Coraline

In the wildly imaginative feature "Coraline," based on the novella of the same name by Neil Gaiman, director Henry Selick of "The Nightmare Before Christmas" fame gives the original master of whimsically macabre moviemaking, Tim Burton, a run for his money.

When young Coraline Jones arrives at her strange new home with her mother and father, who promptly busy themselves with work day and night, she is quickly left to her own devices to explore her strange new environs.

In the process, Coraline, and the audience, meet some truly eccentric characters in the form of her new neighbors, including two busybody former actresses and a wonderfully weird Russian circus performer. She also meets a boy her own age, Wybie, whose cat - yes, cat - turns out to be a valuable ally in the course of Coraline's adventures.

When Coraline happens upon a secret doorway in her new home that leads to a parallel world, complete with an Other Mother and Other Father who lavish her with love and attention, it seems at first that Coraline has found the best of both worlds. Eventually however, she discovers that this secret world is not all it appears to be. There is a truly sinister evil lurking beneath the surface and Coraline must bravely battle against it to set things right.

As this movie unfolds, we get a glimpse into a fantastical world that is visually stunning at every turn and will leave even the most cynical adult breathlessly filled with childlike wonder and amazement. The sets are incredibly imaginatively realized and the stop-motion animation technique employed here truly lends itself to the story.

One note of caution however, is that this movie is most definitely not for young children and is deserving of its PG rating. In fact, PG-13 might have been more appropriate. But parents and older kids who see "Coraline" together are sure to love this movie, and it will no doubt be regarded as one of the finest, darkest fairy tales to be told in a long time.

Written by: JC Chute

Reviewers Rating: 9.5
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