Coraline

[4.0
stars] [IMDb Link]

[Amazon Link]
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This animated horror story is allegedly for kids, but—geez—I'd want to make sure your kid is pretty much immune to scary and disturbing images and intense situations.

Coraline is a smart and funny little girl, stuck with parents who aren't very nice to her, and stuck in an out-of-the way old house with oddball creepy neighbors. One night she discovers a doorway to some sort of alternate reality, where she meets her "Other Mother" and "Other Father", and various magically wondrous things happen.

The only off-putting thing, at first, is the Others' eyes: they're buttons. But everything else is a huge improvement! And the only downside is that Coraline keeps getting zapped back to the real world every morning.

Alas, things are not what they seem, and Coraline is called upon to be brave, clever, and resourceful in order to save herself, her real parents, and other victims of the surprisingly evil villain.

It's a very imaginative film, a stop-motion animation fest, and (sorry to use this cliché) visually stunning. A feast for the eyes. Lots of details zip right by, and I'm sure multiple viewings would be rewarding.

But (as I said) it might give your sensitive kiddos nightmares. Actually, I wouldn't have been too surprised if it had given me nightmares.

Consumer note: the DVD has a 3-D version on one side that you can view with red-green glasses. We didn't do that.


Last Modified 2024-01-31 5:22 AM EDT