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I’m a very funny Neil Gaiman fan as I think I may have written here before, and I’m sure I’m probably not alone in this. I don’t hesitate to call myself a fan of his, I read his journal a lot and follow him on Twitter etc. I think he’s a fascinating person, yet I’ve actually read barely any of his books. Till now, my only experience of his actual work had been the movie adaptations of MirrorMask, Stardust and Beowulf; and of his written words, only the novel on which this movie is based, Coraline. I know, for shame!
What I loved about Coraline was how despite being a book for children it held none of its ideas down. It’s a genuinely creepy story that doesn’t entirely make a whole lot of sense, owing clear debts to Alice in Wonderland and Roald Dahl but with a quirkiness all its own. Henry Selick and his stop motion of The Nightmare Before Christmas, then, made it almost a certainty that this production really couldn’t fail, and it doesn’t. It’s a near flawless representation of the book, deliciously understated in its borderline insanity with a point to make that you wouldn’t generally expect to find in such a high profile children’s flick (the trailers that preceded this were for Night at the Museum 2, G-Force, Cloudy With A Chance Of Meatballs and Ice Age 3: I rest my case).
The reason I skim over that part of the review is that I guess the real reason I’m here is for the 3D aspect of this release. This was my first experience of the new 3D technology (in a regular cinema, at least), my local multiplex only just having been equipped (I just missed out on Bolt and I wasn’t going to let a movie like Monsters vs. Aliens be my introduction to the format). I was far from excited by the claims that 3D was the future etc. that have been coming out in their droves this year, but I didn’t want to entirely knock it till I tried it, and I have to say that it wasn’t an entirely wasted experience (or even the extra £2 on the ticket price). Things have come a long way since Spy Kids 3. The first thing I noticed was the quality of the glasses I was handed; the second how wonderfully bright the screen was as the trailers (almost all of which in 3D) rolled. Another great thing about the new 3D is how the image can switch effortlessly between 3D and 2D footage (like, say, in the trailers) without one having to take glasses off and on. No more onscreen commands lol!
But is it the future? And I have to say, that’s really not the question. I think I’ve said even in one or two recent reviews how I’ve never been one to say any given movie “HAS TO” be seen on the big screen as some people are fond of saying, always believing that a truly great (in fact, even half-decent) movie will work no matter what size the screen and the same is true of 3D. It makes for a larger experience, that’s true, and for stuff like this where you really do want to scrutinize the artistry of the model making etc perhaps it is warranted at least for a first viewing. But Coraline will work just as well as intended on a regular 2D television screen if you’re gifted with that thing we all seem to be forgetting about lately in the cinema, imagination. It’s perhaps ironic that a movie concerned with the pitfalls of getting exactly what you want should be presented in such a lavish format, a ready popped pop-up book, entirely pre-conjured fantasy for the laziest of eyes and minds. But that’s being far too cynical. This is a gorgeous movie that will be particularly embraced by anybody who ever was or is still a lonely kid making up their own adventure on a rainy day. The production design is beautiful and the music is some of the best I’ve heard anywhere let alone in the movies. Some people will say think twice about taking younger kids but I say go for it; like Monster House this is a movie that believes in the value of a well-educated scare at that age and so do I.
Tags: 3D, animation, cuties, kids, stop-motion