Coraline

Name: Coraline
Genre: Adventure, Fantasy, Animation, Family
Released: February 6, 2009
Duration: 100 min
Rating: 80
Cast: Dakota Fanning, John Hodgman, Teri Hatcher

2009

METASCORE

Generally favorable reviews based on 38 Critic Reviews

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USER SCORE

Universal acclaim based on 768 Ratings

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8.4

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8.4	User Score Universal acclaim based on 768 Ratings

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Coraline

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Movie Details & Credits

Focus Features | Release Date: February 6, 2009 | PG

Starring: Dakota Fanning, John Hodgman, Teri Hatcher

Summary: A young girl walks through a secret door in her new home and discovers an alternate version of her life. On the surface, this parallel reality is eerily similar to her real life - only much better. But when this wondrously off-kilter, fantastical adventure turns dangerous, and her counterfeit parents (including Other Mother) try to keep herA young girl walks through a secret door in her new home and discovers an alternate version of her life. On the surface, this parallel reality is eerily similar to her real life - only much better. But when this wondrously off-kilter, fantastical adventure turns dangerous, and her counterfeit parents (including Other Mother) try to keep her forever, Coraline must count on her resourcefulness, determination, and bravery to get back home - and save her family.m (Focus Features)
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Director: Henry Selick

Genre(s): Adventure, Fantasy, Animation, Family

Rating: PG

Runtime: 100 min

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Metascore

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Critic Reviews

100

Empire Helen O'Hara

Terrifying and beautiful, believable and fantastical, this is one of the best children's films in years and Selick's finest -- better even than "The Nightmare Before Christmas." Read full review

100

Tasha Robinson

The results are nothing short of magical. Read full review

Kirk Honeycutt

This is a marvelous family story, tapping into all sorts of childhood dreams and nightmares involving Mommy, monsters and heroic youngsters. Selick's imaginative sets and puppets are in perfect pitch with Gaiman's fantasy. Read full review

Justin Chang

This eccentric and deliriously inventive fantasy finds stop-motion auteur Henry Selick scaling new heights of ghoulish whimsy, buoyed by a haunting score that works its own macabre magic. Read full review

James Berardinelli

The film has been crafted with a consideration that the best family movies appeal not only to a young target audience but to the parents who accompany their offspring to theaters. Read full review

Rene Rodriguez

Essentially a horror movie for kids, but it is also gentle and funny and whimsical, and even in its darkest moments, Selick never forgets who his target audience is. Still, some young children might have a nightmare or two after seeing it. Read full review

Joe Morgenstern

Coraline is distinguished, if you can call it that, by a creepiness so deep as to seem perverse, and the film finally succumbs to terminal deficits in dramatic energy, narrative coherence and plain old heart. Read full review

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User Reviews

MovieGoer14

Jun 30, 2013

Coraline is a masterpiece with insightful and clever stop-motion animation that will entertain you like never before. The 3D is absorbing and intelligent, Athena wise 3D use. The plot is original and riveting, with a pleasant and fascinating ending that you will never expect it coming.Coraline is a masterpiece with insightful and clever stop-motion animation that will entertain you like never before. The 3D is absorbing and intelligent, Athena wise 3D use. The plot is original and riveting, with a pleasant and fascinating ending that you will never expect it coming. Coraline easily is imaginative, powerful and surprisingly, one of the greatest works done in a long time.… Expand

7 of 8 users found this helpful71

KirstenJ.

Feb 8, 2009

I'm a college student, so for financial reasons and time constraints, I rarely go to the theatres for movies. This one was an exception. I had read the book, and it had blown my mind. I saw the very first tiny clip released online in which Coraline met the ghosts, and I was fairly I'm a college student, so for financial reasons and time constraints, I rarely go to the theatres for movies. This one was an exception. I had read the book, and it had blown my mind. I saw the very first tiny clip released online in which Coraline met the ghosts, and I was fairly unimpressed. One line, the last line in the clip, changed that. "We don't remember our names." It sent chills down my spine, and I was hooked. So, I had my father take me to see it on opening night. I was once again swept off my feet. I was a little unsure at first whether the movie would compromise the story in order to play to the 3D clichés as so many had before it, but my fears were put at ease. Only once in the entire film, during the opening credits, did anything come off the screen straight for the audience, and even that was an amazing artistic decision that foreshadowed with its foreshortening. The artistic direction and the cinematography were mindblowing. I had been impressed with Sweeney Todd's artistic direction, but Coraline puts it to shame. One scene explores a garden with plants so exotic and whimsical that one might expect to find them in Willy Wonka's chocolate factory. The 3D made it so tangible that it was almost impossible not to feel the thick waxy petals and leaves. The flawless marriage between Neil Gaiman's incredible story and the meticulously created masterpiece was what made this work so well. The entire reason that the 3D was not a tacky disappointment was because Selick didn't shove it in the audience's faces. So yes, the movie was visually a treat. But Coraline was much more than eye candy. The story was incredibly true to Mr. Gaiman's book. One or two differences obviously existed, but overall, I don't think I've ever seen a more accurate book adaptation. And so it, like the book, was filled to the brim with the odd mixture of characteristics that Mr. Gaiman intended. It was eerie, bizarre, delightful, funny, cute, and downright frightening. Sure, plenty of movies have parts that are scary and parts that are funny and so on... But it's a rare movie indeed that can incur all of those feelings in the same instant. Mr. Gaiman himself put it best, in a sneak peek interview: "If audiences take away terror and joy in roughly equal doses, I will be very happy."… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful

