Coraline

I never realized how much time I dedicated into a single visit to the movie theater– Blade Runner 2049 (30 minute car ride with 20 minute previews and an almost 3 hour film) vs. Coraline (1 hour 40 minute film on Netflix). Although the sound quality and size of screen is significantly different, some movies should be seen in theaters where others are watchable either way. Blade Runner 2049 is a must see in theaters, my seat was vibrating and my eyes were almost too small to see its masterpiece. Coraline, though visually amazing, did not need the large screen to satisfy my visual appetite. Honestly, spectacle aside, the main reason I am writing this review is the amount of quality I got from such a brief amount of time. Coraline is a stop-motion adventure that put LAIKA studios on the map, and once again, is available on Netflix right now. For years I had heard that the film was very well done, how every minute proves that it is a memorable classic, and to put it simply:

I was very impressed.

Coraline is a girl that has moved into a strange house in the middle of the woods with her two parents, who are too busy working to spend time with her. The house serves as an apartment, and the neighbors are a pair of retired performers, who have fallen to the curse of old age, and a Russian circus man, who teaches jumping mice how to play instruments. Every character in the ‘real world’ is very, well, real; their histories are pretty strange, but their self-centered nature and narrow-minded viewpoints give the story an oddly funny style, especially Coraline. The only people that give her what she wants are her other parents, found in the ‘other world’ connected by a portal inside the house.

Like I said, I was very impressed by this movie, but the problem about the story was that it does not live up to the hype I was hearing. I thought there would be a huge twist at the end, or every fantasy convention would be flipped upside down, but the story was strangely conventional. To be honest, the traditional storytelling was somehow refreshing, and with its simplicity I was able to marvel at how beautifully complex the animation was. The director and writers knew exactly where to play their cards: the main character and the visual design, and they capitalized on those two things to the point where I did not care about where the film was lacking. The antagonist is very ‘pure evil’ and one-dimensional, but the way she manipulates and entices Coraline was very unnerving. Her scenes were also amplified with the fantastic creepy music that even played in the happy scenes to give an unsettling tickle in the back of my subconscious. Her whole design was my favorite aspect of the film, and near the end the animation resonates with the concept to its full potential.

Netflix does not always have a classic on their list, so when one arrives I jump on it as soon as I can. This film is one of those gems without a doubt. The music, the design, the style, and especially the animation and the characters make Coraline a traditionally satisfying story enhance an unconventional way of telling it. Every frame is its own picture with physical props and dolls for characters, and somehow its visual texture makes the tone even richer. This film is a must see. I have seen other films by LAIKA studios (ParaNorman, The Boxtrolls, and Kubo and the Two Strings), and although technically superior, Coraline stands apart from them as it bridges the world of materials and the world of animation in a way that will sew its way into your memory for a long time.

Story Rating: 6/10

Character Rating: 7/10