What Makes "Coraline" Great?

Animation pioneer Henry Selick's adaption of Neil Gaiman's dark fantasy novel is astounding. The fantastical world that Selick brings to life combined with the fantastic stop-motion makes this film an artistic treat from start to finish.

The film follows a young girl named Coraline as she and her family move to an old house with some strange residents. As she becomes fed up with her busy parents constantly ignoring her, Coraline discovers an entrance to an alternate universe. In this world, everything seems better with brighter colors and other versions of her parents and the residents who seem way better than their counterparts. But as she further explores this world, she finds nit all is what it seems.

While the film may seem familiar, with elements similar to The Wizard of Oz and Alice in Wonderland, its presentation is truly unique. The title character Coraline is a brilliant child protagonist with all the aspects that you would expect. She is adventurous, curious, and kind of a brat sometimes. But she is also smart and resourceful for her age. All these familiar and unique aspects are what make her so endearing throughout the film. The other characters are also done well with the relationship between Coraline and her parents portrayed authentically with overworked parents forced to ignore and dismiss Coraline much to her frustration. The strange neighbors Coraline encounters are also memorable with their strange appearances and characteristics. Spink and Forcible, two former burlesque performers now elders, Sergei Bobinsky, an eccentric Russian gymnast who runs a mouse circus, and Wyblie, an awkward shy boy around Coraline's age. The most notable neighbor though is a mysterious black cat Coraline encounters that follows her to the other world and can talk there.

It's easy to see Oz and Wonderland vibes as you watch this film. But what makes it special is its incorporation of dark and freighting elements. The beautiful stop motion plays a big part in all that with the special effects and designs of the film just popping off the screen. Stop-motion films are hard to make and can take a very long time, but when it all comes together at this level, it makes you admire the work behind it even more. The design of the other world is astounding. At first, it's bright and beautiful and stands in contrast to the gray rainy look of the real world. But as Coraline begins to see the truth of this world it becomes more devoid and eerie. The Other Mother goes through this as well with her character. At first, she bears an exact resemblance to Coraline's real mother except with buttons for eyes and a nicer demeanor. but as she shows her true colors she becomes much more monstrous in her actions and appearance to the point where she looks like a horrifying spider creature.

This is a film with its fair share of scary elements, even for adults, but maybe that's what makes it an effective kid's film. Don't get me wrong, I still think it's too intense for some, but other than that as long as they know what they're getting into, I think it's fine for kids. I believe in the idea that sometimes kids want to be scared sometime, and it's usually good for them in their development. Coraline strikes a perfect balance between horror and imagination, which is why I think kids can enjoy it for the most part. It's a film that enthralls both kids and adults.