I've always been a fan of Neil Gaiman. I love Sandman, read Neverwhere years ago, and also have gobbled up some of his other work with people like Terry Pratchet (Good Omens). Never been disappointed. That being said, though, I've never actually read Coraline before hearing about it being adapted to the animated film playing now.
That being said, I went into the film with very high expectations for the movie, but told myself I wold be disappointed regardless. Kinda like Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen. However, I was very pleasantly surprised with the experience, and I can't really find anything wrong with it. Let's go through the movie step by step. Spoiler free, of course.
Before the movie began, a trailer for Avatar played. No, not the airbender, but something else from James Cameron. Looks really good, actually. But let's not get too sidetracked. But it was a good omen, and I do love movie trailers so.
As animated films go, this one didn't take my breath away like 9 did, though it's visually very pretty in its own unique way. Decidedly darker (even at its brightest) than, say, Up, every little thing sets the tone for a story that isn't exactly a children's tale. I actually didn't realise that Dakota Fanning and Teri Hatcher voiced the characters, which was a plus point. Not that I have anything against either of them (I am still a sucker for old school Lois & Clark reruns), but I always like to be surprised at cast members who aren't hyped.
Voice-wise, everything fits. Dakota Fanning does brilliantly as a complicated kid looking for something to spice up her life, bored to death by inattentive parents. Teri Hatcher's does great in her role(s) as well, and so does everyone else. Especially the cat. The music doesn't jump out at you like Up either, but is also generally nice, though melancholy, which is to be expected.
As far as the story goes, you have to expect a world vibrant and stunning when dealing with something coming out of Neil Gaiman's mind. Coraline delivers. Like a modern-day Alice in Wonderland (which I am also looking forward to), the Other World blows the mind in more ways than one. It reminds me of London Below from Neverwhere, and makes me wonder how in the hell someone can think up so many different things. The characters are all great and funny in their own unique way, and the caricature-like manner in which some are drawn adds to the effect.
The plot is surprisingly strong. Again, it's to be expected (at least I expected it) from something from Neil Gaiman, but we've all been disappointed before. Like I said earlier though, it isn't a children's tale, strictly speaking, and is definitely creepy and freaky in many ways. I wouldn't call it scary, but there are things which leave you haunted for a bit, and themes that aren't all rosy. It isn't a scary movie either, of course, but it's definitely something that can be enjoyed by many.
In most of my movie reviews I spend some time dissecting what went wrong in the one or two (or more) things that I have problems with in the given movie. It's hard to think of any here though, simply because everything seems to fit seamlessly. It's not too short or too long, songs are entertaining, the cat is awesome, there are no plot holes I can immediately pick out, and the 3D experience of Coraline is better than the one I had with Up, which was mildly disappointing. Here, many things stand out and leap into your lap, enhancing the whole experience.
All in all, I left the theatre thoroughly impressed and satisfied. I went in hoping for the best and expecting something sub-par, but was treated to a hundred minutes of fun, fright and fantasy. If you're contemplating watching Coraline, I would say it's your best bet looking at what else is showing right about now, other than The Hurt Locker. Definitely better than Darah or Lesbian Vampire Killers, at least.
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