2009 Review #36: Coraline

Coraline

Rated PG
(thematic elements, scary images, some language and suggestive humor)
1 hour 40 minutes

Storyline:
An adventurous girl finds another world that is a strangely idealized version of her frustrating home, but it has sinister secrets.

Voice Cast:
Dakota Fanning
Teri Hatcher
Jenifer Saunders
Ian McShane

Critics Grade:
B+

My Grade:
C-

I'm not going to say much about this movie. Coraline is a very, very, very strange little film. I could not tell if this was claymation or regular animation...whatever it was...was very creepy and quite disturbing to look at. This is supposed to be a movie geared for kids, but I think it's to frightening for children. Also the movie has this slow pace and to me was boring as all hell. I didn't laugh once, and for a kids movie...you should expect at least a couple laughs. I really don't know if most kids would find this movie very enjoyable. There really is no appeal or charm to it, and it might lose the interests of many youngins very quickly. But I don't know...maybe they liked it, I watched this on DVD and not in a theater to see how the kiddies reacted.

Coraline is not a bad film, it's just averagely decent with no appeal and has no charisma or any inviting qualities. If you compare this to Nightmare Before Christmas...well there is no comparison. That movie was at least fun and I know people of all ages loved it and still love it to this day. I didn't really care for the movie, I had a hard time staying engaged in the film. I guess you could at least give it a try with your kids...but it is a pretty dark flick, so be warned. Eh, kinda wished I passed on this movie. Oh well....