Coraline ( and The Secret Door)
July 28th 2009 14:46
Dir: Henry Selick
Genre: Stop-Motion animation, adventure, fantasy
Running Time: 100 minutes
This film is yet to open here in Australia, so I saw this on Bluray from the US. The Bluray pack comes with a 2D and 3D version - both of which will be opening at cinemas around Australia from August 6.
The look of this film and quality of the stop motion filming give this film a terrific technical edge, but the story is a little slow in parts. It is visually wonderful to watch - and once the story gets moving it is quite enthralling.
The film features the voice talents of Dakota Fanning as the plucky Coraline, and Terri Hatcher as Mother and Other Mother, and French and Saunders as the Misses Forcible and Spink respectively. They voice the two aging spinster actresses that share the basement apartment of an old turn of the century weatherboard house now converted into apartments. Upstairs is the eccentric Mr Bobinsky, voiced by the talented Ian McShane.
Just as in Drag Me To Hell, buttons play an important role in this story. What is it with buttons and evil villains? I'm going to buy Velcro in future. The plot is simple - Coraline discovers a parallel world which mirrors her own, but without the pain and sadness she endures on a day to day basis. This world is of course an evil trap, as others have been trapped before by the wicked 'Other Mother'. Coraline is made of sterner stuff, and with the aid of the stray cat who follow her into the parallel world she takes on 'Other Mother'. She bravely attempts to rescue the trapped souls of three former captured children and her real parents.
This is an extraordinary film in many ways, and certainly one which the kids would enjoy. The problem I have with this film is that there is a body of stop motion film which not only demonstrates astonishing skill, but tells a ripping yarn too. Look at any of Nick Park’s Wallace and Gromit films or Chicken Run. This film has none of the charm of these stop motion films, The animation has echoes of Nightmare before Christmas and Corpse Bride which are pretty much the standard by which any film like this might be measured.
Coraline is generally lacking in humour. It is a very dark plot, but it is not lacking in technical skill or art direction. The script is slow and patchy and predictable, and the characters, with the exception of French and Saunders in the basement and McShane upstairs, lack vitality. The animation though is smooth and of high quality. This is a lovely film to watch and the kids will enjoy it, but with all the hype, I was expecting something with a lot more substance.
Rating:3/5
Genre: Stop-Motion animation, adventure, fantasy
Running Time: 100 minutes
Watch out for the buttons...
This film is yet to open here in Australia, so I saw this on Bluray from the US. The Bluray pack comes with a 2D and 3D version - both of which will be opening at cinemas around Australia from August 6.
The look of this film and quality of the stop motion filming give this film a terrific technical edge, but the story is a little slow in parts. It is visually wonderful to watch - and once the story gets moving it is quite enthralling.
The film features the voice talents of Dakota Fanning as the plucky Coraline, and Terri Hatcher as Mother and Other Mother, and French and Saunders as the Misses Forcible and Spink respectively. They voice the two aging spinster actresses that share the basement apartment of an old turn of the century weatherboard house now converted into apartments. Upstairs is the eccentric Mr Bobinsky, voiced by the talented Ian McShane.
Just as in Drag Me To Hell, buttons play an important role in this story. What is it with buttons and evil villains? I'm going to buy Velcro in future. The plot is simple - Coraline discovers a parallel world which mirrors her own, but without the pain and sadness she endures on a day to day basis. This world is of course an evil trap, as others have been trapped before by the wicked 'Other Mother'. Coraline is made of sterner stuff, and with the aid of the stray cat who follow her into the parallel world she takes on 'Other Mother'. She bravely attempts to rescue the trapped souls of three former captured children and her real parents.
This is an extraordinary film in many ways, and certainly one which the kids would enjoy. The problem I have with this film is that there is a body of stop motion film which not only demonstrates astonishing skill, but tells a ripping yarn too. Look at any of Nick Park’s Wallace and Gromit films or Chicken Run. This film has none of the charm of these stop motion films, The animation has echoes of Nightmare before Christmas and Corpse Bride which are pretty much the standard by which any film like this might be measured.
Coraline is generally lacking in humour. It is a very dark plot, but it is not lacking in technical skill or art direction. The script is slow and patchy and predictable, and the characters, with the exception of French and Saunders in the basement and McShane upstairs, lack vitality. The animation though is smooth and of high quality. This is a lovely film to watch and the kids will enjoy it, but with all the hype, I was expecting something with a lot more substance.
Rating:3/5
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