Case 39: Movie Review
Rating: 4/10
Cast: Renee Zellweger, Jodelle Ferland, Ian McShane, Kerry
O'Malley, Bradley Cooper, Callum Keith Rennie
Director: Christian Alvert.
Well, well, it appears creepy kids are coming back again in Hollywood.
In Case 39, Renee Zellweger's social worker Emily Jenkins is overworked and
over caring about all the cases she investigates.
And just when her workload threatens to fully take over her life - both
professionally and personally - she's given one more case to look at on top of
her 38 case strong workload - the eponymously titled Case 39.
But this case is the straw which breaks Jenkins' back - troubled 10-year old
Lilith Sullivan (Ferland, soon to be seen in the Twilight Saga
) whose parents are, in her own words, trying to kill her.
So Jenkins manages to get the girl away from her potentially murderous family
- and into her own care - however, that's where the trouble begins - as it
appears Lilith's parents may have had justifiable cause for trying to despatch
their demonic daughter.
Case 39 is a standard by the numbers kind of horror - there's a few shocks
and jolts here and there but all in all, it's a little of a disappointment.
It's no wonder this has been bumped back and forth in the release schedules -
and was first talked about back in 2006. Zellweger looks pained throughout - and
while she puts in a reasonable performance as Jenkins, she's saddled with a bit
of a dog of a script.
The supporting cast are all satisfactory - although it's Jodelle Ferland's
performance as troubled ten year old Lilith which stands head and shoulders
above the rest - she channels just the right kind of spooky and creepy and
somehow manages to out act some of her onscreen co-stars (Bradley Cooper I'm
looking at you)
Case 39 is a reminder of why some horror films don't always work - it's a
lazy script and while it sets out to be shocking in places (as you may have seen
from the sponsored scene put on Facebook of the child being put in the oven), it
doesn't manage to scale the heights of what it wants.
Tuesday, 18 August 2009
Monday, 17 August 2009
Transporter 3: DVD Review
Transporter 3: DVD Review
Transporter 3
Starring: Jason Statham, Robert Knepper, Natalya Rudakova
Rating: M
Icon Home Entertainment
Jason Statham (aka Britain's action hero answer to Bruce Willis) is back as Frank Martin in the third high octane fuelled portion of the Transporter series.
He's a courier with the will to get done what needs to be done - and this time, the former Special Forces mercenary is going to need all his nous about him.
He's forced to deliver Valentina (Natalya Rudakova), a kidnapped girl - but with a twist; if he moves more than 75 feet away from his car to avoid delivery, a bomb on his wrist will explode.
There's not really much plot at play here - and to be honest, this film really isn't about reems of exposition - it's about things exploding, cool car chases and really really bad guys.
And Jason Statham ripping his shirt off to have a bit of a fight.
But then if you're a fan of this series, you'll already have this DVD and will have enjoyed it multiple times - it all looks perfectly good on the small screen but as far as I'm concerned it feels a little soulless.
Although having said that, there's a very, very cool chase scene which sees Frank taking to a BMX to catch up with his car before the explosion goes off - and that's probably the most original part of the whole 1hr 45mins.
Extras: Commentary with director Oliver Megaton.
Rating: 3/10
Transporter 3
Starring: Jason Statham, Robert Knepper, Natalya Rudakova
Rating: M
Icon Home Entertainment
Jason Statham (aka Britain's action hero answer to Bruce Willis) is back as Frank Martin in the third high octane fuelled portion of the Transporter series.
He's a courier with the will to get done what needs to be done - and this time, the former Special Forces mercenary is going to need all his nous about him.
He's forced to deliver Valentina (Natalya Rudakova), a kidnapped girl - but with a twist; if he moves more than 75 feet away from his car to avoid delivery, a bomb on his wrist will explode.
There's not really much plot at play here - and to be honest, this film really isn't about reems of exposition - it's about things exploding, cool car chases and really really bad guys.
And Jason Statham ripping his shirt off to have a bit of a fight.
But then if you're a fan of this series, you'll already have this DVD and will have enjoyed it multiple times - it all looks perfectly good on the small screen but as far as I'm concerned it feels a little soulless.
Although having said that, there's a very, very cool chase scene which sees Frank taking to a BMX to catch up with his car before the explosion goes off - and that's probably the most original part of the whole 1hr 45mins.
Extras: Commentary with director Oliver Megaton.
Rating: 3/10
Flashbacks of a Fool: Movie Review
Flashbacks of a Fool: Movie Review
Rating: 4/10
Cast: Daniel Craig, Felicity Jones, Harry Eden, Eve, Emilia Fox, Jodhi May, Miriam Karlin
Director: Baillie Walsh
Daniel Craig stars in this film about a fading actor who's squandered every chance he's ever had while living in America - and while trying to live the rock star lifestyle he's become accustomed to.
Craig is Joe Scott, who in the opening act of the film hears of his best friend's death and the death of his own career within just moments.
