Coraline Jones craves something more. Distracted parents and a recent move to a rather dilapidated apartment house in the middle of nowhere have given birth to boredom with a capital B. The discovery of a small locked door should provide Coraline with just the adventure that she needs, that is, until her mother opens it to reveal nothing more exciting than a brick wall. An early bedtime after an uninspiring meal is merely the icing on the cake of a very dull day. What more perfect time for the real adventure to begin?! A small mouse reveals that there is much more to that little door than meets the eye and Coraline will soon learn that very important truism:

Be careful what you wish for.

Adapting a book to film is a tricky thing at the best of times. When that adaptation involves a beloved novel from a master storyteller, the ability to pull it off well moves from the area of trickery to the realm of the miraculous. It is no exaggeration to say that my expectations for the film version of Coraline, the delightful children’s tale by Neil Gaiman, were very high indeed. These high expectations were present in no small part due to the story being adapted in the stop-motion format. I have long been a fan (and interpret that to truly mean: fanatic!) of stop-motion films. The magic that stop-motion brings in and of itself adds such a degree of wonder to the story being told that I was positively giddy when I first heard that Henry Selick would be directing Coraline in this format. Add to that the fact that I am one of many Neil Gaiman devotees and you can see that the ingredients for potential disappointment were all present and accounted for.

In the immortal words of Alfred E. Neuman, “What, Me Worry?”

I can safely say that any cause for concern was put to rest within seconds of the opening frames of this 3D stop-motion masterpiece. The love of the craft of film making and the respect for the source material is apparent from the very beginning of the film and continues unabated until the very last frame at the end of the credits.

For those of you who have read and loved the novel, you will not be disappointed. Though some changes were made to accommodate the medium of film, the heart of the story is alive and well and so much of what is in the novel is present on screen that you might find yourself leaving the theater confused about which elements were new and which were not. The film is an absolute pleasure to experience. It is visually stunning and backed by a story that is worth both reading and seeing over and over again.

Nothing thrills me more than leaving a movie theater knowing that it will require multiple viewings to capture all the visual delights presented on screen. Coraline is full to bursting with eye candy. I know that I missed so much simply because my eyes were drawn to one part of the screen while wonderful things were happening all over the screen. Knowing that everything was hand-made by people who have a love and devotion to their craft gave me such an appreciation for what I was viewing. Their passion for what they do is present in every frame of the film and every item that you see on the screen. Stop-motion films are amazing because of the texture they bring to a film–a texture that cannot be duplicated in any other way. The addition of the 3 D format gave Coraline the feeling that you could just reach out and touch the world that they created. As many of you know, I was one of the recipients of a gift from the film-maker’s a few months ago. That gift was precious to me when it arrived on my birthday. It became more so as I watched the movie. I have to believe that all the people responsible for making this film had to have something akin to a spiritual experience when they saw the completed film for the first time. I can imagine them saying with awed voices, “What have we done!”. I certainly was saying it for them. Wow!

Coraline is a fantastic film for this and many other reasons, not the least of which is the story that it tells. My excitement about the movie has grown stronger with every hour that has passed since my early Saturday morning viewing. I cannot stop thinking about this element or that character and how much I enjoyed the way they were rendered and represented on screen. The film has caused me to look at the story in ways that I had not thought about in detail before. One of those ways is the realization that Coraline lived around some very eccentric and interesting characters that, had she given them more of a chance initially, she might have seen them for the exciting and fun people that they are. I would love to discuss this and other elements of the story/film more, but that is probably better served at another time rather than doing anything that might spoil the experience for someone who has yet to read the book or see the film. Suffice it to say that I could easily do a Mirrormask length post on Coraline.

Allow me to also mention briefly that the music of Coraline is fantastic! French composer Bruno Coulais created an aural experience that rivals the visual experience and yet merges seamlessly with the overall film. Coraline was as much a delight to hear as it was to see.

Coraline the book was often described as one that was not scary to children but was for adults. I am not entirely sure if the same can be said for the film. Honestly it is all about what your individual child can tolerate. I went with friends who brought their children who ranged in ages from 9 to 12. At least two of those children had read the story and thus were somewhat prepared for what they were about to see and they all really enjoyed it, while admitting that there were some parts that were a bit scary. Another friend of mine took children with her this weekend and they were terrified. Throughout the film, I was delighted with the darker elements as much as I was with the more bright and upbeat elements. And yet I kept thinking that I was glad I had told my wife “no” earlier in the morning when she wondered if we should bring the daughter of another friend of ours. She is much younger and I truly believe various moments in the film would have been too much for her. I say this not to discourage you from going to the film…heck, I want you to go in droves! Instead I give the warning simply because I think it is the responsible thing to do. I want children to love the works of Neil Gaiman and stop-motion as a film medium. I would not want a negative experience to make them shy away from either of these.

That being said, the group I think Coraline is the most scary for is adults. As I watched it I found some parts deliciously creepy and yet overall did not feel it was too scary. And yet as I considered both the film and the book all weekend, I realized that it, like any good story, has so many layers and ways to interpret it that I started to feel I had watched a much scarier film than I anticipated. For what is more scary than the concept of being a parent and having your child look to someone else for entertainment and for fun and for comfort? The more I thought about it the more I discovered that the messages in Neil’s story run deeper than I had previously noticed. The combination of the wonderful, magical elements and the scary, creepy elements of Coraline make it a truly satisfying movie experience.

I will certainly be interested to read what other people thought about the film as well as what their children thought about it. I was very pleased with the pacing of the film because it felt like they made an effort to truly develop the story. That being said, I found myself wondering if the first act of the film might seem a bit slow to children who are used to the more frantic pace of your average Disney or Pixar film. As an adult I appreciate the longer set-up that gives the viewer a better chance to truly digest what is going on as well an opportunity to better connect with the characters.

Coraline is truly an enchanting film. Imagination was given free reign and was embraced by those who hand-crafted this amazing experience. If viewing Coraline gives the viewer only one thing, it should be an appreciation for those who dedicate themselves so fully to what they do and should inspire the rest of us to follow suit in our lives. Thankfully viewing Coraline gives the viewer so much more than just one thing! The experience will give you fascinating things to think about and discuss with everyone else who sees the film, regardless of age. It is a magical experience that reminds you just how incredible it is when a well-told story is taken by a group of talented, passionate individuals and translated to the screen. A hearty “Well done!” goes out to Henry Selick and all the people responsible for the making of this film. Thank you all for your dedication to your craft and your commitment to getting Neil Gaiman’s story right. It is a true gem in the unjustly small treasure chest of stop-motion animated films. I strongly encourage you to experience this film in the theater, preferably in all its three-dimensional glory. And for those in the know: stay until the end of the credits! 🙂

Be careful what you wish for. But don’t stop wishing. Sometimes wishes, like wanting a well done adaptation of a story from one’s favorite author, actually turn out to be worth it!

(If you are interested, there are some wonderful A to Z movie posters for Coraline that can be found here).