If ratings were to be given out for technical achievements then Coraline would be a 5 star classic with almost no other equals. A visually sumptuous 3D realisation of Neil Gaiman’s cherished book, Coraline works on many levels… but above all it is a superb and genuinely terrifying journey, just like all the best kids films.
Coraline Jones (Fanning) is a precocious and feisty 11 year old who finds herself moving to a new home with her parents. Whilst exploring the new setting, Coraline meets a young boy who has a some strange habits. However Wybie is not nearly as strange as the new neighbours, as the Jones’ are living in an apartment with eccentric British actresses downstairs (voiced by Dawn Fench and Jennifer Saunders) and a Russian acrobat Mr. Bobinsky (Ian McShane) upstairs complete with a performing mouse circus. Having been told by her parents to explore Coraline finds a secret doorway which leads her to an alternate version of the world she lives in. This new ‘home’ comes complete with the ‘other mother’ and a plethora of treasures that entice the young girl. The only other voice of her old world is the mysterious cat which can talk in the new world and warns Coraline that not everything is as rosy as it seems…. and eventually Coraline wll have to muster all the bravery and resourcefulness she can to get back to her own home ad save her family.

The film is very deliberately split in two… with a wondrous and enchanting scene-setting first half clashing head on with a dark and twisted nightmare in the second half. Make no mistake this latter section of the film is not a ‘Disney-fied’ detour, it is a full on descent into a weird and alarming pit of despair. It would be churlish though to say this film is too dark for children, they deserve more credit than that. All fairytales have elements of terror and this is no different… it’s the way that Coraline resolves the challenges put infront of her that makes this film memorable.

The characters in the film are superb with the eccentric trio of Mr Bobinsky, Miss Forcible and Miss Spink providing a perfect foil for the others who are grounded in reality. The plot manages to be entertaining whilst appealing to both young and old alike. There may be some notable differences to the source material (more on that below) but as a stand-alone project this is an unmitigated success.

When you pause and actually look at the feast up on screen it becomes all the more rewarding, you really can see the intricate detail put into every frame of this film. The Stop-motion technique and its enhancement with 3D make for something really special. Of course there are comparisons to be had with Tim Burton’s ‘Nightmare before Christmas’, but on a purely personal level this film tops that one.