Coraline Review

I realize that this isn't a 80s movie, but I felt compelled to review it anyway. If you haven't seen it yet, then you may want to skip on this review for now, because there are spoilers ahead.

One of the things I loved about this movie is that it wasn't just a movie, it was also an experience. I was a little bit skeptical about the 3D thing, but they managed to pull it off with a lot more grace than say, Terminator at Universal Studios. The 3D glasses weren't the old-school red and blue glasses, they actually looked like relatively stylish sunglasses. There were several Disney previews that required the use of said glasses, and this was also a nice touch. For once, somebody actually thought things through.

I watched the trailer to this film, but I didn't have any expectations going in. By the time the movie was over, I was rather blown away.

The movie is basically about a quirky girl named Coraline. She just moved into a new home with her parents, and is dissatisfied with her life. She discovers a little door in her house that leads to an alternate reality. At first this parallel universe seems like a better place. Everybody seems nicer, the food is better, and her friends are more tolerable. However, Coraline soon finds out that her "Other Mother" is up to no good, and wants to keep her trapped in this alternate reality. Coraline manages to escape, but her real parents are captured by the Other Mother who lays a trap for her. Coraline must free all the children whose souls were captured by the Other Mother and also find her parents.

I liked this movie because it was quirky, different, and quite inventive. They didn't try to gloss anything over or sugarcoat it; it's all there on display. In many ways, I feel like the CG animated genre has been far more inventive than most other genres in the last few years. I'm definitely interested in seeing what they come up with next.

By the way, this movie is not recommended for younger children. Do not be fooled by the G rating (Canada). There are a lot of moments that are quite creepy, even for grown adults. The PG rating in most other countries makes a lot more sense. Bring your 12 year old, but not your 8 year old.

Even if you have high expectations for this movie, you may still be surprised by the quality of character development, storyline, and CG 3D animation.