Coraline

I was a bit worried when the film was slower to start and visibly tried to engage my imagination and some of my patience with its story, but after a few minutes the doubts were successfully erased and I became increasingly satisfied with the final form. Sure, it's no Miyazaki, it lacks Danny Elfman's catchy compositions and the story doesn't sound particularly likeable, but there's still the charm, the imaginative idea and the very original execution, which is always the most important thing in animation. The Oscar nomination, in my opinion, is well deserved and pretty much says it all. (16/10/2012)

At first glance, there were a lot of scenes that reminded me slightly of other films. The well where the key was thrown was reminiscent of The Ring, the metal hand was reminiscent of Freddy Krueger, and as a whole it felt at times like a mix of Alice in Wonderland and the gloomy atmosphere of Corpse Bride. But whatever! I enjoyed it. In terms of running time, it was adequate. The music fit the passages perfectly, and the characters were interesting to the point of bizarre (especially Mr. B and the other mother). I was thinking 4*, but I'll round up because this animated film was indeed my cup of tea, full of colourful bleakness and great moments. (14/02/2010)

I made myself watch it and I feel like it's matured a little bit. I don't always let Gaiman get to me. There's still the contrast between genuine horror and pleasingly button-grotesqueness, but it's still great regardless. The stop-motion animation is also incredibly rich and imaginative. So why not? (24/09/2009)

Selick’s Caroline, sorry, Coraline lacks one thing. And that is the “button phobia" which, unlike in the book, never sets in. Maybe it’s because I don’t share Selick’s vision as a whole. It’s not nearly dark enough. There’s nobody quite like Dave McKean. This Coraline is an excellent animated movie, but nothing more. But the potential for more was here. (15/06/2009)

This type of animation simply isn't seen very often anymore. I'm also glad that Henry Selick chose this slim book by Neil Gaiman to adapt into a stop-motion animated film. This animation style suits Coraline incredibly well, and I'm glad there are still people who appreciate and put in the effort for stop-motion animation. The result is worth it. Plus, the horror-themed cartoon is all the better for it. And this fairy tale has the makings of a horror film. (24/12/2013)