FROM THE ARCHIVES 8: a review of "Coraline"

Now that my review of "How To Train Your Dragon" has been posted, here's another trinket from the archives...

Originally written February 9, 2009

"CORALINE" Written and Directed by Henry Selick
Based upon the novel by Neil Gaiman
*** (three stars)

I have been told that fairy tales usually consist of three basic components: the opening "Once Upon A Time...," the positive "..and they lived happily ever after" as conclusion and all of the excitement occurs in the middle.

When I was a child, my favorite fairy tale was the eternal classic, "Jack and the Beanstalk." I never tired of it and truly relished the high tension of Jack entering into the giant's castle, stealing from him and hiding in various places to avoid being eaten. The story's set-up got me ready and the climactic chase down the beanstalk was deeply thrilling but it was the middle portion I liked the best. It was deeply frightening and as I have gotten older and have even watched children explore the same classic fairy tales many adults are now trying to shield them from, I have to wonder what is the magic found in the terror of classic children's stories and what fears are the children trying to work through on their own through their play? As adults try to keep toning things down in order for the children to not be frightened, children keep seeking healthy fears to overcome.

Now we are presented with a new film aimed at children that is a throwback on two fronts: the attempts to strongly evoke the style and tone of the brothers Grimm and the usage of the painstaking hand crafted, stop-motion animation in the digital age.

Writer/Director Henry Selick mostly succeeds in his adaptation of Neil Gaiman's novel "Coraline," the dark cautionary tale of a neglected and rightfully sullen pre-teen girl sucked into an alternate universe where the world is colorful with delightful surprises around every corner and most importantly, her parents are interesting, fun, and appear to be more loving than her real parents. But of course, in stories such as these, there is always a catch--and that is our heroine has to sew a pair of buttons over her eyes and remain in this now dangerous world forever, relinquishing her soul to the evil "Other Mother."

There are articles popping up everywhere wondering if this story will be too frightening for children. That's hard to say as it would depend upon each child's sensibilities. But, this is a creepy fable that dances to the edge of nightmares but never fully plunges into them. It's more "Hansel and Gretel" than anything truly harrowing. That said, I found myself not terribly involved or even scared during this film. Selick certainly captures the right tone and an eerie pace but sometimes, he lets his gorgeous animation get the better of him in sequences devoted to Coraline's grotesque and eccentric neighbors in scenes that go on a little too long and bog the main storyline down a bit.

If I could rate this film purely on style and technique, I would give it the four star rating without question. But, the story is what makes it all pop and while Selick does conjure up moments that reminded me of Terry Gilliam's "Time Bandits" and Miyazaki's astounding "Spirited Away," "Coraline" never built upwards into a full experience for me. "

"Finding Nemo" was a film that was almost exhausting...in a good way and that was due to the story's construction, pacing and execution. That said, don't let my slight detractions steer you away. "Coraline" is a worthy effort told in high style and if you look over your shoulder here and there after it's over, then that's even better.