narrative trajectory is rather unpredictable in spite of the incorporation of familiar elements. The key problem with Coraline is one of pacing - the story progresses at one pace throughout, and never heats up. Meanwhile (and there's no other way to put it), the film is gorgeously off-putting - a considerable achievement of visual dread. In the end it's pretty blah, yet (even without a story worth telling) the visual panache is compelling.
In a post-WALL-E animation market, a movie must come armed with insight into the world at large. In this respect, Coraline contains solid ruminations on parenting, individuality, and (most brazenly) the bond between mother and daughter. The voice acting is solid as well. Dakota Fanning is unrecognisable yet instantly likeable and boundlessly appealing as the feature's titular character. The rest of the vocal performers are equally unrecognisable. Teri Hatcher has no difficulty with her role as Coraline's two mothers, seemingly channelling the Wicked Witch of the West for her verbal performance as the Other Mother. Ian McShane does solid work as the Russian who runs a mouse circus upstairs, while Jennifer Saunders and Dawn French voice Coraline's strange downstairs neighbours. There's also Keith David as a prophetic black cat who plays a vital role in the story.
Though a few of the more perverse concepts from Neil Gaiman's Coraline novella have been excluded, the author's talent for dark and lively imagery has been translated with gravitas by Henry Selick. Despite a well-worn message (the grass is always greener/be careful what you wish for) and the fact that this enchantment runs out of steam before it ends, Selick's latest project remains a laudable accomplishment in animation and imagination - lean, funny, and entertaining. You don't have to be a child to be enchanted by it.
7.6/10
