This is not your normal animated children’s movie. Coraline is a darker movie than most people think. It deals with situations that might give little kids nightmares if they don’t know any better. But the movie is unique with its storytelling and its animation. The stop-motion animation process of Coraline is similar to The Nightmare Before Christmas – both coming from Laika. Also, they are both directed by Henry Selick.
This stop-motion animation takes a long time. I believe it took something like four years to create. The process is long and it takes a week just to film a few seconds of the movie, which explains why the process is so long to complete. But this type of animation makes a movie like Coraline shine. It has a darker theme than the usual animated movies, but that’s the point. It is not supposed to be like those, and the animation helps it stand apart from others. Everything that Selick used in Coraline makes the viewing experience all the more dazzling.
The story is about Coraline (Dakota Fanning), a girl who thinks she lives a boring life. She has moved away from her friends, and her parents (Teri Hatcher and John Hodgman) are too busy to notice her. She is alone. However, when she finds a secret door that leads to another version of her world, everything seems so much better. Or so she thinks.
Her “other” parents notice her and pay her too much attention. But she enjoys being noticed. She feels loved until they want her to stay with them forever. The world that she thought was so bright is grim instead. So, we watch while Coraline tries to escape and help her real family as well.
It is a dark adventure story with a tagline that could not be truer: Be careful what you wish for. Things could be much worse than you think. The story is about appreciating what you have. A message everyone can relate to. Coraline is utterly unique with a solid story and splendid visuals.
“Nature Boy” Brandon Vick is a member of The Music City Film Critics’ Association, the resident film critic of the SoBros Network, and the star of Brandon’s Box Office In Your Mouth. Follow him on Twitter @SirBrandonV and be sure to search #VicksFlicks for all of his latest movie reviews.
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