Pushed over the edge by this turn of events, he heads down to the beach and simply floats off - as he does this, he flashes back to his life in a British seaside town, where he was seduced by his mother's friend.
However, the tragedy of what happens there in his earlier life comes to explain why he became what he did - and also facilitates a return home to the UK.
Flashbacks of A Fool is a bit of a serious mis-fire - Craig's performance is pretty damn good though as he channels the reasons for his rockstar lifestyle and regret over his earlier behaviour when he was growing up.
The problem with this film is it's extremely slow to get started and it's hard to really care too much about Joe Scott, who doesn't really care too much about himself - although, that's part of the reason he is who he is - and the general pacing of the film early on doesn't lend itself to enticing viewing.
The flashback itself is far too extended as well (overall the film clocks in at just under 2 hours) and with a tighter reigning in of the script, it could have been a much more effective story.
While the sexual awakening and recollection of Scott's earlier life are done adequately, the shock of why he left the UK when he did is perhaps the best part of the film - although it's a little incredulous, it's quite an explosive jolt to the senses.
The young actors do well to convey the awkwardness of youth growing up in small UK seaside towns with nothing to do is except experiment with their sex lives - and Craig does well as he wallows in a sea of regret and unhappiness.
Ultimately Flashbacks of A Fool needed to exercise a bit more control at the earlier stages of development - instead of appearing like a bit of a hangover after a good night's partying.
Rating: 4/10
Cast: Daniel Craig, Felicity Jones, Harry Eden, Eve, Emilia Fox, Jodhi May, Miriam Karlin
Director: Baillie Walsh
Daniel Craig stars in this film about a fading actor who's squandered every chance he's ever had while living in America - and while trying to live the rock star lifestyle he's become accustomed to.
Craig is Joe Scott, who in the opening act of the film hears of his best friend's death and the death of his own career within just moments.
Pushed over the edge by this turn of events, he heads down to the beach and simply floats off - as he does this, he flashes back to his life in a British seaside town, where he was seduced by his mother's friend.
However, the tragedy of what happens there in his earlier life comes to explain why he became what he did - and also facilitates a return home to the UK.
Flashbacks of A Fool is a bit of a serious mis-fire - Craig's performance is pretty damn good though as he channels the reasons for his rockstar lifestyle and regret over his earlier behaviour when he was growing up.
The problem with this film is it's extremely slow to get started and it's hard to really care too much about Joe Scott, who doesn't really care too much about himself - although, that's part of the reason he is who he is - and the general pacing of the film early on doesn't lend itself to enticing viewing.
The flashback itself is far too extended as well (overall the film clocks in at just under 2 hours) and with a tighter reigning in of the script, it could have been a much more effective story.
While the sexual awakening and recollection of Scott's earlier life are done adequately, the shock of why he left the UK when he did is perhaps the best part of the film - although it's a little incredulous, it's quite an explosive jolt to the senses.
The young actors do well to convey the awkwardness of youth growing up in small UK seaside towns with nothing to do is except experiment with their sex lives - and Craig does well as he wallows in a sea of regret and unhappiness.
Ultimately Flashbacks of A Fool needed to exercise a bit more control at the earlier stages of development - instead of appearing like a bit of a hangover after a good night's partying.
Thursday, 13 August 2009
District 9: Movie Review
District 9: Movie Review
Rating 9/10
Cast: Sharlto Copley, an entire cast of relative unknowns
Director: Neill Blomkamp
It's very rare in this game for a film to slip under the radar without masses of pre-publicity and end up surprising those who watch it.
District 9 is one of those films.
Basically aliens came to Earth one day 20 years ago - and instead of landing in Manhattan or New York, they landed in the skies atop Johannesburg in South Africa.
The huge alien craft sat in the skies - and it was only when the powers that be broke into the ship that they found millions of aliens alive and malnourished within.
So while the equivalent of the United Nations discussed what to do with these refugee creatures (affectionately given the racist term "prawns" because of their appearance), they were brought down to earth and put in slum areas, segregated away from the rest of humanity.
As private company MNU (Multi National United) investigates the alien technology to no avail, it's decided to rehome the Prawns from their settlements (it's in their best interests apparently) which have now become riddled with crime and Nigerian gangs.
District 9 follows the unraveling of events as a doco crew follows MNU worker Wikus van der Merwe (Sharlto Copley) who's given the job of overseeing the evictions - and who inadvertently sets in motion a series of events which change the equilibrium of the last 20 years.
It's very difficult to discuss this astonishing film from Blomkamp without spoiling it too much - so consider this your warning - read on at your own peril.
District 9 was "produced by Peter Jackson" and is a Wingnut films production - and quite frankly, it's one of the smartest pieces of sci fi based film I've seen for a while.
