DVD: Coraline 9/10 Director: Henry Selick
Starring: Dakota Fanning, Teri Hatcher, John Hodgman
Plot: a young girl called Coraline stumbles across a fantasy
world in her new home, soon confusing it with reality.
Stop-motion animation is by far my favourite way of
presenting a film compared to computer animation. Coraline is one of those
films which achieves wonderful visuals as well as a fascinating, enchanting
storyline which grasps its audience and doesn’t let go until the very end,
something both children and adults alike would enjoy. Coraline has an array of
voiceover talents; Dakota Fanning plays the title character superbly. Teri
Hatcher as Coraline’s mother is a stand-out in the picture, turning from a
tired catalogue writer to Coraline’s ‘other’ mother, which becomes a chilling
and frightening transition. Dawn French and Jennifer Saunders make a surprising
and hilarious appearance to the screen, giving way for some much-needed comic
relief amongst the dark themes and harrowing ghosts.
The film is, even for adults, terribly frightening. The
thought of sewing buttons into eyes in a children’s film is not only strange
but disturbing – a huge bonus on the films part as it doesn’t fail to take
risks. Without the terror of Coraline’s ‘other’ mother, the quest that is taken
would be meaningless and flat. The darkness of the film gives it a haunting
feel throughout (through to the end) yet keeps itself at a child’s level by
having its relatable and well-developed characters (particularly Coraline’s
on-screen friend Wybie).
In Conclusion: Coraline, at 100 minutes in length, is one of,
if not the most, captivating animated feature film to have been made; its
storyline is chilling, its characters superb and its animation timeless (see if
you can spot the gravy train!) Coraline sustains a basic storyline yet its
explosive characters and unforgettable finale make it one hell of a ride!
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