Subscribe
Previous Post
| Movie: Coraline in 3D * Trailer * Official Site | In Theaters: Feb. 6, 2009 |
| Runtime: 100 minutes | Directed by: Henry Selick |
| MPAA Rating: PG for thematic elements, scary images, some language and suggestive humor |  Gecko Rating: |
"Coraline" is one of those movies that’s probably a great piece of filmmaking, but it’s not really appropriate for kids. The stop-motion animation, the cinematography, and the storyline are all beautifully done. But it’s just too darn scary for little kids. Even though it’s rated PG, I don’t recommend it for kids younger than 12, which, in my mind, means it should have been rated PG-13.
The story follows a girl named Coraline Jones (voiced by Dakota Fanning), who moves with her parents (Teri Hatcher and John Hodgman) to a creepy old inn also inhabited by some other quirky people, including Mr. Bobinsky (Ian McShane) and two older ladies (Jennifer Saunders and Dawn French). Living nearby with his grandma is a boy named Wybie (Robert Bailey, Jr.). There’s also a cat skulking around, voiced by Keith David.
Coraline’s parents are busy with their work – writing a seed catalogue – so they basically tell Coraline to go away and amuse herself so they can work. The dad is nice enough, but totally distracted. The mom is borderline abusive emotionally. Really great parents we’ve got there.
So Coraline DOES go away and amuse herself, by finding a tiny door in the wall that leads through a creepy tunnel into an alternative universe with parents who look like her parents, but whom are really nice and have creepy buttons for eyes. The "other mother" lures Coraline in with all sorts of sweet treats, which you have a feeling just isn’t going to go well.
At first, Coraline is able to move between the two universes, but eventually, she gets stuck in the alternative universe. The "other mother" keeps getting creepier and creepier, until she’s this spider-like creature who throws Coraline into a dark room until she can behave herself. Inside, Coraline encounters some creepy ghost-children who’ve apparently suffered the same fate. She has to figure out how to not only get out of this room, but also out of the alternative universe, lest she be stuck there forever. And the window of opportunity to get out is closing fast.
Aside from the overall creepiness of the movie, there’s one scene, in particular, that I found completely inappropriate for kids. In her real life, Coraline’s neighbors include the two older ladies, and one has a freakishly large bust. In the alternative universe, the women are shown in a nightmarish theatrical/circus arena, and the woman with the big bust is wearing only pasties, bouncing around on this circus-type equipment. My 11-year-old daughter and I looked at each other and said, "Ok, that’s completely inappropriate!" I read an interview with director Henry Selick, who said the scene made it past censors, but truly, it’s not for little kids.
I’m giving "Coraline" 3 out of 5 geckos because as mentioned, it’s a masterpiece of a film with awesome animation and storytelling. But it’s more suited to an indie arthouse crowd than little kids. Yes, I know a lot of kids have read the book in school – my daughter did, too. Doesn’t mean the movie is appropriate for kids.
I should also mention that the movie is in 3D. There were a few scenes where that came into play, but I can’t say I noticed it all that much.
Images: Coraline, Focus Features, 2009
you people are silly. you’re seriously offended because of a scantily clad clay character? it’s like a 2 minute scene in the entire movie, you’re children probably see much more profanity and violence on a daily basis than is in coraline. it’s a really good movie, based on a good book, with amazing graphics and cinematography. there are deep and meaningful metaphors and an equally meaningful plot, but i suppose most americans (who are notoriously stupid and lack artistic intelligence of any kind) would not be able to grasp this easily, being too distracted by the pasties and all. but personally, i do not find this movie disturbing, i find it intelligent and fun. and there is way more disturbing violence and sexual content in pretty much every new movie that comes out. you probably let your kids watch transformers and that kind of bullshit…. you people….
I’m 13. I really liked this movie, I saw it in the theatre in 3D with my parents and they liked it as well. We bought it as soon as we saw that it was on DVD. But I know that people have different tastes, and some people may not like it. I liked it, however I did think that one scene was inappropriate for children, but oh well… I’m mature for my age.
personally, I’m fifteen years old, and the movie even disturbed ME. the fact this was deemed a childrens movie is proposterous.
the old lady half nude was ridiculously inappropriate. I don’t want to see that and children certainly shouldnt! my friends and I went to Bloom last night and rented it via RedBox and I almost wanted my friend to get her money back for it in the end.
if I were a parent in the theater watching it with my child I would definitely leave.
people were drunk, half nude, and it made for no real moral to the story except life sucks, deal with it or your ‘other mother’ will try and kill you and sew buttons on your eyes.
don’t even bother renting this.
931 days ago
[...] right in her own home. It’s a little scary for young ones, but ok for kids 12 and older. Read my review here. [Buy DVD] [Buy [...]
this movie does not target nerds it targets the goths and emos and my kids loved it
Hmm, this movie was odd, in a bad way. I screened it before taking my kids, and I’m glad I did because it is very inappropriate for children under 13.
The movie’s ad campaign made my girls beg me to take them to see it — and the first half of the film seems harmless enough — but seeing the busty female character in a thong and pasties is simply not appropriate for little kids. And, the scary scenes were also too scary, intense and disturbing.
It made me wonder, who was their target audience? It seemed like a movie that was made by animation fan boy nerds, for animation fan boy nerds.
In the end, I struggled to find the fantasy world’s metaphors for Coraline’s real world problems — like any good fable would have. Coraline hates both the real world and her fantasy world, and she manages to go through the ordeal, defeat the witch, without changing or growing.
Out of five stars, I give Coraline five stars for the visuals, but two stars for the unresolved story, weak fable, and lack of character development.