Coraline

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. (02/13/2010)

It’s been a while since I last watched an animated film, and I was quite pleasantly surprised by this one. It wasn't exactly a masterpiece worth a five-star rating, but the animation was great. I really enjoyed the dark, almost horror-like atmosphere, which was strongest in the last third, but it had seeped out here and there even earlier. To be honest, the atmosphere could have been even darker. I wonder what the film would look like if it had been directed by Tim Burton. I'm sure it would be right up his alley. Either way, the story kept me entertained, and it did give me a chill from time to time. If you want to give your kids a good scare, make a little fake door in the wall, have your kids watch this film, and have a lot of fun while consoling them from their nightmares. Coraline definitely ranks among the better animated films, and I'm not opposed to rewatching it sometime. I'm glad to see that filmmakers are still making nightmare fodder for kids. / Lesson learned: It can always get a little worse. (10/16/2022)

If you compare Selick's Coraline and Burton's Alice in Wonderland, the winner is clear. The fantastic stop-motion animated Coraline wins. The film is visually almost unbeatable, it offers ten ideas for every minute, the few songs that are played are pleasantly crazy, the music is good, the characters are humorously bizarre... The problem is in the story, which is not uninteresting, but it gets boring at times, especially in the second half. But what the hell, I tell myself, it's a fairy tale. And a good one. Too bad it's not as adult as The Nightmare before Christmas... (08/18/2010)

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. (12/23/2013)

One of the most interesting animated films of recent times, which is mainly based on the quality book by Neil Gaiman, currently one of the most interesting creators of alternative worlds. Coraline can satisfy both children, except perhaps the smallest ones, as it contains dark motifs and scary scenes, as well as adults, as it has a very clever story with interesting characters and a significant message, it is filmed dynamically, with a sense for visual art, and it almost deserves five stars. Paradoxically, in my eyes, it is harmed by what current animated blockbuster productions are based on, i.e., typical computer graphics, which makes it lack a certain exclusivity characteristic of classic drawing and animation. Overall impression: 85%. (04/30/2010)