John’s Movie Musings

Coraline is a children’s horror story.  I haven’t read Neil Gaiman’s short story to know if he’s to blame for this mixed up combination, or if it’s the director’s warped stylings.  Regardless, I think there’s a special level of hell reserved for those who make bizarre mash-ups like this.  Like the person who thought it was a good idea to put pineapple on pizza.

All that makes Coraline a very tough sell.  It’s too scary for kids and I don’t know many adults itching to see a movie about dolls.  I wanted to see it simply for the 3D.  I missed it early in its run when it was replaced by the Jonas Brothers 3D, but in a story certain to warm your cockles, the Jonas Brothers tanked at the box office.  So Coraline 3D is back.  Yay me.

What’s fascinating about the movie is that it’s the first stop motion movie made in 3D (The Nightmare Before Christmas was converted later).  That means they had two cameras set up for every shot.  With stop motion, I heard they averaged about six seconds of footage every week.  With the constant adjustments needed for seamless 3D cuts and scene changes, Coraline is an enormous technical success.  Had they failed, your eyes would have exploded.  Trust me.

But technical successes don’t mean much to most folks.  Afterall, those are the Oscars that get presented at “an event earlier in the week” with no cameras, no stars, and no sympathy.  So while your eyes may not explode, your brain may fry as you try and figure out why this movie was made.

Grade: C