Coraline (Review)

Besides already knowing what happens and having seen what Henry Selick had done to James and the Giant Peach, I wasn't excited to see the movie.
To be completely honest, I just went because I wanted something to do.

I left the theater feeling a little more awake...but that is about it.

When I first saw the trailer for the movie, immediately I thought:
Okay. More push on the gothic twist of film. We've had Nightmare, James, and now this. Alongside it, Burton has been pushing films like the Spartans did to the Persians in 300 in the scene where the Persian army meets it's demise when forced off of a cliff or onto the spear of a Spartan. Since Nightmare, Burton has done Batman Forever (Yuck. Did not care for. A List Actors. Great Producer. Apparently when mixed, you get spandex and overacting), James and the Giant Peach (my hatred with this movie is a story within itself...a story for another day), Sleepy Hollow, Planet of the Apes, Big Fish (Not my cup of tea. Sorry to say it, but just wasn't into it), Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (which I loved. Depp did an amazing job of Wonka, and did his best to meet the bar and standard that Wilder set), Corpse Bride, and Sweeny Todd.

Side Note:
Burton has more movies in progress. His take on Alice in Wonderland will be riviting, with Depp as the Mad Hatter, Anne Hathaway (The Princess Diaries series, Brokeback Mountain, Get Smart) as the White Queen, Helena Bonham Carter (Fight Club, Sweeny Todd, Corpse Bride) as the Red Queen, Alan Rickman (Snape from the Harry Potter Series) as the Caterpillar, Michael Sheen (who I have loved in all I have seen him in, being The Four Feathers, the Underworld series, and the Crichton film adaptation of Timeline) as the Cheshire Cat...all seems too good to be a Batman Forever Flunk. He is also directing a remake of his own film Frankenweenie...but enough of that.

Anywho, with all of that rushing through my mind, I immedietely said, "This needs to be made in live action"

Hello?
If there were any way to make it more appealing as a gothic twist on a story, having the actual sight of a real person being taken to a new world with wonders to make them stay should have been a no brainer. Talk about terror when the buttons come into play.

Well, I am going to do a compliment sandwhich (thank you Stewie).
Two good things about the movie, Four bad things that need improving, then Two good things to wrap it up.

1. The Story was very well re-written for the screen adaptation. I wish more people would do this. Gaiman, the author of Coraline, was the one who re-wrote it, giving the author the power to make sure that his story isn't being butchered by Hollywood money grubbers.
2. The film was long enough to establish key points. Many movies that are based off of books tend to cut out or very briefly address huge problems that took place in the novel to focus on more things that will interest the audience. Coraline was an hour and fourty minutes, a well allotted time period for it.
3. I am fed up with Dakota Fanning. She is unfortunetly going to be another actor to fall under the Kutcher Curse. (Kutcher Curse is my way of expressing my feelings toward an actor who will generally play characters with the same personality traits in all movies, I.E. Ashton Kutcher always being the good looking, not too smart hunk of meat. Dane Cook is slowly falling under this as a smooth talking smart mouth ladies man. In my opinion, Fanning will be playing little girls for the rest of her life.)
4. Character development. All I can really say is it lacked in it. Characterization was great (Whyborn's creepish Hunchback of Notre Dame/Igor stature), but really lacked in lessons learned or showing a change in the character.
5. The portrayal of the ghosts. Too gentle...too not had been neglected and left to die. If this were honestly a kid's movie, which would be an argument as to why they didn't look that way, why would the producers allow it to show old women wearing gemmed pasties and old bras?
6. Her blue hair. Not going to lie. Really pissed me off.
7. Outlaying Characters were portrayed very well. The old women really gave that sense of crazy and alone (stuffing their Scottish Terriers in angel outfits) and Mr. Bobo gave that over achieving feel from when he first said he was training mice. (Creeper moment though, he almost lands on Coraline in a very sexual manner, but rather lands and stands above Coraline in a worse way)
8. The Cat. Very well done. Giving it that mystical knowledge of what the dream world really is...very Cheshire.


Overall...six and a half out of ten would be my output.
Go see it if you are looking for some little smiles and a story to follow. This isn't a movie that will amaze you, but at least it won't bore you.