horcrux2007

Sep 29, 2014

"Coraline" is one of my all-time favorites. I've seen the movie over fifty times because I would watch it nearly every day when I was younger, and I've read the novel five times. The animation is twisted yet breathtaking, and the 3D is innovative and absorbing. The plot is very original,"Coraline" is one of my all-time favorites. I've seen the movie over fifty times because I would watch it nearly every day when I was younger, and I've read the novel five times. The animation is twisted yet breathtaking, and the 3D is innovative and absorbing. The plot is very original, intriguing, and even a little scary which makes for a thrilling experience.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

RhettR.

Feb 6, 2009

This rating is for the non-3D version. Parent section: First off, I would not recommend taking children under 8 to this movie. The plot is a bit complex and too deep to keep the attention of younger children, and it is borderline too scary for children 6 and under. My children (8,6,3,3) This rating is for the non-3D version. Parent section: First off, I would not recommend taking children under 8 to this movie. The plot is a bit complex and too deep to keep the attention of younger children, and it is borderline too scary for children 6 and under. My children (8,6,3,3) love Nightmare Before Christmas. But I think this movie hits a bit too close to home since the main character is a young girl and story a twisted variation on her reality. NBC is fantastical. I regret bringing my younger children. Jury is out with the 6 YO boy. There are also a few scenes completely inappropriate for children. During the theater scene with the old ladies. one of the old ladies is in pastys and a thong. They sing about breasts, coraline points out how naked they are and even blurts out an OMG. The innuendo and nudity is completely unnecessary and adds nothing to the story. I was very taken back that this HAD to be in the story. Once again, a perfectly good family movie (albeit for older children) is ruined by a disconnected and ignorant writer, director, producer. why does hollywood find this necessary? It only creates an awkward moment for parents and children. Of all the money spent on marketing and demographic, where is the market research on this subject? OK stepping off my soapbox. Movie section: As far as the movie goes.Tthe stop motion is unbelievable. You will have a hard time comprehending how Selick and team accomplished what they did. And the textures and shadows created by the tangible medium cannot be matched with CG (I draw a similar comparison of the original star wars trilogy to the recent prequels. The magic and artistry of stop motion cannot be matched). There were a few choppy spots in the film (i.e. framerate) but perhaps it was a prob with our theater. The story is exquisite. it evokes thoughts of other stories of childrens' twists on reality (Alice in Wonderland, Wizard of OZ, Pan's Labyrinth) Here are my gripes: Character development is a bit rushed, but not so much you don't feel a connection with them.Tthe story development is bit rushed also, but at the same time, the movie feels a bit stretched out at some points. All in all a great movie for adults and older children. Fans of Selick and the like will not be disappointed. Those not interested in the genre will be impressed with the technique, but the story will not change their opinions.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful

Ben_M

Feb 13, 2017

“Coraline,” a dark fantasy movie, in my opinion, was a fantastic movie. The movie was produced by Lakia Pandemonium. The director is Henry Selick, and the characters are Coraline (Dakota Fanning), Other Mother (Teri Hatcher), Miss Spink (Jennifer Saunders), Miss. Forcible (Dawn French), and“Coraline,” a dark fantasy movie, in my opinion, was a fantastic movie. The movie was produced by Lakia Pandemonium. The director is Henry Selick, and the characters are Coraline (Dakota Fanning), Other Mother (Teri Hatcher), Miss Spink (Jennifer Saunders), Miss. Forcible (Dawn French), and Mr. Bobinsky (Ian McShane).

The movie “Coraline” follows Coraline Jones, an 11-year-old girl as she moves to the Pink Palace along with her parents. Coraline spends a lot of time outside since her workaholic parents neglect her, and meets a geeky and weird boy named Wybie and his black cat who lives with his grandmother who is the landlady of the Pink Palace Apartments. Coraline also meets Mr. Bobinski, the Russian acrobat, and Miss Spink and Forcible the retired actresses. Wybie gives her a doll that strongly resembles Coraline that she keeps with her. One night, Coraline follows a mouse that leads her to the small door that she found that day while exploring and travels through the hole that leads her to another, parallel world. Her parents in that world love her and do nice things with her, unlike her real parents. These button-eyed characters are called Other Mother and Other Father. As Coraline goes to the other world, she is told not to go through the door, but she doesn’t understand why since that place has everything she ever wanted. But the more time she spends there, the more “creepy” things get and Coraline finally realizes that the other world may not appear as it seems.

