Coraline -LAIKA Studios Edition [Blu-ray + DVD]

I have watched Coraline it seems like a million times because of how much I love this movie. The visual style is absolutely stunning. The intricate details in the stop-motion animation are impressive, with every scene exuding a sense of eerie wonder. The contrast between Coraline's dreary, real world and the colorful, yet sinister alternate world is striking and adds a layer of depth to the story. The atmosphere is both magical and unsettling, drawing viewers into the world of Coraline in a way that feels immersive and deeply engaging. The characters are great and perfectly align in the storyline. For the youth audience, some scenes may seem a bit scary so I would be mindful about that when allowing young children to watch this for the first time. Overall it is a wonderful story!

Directed by Henry Selick, Coraline is a full length, "stop motion" style animated feature. Why should you care who Henry Selick is? Because he is the director of such other stop motion films as "James and the Giant Peach" and a little movie called "The Nightmare Before Christmas!" "Wait what?!" you may be saying. "Didn't Tim Burton direct The Nightmare Before Christmas?" No! No I say! While it was very much his brain child, Tim Burton was actually the producer! Now that that's out of the way, on to the story!The screenplay is based off of a story by celebrated fantasy author Neil Gaiman. In case his name isn't immediately recognizable to you, perhaps you might recognize some of his other literary work: American Gods, Marvel Comics' "1602" & his "Eternals" re-imagining as well as DC Comics' "Sandman" series. Perhaps most memorable to the average moviegoer would be "Stardust," which was made into a live-action film in 2007.The one and only possible downside to Coraline's wonderful story is perhaps that it is VERY reminiscent of Alice in Wonderland. If you can get past that by seeing the plot as more of a "shout out" than a rip-off, you are in store for a thoroughly entertaining movie full of excitement and charm. Coraline moves at a steady pace so as not to lose the viewer. No waiting for something interesting to happen here! Without spoiling too much for you, Coraline is a young girl who winds up in a new home that carries some old secrets. Her inattentive parents encourage her to explore and she soon winds up in an alternate reality where things seem quite wonderful...for now. There are many colorful and memorable characters she encounters and every one of them has a purpose. Some may find the plot a little cliché but there are still some twists and turns before the credits roll. Be warned though. Those with children 8 years old or under may want to wait on this film due to potentially scary content. Also, there is a very strange but, in my personal opinion, harmless scene in which an overweight senior citizen is wearing very little.Visually, this is one of those movies that you could watch without any sound and still be entertained. Fantastic color-schemes and great set & character designs keep you waiting to see what treats the next scene will hold. Note: The version I saw was in 3D and while it was cool and all, it wasn't really necessary. If it's the only version that you can get ahold of than don't hesitate but if you have a choice you may want to choose the more affordable standard version. Especially if you have small children likely to take off the glasses, already wear glasses or are prone to headache or disorientation.The voice acting was good for me because it didn't fall into the common trap of making you think of the well known actor doing the voicework. This is partially because many of the actors were unknown to me and partially because Dakota Fanning, Teri Hatcher & Ian McShane did a fine job. They didn't sound too much like themselves or any of their previous characters, especially Dakota.The musical score was the typical fair for this type of movie but not bad by any means. At times it sounds like it was done by Danny Elfman but it was actually scored by French composer Bruno Coulais. This movie is NOT A MUSICAL by the way so if that was likely to put you off it is no longer an excuse.Coraline wraps up at a tidy 1 hour and 40 minutes which is not too long for kids with short attention spans (and tiny bladders) and not so short as to feel rushed. Overall I LOVED this movie and can't recommend that you see it enough. It has everything to keep anyone entertained, kids and adults alike.

This review is for the Blu-ray 3-D version (not the anaglyph, not the regular DVD) of Coraline. For whatever reason, Amazon lumps all the reviews on a given movie together.I wasn't sure about Coraline. I'm a 40 year old guy with a big Samsung 3-D TV and a surround setup, and I love a good movie as much as the next guy, but when a friend insisted that this was the movie she wanted to see, I was a bit taken aback. Coraline? What's it about? Could I get into it? Is it another in a long line of these totally CG movies like "Shrek" and "Cars"?Turns out the answers are yes, anyone could get into it; and no, it's not just another Pixar/Disney/RenderMan product. Coraline is a partly CG, but mostly stop-motion feature film, with real puppets (Coraline herself had "hundreds of heads," I am informed, and a special seamstress was employed to sew her tiny outfits.) Stop motion is a tricky business at best and a crew of hundreds were employed for years to bring the awesome - and they succeeded. As other reviewers have noted the film is a visual feast, and it displays a very personal, very idiosyncratic visual style which coheres through the whole film.Plot-wise, the film is very classic fantasy - reminded me of Pan's Labyrinth, just a little bit. A young girl, depressed by her distant parents who are busy with troubles of their own, retreats into a fantasy world where things are not what they seem - and then things take a malignant turn. No point in spoilering it - it's a classic plot and it's played out beautifully, the timing and the three-act structure are just superb. If you are an adult who can stand a fairy tale - there is a talking cat - you will absolutely love it. Despite the fairy-tale veneer, though, this is not for young children - no sex, but there is some real horror going on and I don't think I'd expose anyone much under the age of 12 to it, maybe a very resilient and worldly-wise 11 year old, but no younger.The 3-D is incredible - I am reviewing the HDMI 1.4a Blu-Ray 3-D, not the color-based anaglyph. My TV does 240 Hz with active-shutter and I have never seen a better use of 3-D; it was like looking through a window into a real world, or a shadowbox at least - both I and my friend soon forgot we were even watching a 3-D movie, it was just a seamless part of the experience. The voice acting, music, and surround sound were also technically and emotionally excellent, just examples of perfectly executed filmmaking at a very high level.I rarely say this, but I am quite certain I will watch this movie again and again and I will take great delight in showing it to friends. If you have a 3-D TV and have any interest at all in viewing this flick after this review, the best thing you can do is stop reading and go click 'Buy It Now'. You are going to love it.

Coraline is a visually stunning and eerie animated film that masterfully blends fantasy and suspense. The stop-motion animation and haunting soundtrack create an unforgettable atmosphere. The movie was available immediately in perfect quality, making for a seamless and immersive viewing experience. A must-watch for dark fantasy fans!

Looks really good, and my gf is a big fan.

I mean....it's a great movie.

BEST MOVIE ON PLANET EARTH! 10/10 WOULD RECOMMEND! THANK YOU LAIKA FOR BLESSING US WITH THIS MASTERPEICE