Creepy kid’s flick of the month
Dakota Fanning stars in "Coraline," a flick about a Narnia-like portal into a strangely animated world.
Malcolm Gibson
February 12, 2009
Filed under Arts & Entertainment, Movies, Reviews
“Coraline” presents us with a new way to tell an old story. Director Henry Selick brings the story by Neil Gaiman to the big screen in an interesting way.
The film starts out with a girl named Coraline (voiced by Dakota Fanning) who moves into a new apartment building with all sorts of odd tenants. While being neglected by her parents (voiced by Teri Hatcher and John Hodgman), Coraline discovers a portal in her apartment that leads her to a seemingly utopian world. At first Coraline thinks that this is where she belongs until she slowly discovers that all is not what it seems in this “paradise.”
The actors did an excellent job portraying their characters. Hatcher’s performance of the antagonist, the “other mother,” sets her character apart from the rest of the cast. Seeing her character go from being really affectionate and motherly to being full of rage and wrath shows her talent. Fanning’s portrayal of protagonist Coraline is nothing to sleep on as well.
The main eye-catcher of the film was the artwork and visuals of the movie. The film gives a creepy feel reminiscent of Tim Burton’s “The Nightmare Before Christmas,” which was also directed by Selick.
“Coraline” is a great film for parents with kids that are at least 8-years-old or if you are a fan of animated movies in general. Whether you are a fan of the book or just want to go see a movie for the weekend, “Coraline” is definitely something to check out.