Some of the pros are that it’s able to be more enjoyable at a higher age, something can pop out of nowhere very unexpectedly, and the animation is stop-motion which is not too often seen in a movie. It also has very unique and diverse characters, like a talking cat or 80-year-old show women. The only real criticism is that it can be very creepy for young children, and the plot can be stagnant at times. I thought that Coraline was a little scary at the part where her other mom and dad had buttons sewed to their eyes in the parallel world. The general feel of the movie, however, like how it’s animated was very pleasing to look at. This movie also has a really interesting and engaging soundtrack that can make you want to move to it, or even be a little creeped out, like when Coraline is laying in bed trying to go to sleep. Another thing that I noticed is that strange customs like stuffing dead dogs so that you would not have to part with them. While “Coraline” may have a PG rating, you may want to consider if you would want your child to see it or not. I would recommend that the age groups that should watch it are around 13 and up. The reason for this recommendation is that kids may be scared of some intense scenes like jump scares and creepy events. Kids might not also understand the storyline, for it is very intricately written. But overall, for most people, this will be a very interesting movie to watch for a delicate story yet filled with action.
Final Movie Rating Out of Five Stars: Four Stars: * * * *… Expand

0 of 1 users found this helpful01

KAITLYNN2021

Feb 3, 2017

Looking through the eyes of Coraline’s life

“Coraline” is a creepy but humorous movie that had me on the edge of my seat the whole time. I just watched this movie in my 8th grade English class. “Coraline” gave me the chills throughout the whole movie. The movie has many different opinions,Looking through the eyes of Coraline’s life

“Coraline” is a creepy but humorous movie that had me on the edge of my seat the whole time. I just watched this movie in my 8th grade English class. “Coraline” gave me the chills throughout the whole movie. The movie has many different opinions, but you either hated it or you liked it. I was more in between. “Coraline” is made with clay animation which in my opinion makes the movie a little bit scarier. It also has many scenes in the movie that were a little sketchy and scary. “Coraline” was made by Laika Entertainment, they specialize in clay animation, just like “Coraline.”

In present day Oregon, 11 year old Coraline Jones (Dakota Fanning) moved to the Pink Palace Apartment. She meets her neighbors Wybie, Mr. Bobinsky, and Ms. F and Ms. S. Coraline feels her life is boring because of the lack of attention from her parents. Out of curiousity Coraline stumbles upon a secret door leading to a new dimension. There she meets her other mother (Teri Hatcher). Her other mother gives her anything she could imagine, new clothes, delicious food, and even made a garden out of the shape of her face. Everything seems to be perfect to Coraline until she wants to go back home, but discovers she may not leave her other mother. Coraline finds out the truth about the new dimension. Coraline must figure out a plan to leave. Coraline uses her strategic ways to escape her other mother. The characters in “Coraline” had great stories about them, but their bodies were out of proportion and not realistic. Mr. Bobinsky was 10 feet tall and his skin color was blue. Coraline’s relationship with her parents didn’t develop as well as I would have liked it. In the beginning they barely talked and it doesn’t get resolved until the last ten minutes of the movie. The movie’s clay animation created a creepier vibe than a kid friendly one because when the characters have eyes for buttons it’s not a pleasant thing to see. Even though some parts I did not like, the movie did have some positive elements about it. I like how it taught a lesson in the story, “ Be happy with what you have.” The movie had a suspenseful plot leading up to the big climax of the story. I also liked that it was playful at times when Coraline had to go find the eyes of the lost ghosts. This movie is PG, a rating that might not be appropriate to younger children, especially from the ages 5-7. I would recommend parents watch the movie first to find out if your child would like it. The movie was awarded a Golden Globe for best animated movie of the year in 2010, a year after it was released. Overall I thought the movie was great. It was entertaining and suspenseful all at the same time, but I would not watch the movie again.

Scale of Stars:
3 Stars out of 5… Expand

0 of 2 users found this helpful02

BillC.

Feb 21, 2009

Pure garbage in 3D. A kids Movie? Maybe for idiots and morans. A story poorly told and not enjoyed by anyone in the theater we were in. No Joke. What's a kids movie doing with a busty animated dancing lady with pasties all about?? Why the high rating on meta critic??? This thing was Pure garbage in 3D. A kids Movie? Maybe for idiots and morans. A story poorly told and not enjoyed by anyone in the theater we were in. No Joke. What's a kids movie doing with a busty animated dancing lady with pasties all about?? Why the high rating on meta critic??? This thing was just awful. Again , I can say No One in the Theater seemed to like it.… Expand

0 of 6 users found this helpful

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45	#45 Best Movie of 2009
15	#15 Most Discussed Movie of 2009
10	#10 Most Shared Movie of 2009