DVD review: Clone Hunter Often, sci-fi and low budget indie productions go together about as well as chocolate and onions. The high budget demands on special effects eventually hamper the entire story. Clone Hunter is indeed [ ... ] |
What to make of the ending to Inception? So far, my favorite film this year is Christopher Nolanís Inception. Not only does it deliver all the action and thrills expected of a big budget summer blockbuster, but it has inspired endl [ ... ] |
DVD Review: The White Ribbon The White Ribbon is a drama starring Christian Freidl, Ulrich Turkl and Burghart Klaussner. Directed by Michael Haneke. |
DVD Review: Shutter Island The film begins on an ominous note. Eerie strings play as the film fades to white. Soon, a ship appears out of the fog. Cut to a gumshoe, looking and speaking as if he has stepped straight out of a [ ... ] |
| DVD Review: Coraline |
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| Written by Trent Daniel |
| Monday, 29 March 2010 13:52 |
 People often forget that the best fairytales are, at their core, scary as hell. Writer Neil Gaiman and director Henry Selick seemed to understand this and thus, with Coraline, set out to make a modern fairy tale that is imaginative, entertaining and, yes, scary. The story: Coraline Jones (Dakota Fanning) moves with her parents into a dark, gloomy and isolated boardinghouse located in the middle of nowhere. Coraline is not a particularly sunny or cheerful little girl. She has good reason for her attitude, however, as her parents are obviously more interested in their work than in their child (her mother constantly bickers, while her father seems permanently attached to his laptop). Her only new friends are a strange neighbor boy named Wyborn (Robert Bailey, Jr.) and a curious black cat (who is obviously more than he seems and turns out to Corlalineís key ally). One day, Wyborn presents Coraline with a doll that bears an eerie resemblance to her. The doll eventually enables Coraline to find a hidden tunnel in the boarding house. The tunnel leads to an alternate universe, where Coraline is introduced to her Other Mother and Father. The Other parents on the surface are everything her true parents are not-cheerful, attentive and ready to spoil Caroline with good food. Itís no wonder Caroline would consider staying with her Other parents, save for one small catch-the Other parents have large buttons in place of eyes and for Caroline to stay, she will have to have buttons sewn into her own eye sockets. Like many good, spooky stories, the cheerful Other world on the surface is simply a cover for a dark, sinister world underneath. The true appearances of the Other Mother and Father (voices of Teri Hatcher and John Hodgman, who are also father and mother in Coralineís real world) are genuinely frightening. The director of Coraline is Henry Selick, who assisted Tim Burton in making The Nightmare before Christmas. Though not quite at the level of that wonderful film, Coraline further displays his mastery at stop-motion animation, as his film offers many unforgettable images, both beautiful and creepy. The film I feel is perhaps a bit too scary at times for small children, but would be ideal for older kids and fans of animation (as well as fans of cult writer Gaiman, on whose award winning graphic novel this film is based). Yes, this film is animated, but is by no means ìcutesyî (nor are the best fairy tales). Instead, it gives us a spooky, but thrilling story (not to give anything away, but Corlalineís multi-layered quest to save herself and others from the Other world at the end of the film is enthralling). Its nomination for best animated film at this yearís Oscars was deserved. |
| Last Updated on Monday, 29 March 2010 14:07 |
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