It's hard to pigeonhole is as one particular genre - it's sci-fi, it's guns and explosions, it's unexpected humour, it's geek overload in places, it's Predator, it's reminiscent of Black Hawk Down, Aliens, Robocop - and amazingly, it's buddy cop movie a la Fly - but none of it is derivative
What Blomkamp's come up with is a real mash up of genres - and with a lead who's pretty damn impressive for a first time actor and with rumours most of the dialogue was improvised, it's even more impressive.
The film's initial doco style as a crew follows the start of the MNU led evictions soon passes - and the film abandons its cinema verite ways to follow what exactly happens to Wikus.
There's a sense of foreboding and dread at the start of the film as it becomes clear Wikus has played a major part in what's about to unfold - and there's a real dread as the convoys roll into District 9 where the "Prawns" are and the evictions are put in place.
It's only a matter of time before the touch paper's been lit and soon tempers boil over - and yes, many will draw the parallels with Apartheid and South Africa (as well as what happened in District 6 there) - but District 9 is about more than that.
There's satire as Wikus finds himself hunted thanks to the intervention of the 24 hour ever present media which follows every single event on the day of the eviction.
But at its heart, District 9 is about humanity - what it is to be human, how far you will go to fight for that when you're ethically and morally compromised.
Eventually Wikus finds his rights crushed and threatened in the same manner in which he treats the Prawns (after an encounter with some alien biotechnology) - and as his father in law sells him out for greed, it's downright black and further proof of how depressing the human race can sometimes be.
The only (very minor) disappointment is the last few minutes - which screams "sequel" over all it (even though it's alluded to earlier on) and is a reminder really of why sometimes one, no matter how big it is, is enough.
District 9 is a real jolt to the senses; packs a surprise in virtually every frame - there's so much to engulf yourself in - and most of the major questions are left unanswered (where did the Prawns come from is just one of them) - but in a day and age when movies sometimes often fail to dazzle and be inventive, this original flick is head and shoulders above anything else I've seen on the big screen this year.
Rating 9/10
Cast: Sharlto Copley, an entire cast of relative unknowns
Director: Neill Blomkamp
It's very rare in this game for a film to slip under the radar without masses of pre-publicity and end up surprising those who watch it.
District 9 is one of those films.
Basically aliens came to Earth one day 20 years ago - and instead of landing in Manhattan or New York, they landed in the skies atop Johannesburg in South Africa.
The huge alien craft sat in the skies - and it was only when the powers that be broke into the ship that they found millions of aliens alive and malnourished within.
So while the equivalent of the United Nations discussed what to do with these refugee creatures (affectionately given the racist term "prawns" because of their appearance), they were brought down to earth and put in slum areas, segregated away from the rest of humanity.
As private company MNU (Multi National United) investigates the alien technology to no avail, it's decided to rehome the Prawns from their settlements (it's in their best interests apparently) which have now become riddled with crime and Nigerian gangs.
District 9 follows the unraveling of events as a doco crew follows MNU worker Wikus van der Merwe (Sharlto Copley) who's given the job of overseeing the evictions - and who inadvertently sets in motion a series of events which change the equilibrium of the last 20 years.
It's very difficult to discuss this astonishing film from Blomkamp without spoiling it too much - so consider this your warning - read on at your own peril.
District 9 was "produced by Peter Jackson" and is a Wingnut films production - and quite frankly, it's one of the smartest pieces of sci fi based film I've seen for a while.
It's hard to pigeonhole is as one particular genre - it's sci-fi, it's guns and explosions, it's unexpected humour, it's geek overload in places, it's Predator, it's reminiscent of Black Hawk Down, Aliens, Robocop - and amazingly, it's buddy cop movie a la Fly - but none of it is derivative
What Blomkamp's come up with is a real mash up of genres - and with a lead who's pretty damn impressive for a first time actor and with rumours most of the dialogue was improvised, it's even more impressive.
The film's initial doco style as a crew follows the start of the MNU led evictions soon passes - and the film abandons its cinema verite ways to follow what exactly happens to Wikus.
There's a sense of foreboding and dread at the start of the film as it becomes clear Wikus has played a major part in what's about to unfold - and there's a real dread as the convoys roll into District 9 where the "Prawns" are and the evictions are put in place.
It's only a matter of time before the touch paper's been lit and soon tempers boil over - and yes, many will draw the parallels with Apartheid and South Africa (as well as what happened in District 6 there) - but District 9 is about more than that.
There's satire as Wikus finds himself hunted thanks to the intervention of the 24 hour ever present media which follows every single event on the day of the eviction.
But at its heart, District 9 is about humanity - what it is to be human, how far you will go to fight for that when you're ethically and morally compromised.
Eventually Wikus finds his rights crushed and threatened in the same manner in which he treats the Prawns (after an encounter with some alien biotechnology) - and as his father in law sells him out for greed, it's downright black and further proof of how depressing the human race can sometimes be.
The only (very minor) disappointment is the last few minutes - which screams "sequel" over all it (even though it's alluded to earlier on) and is a reminder really of why sometimes one, no matter how big it is, is enough.
District 9 is a real jolt to the senses; packs a surprise in virtually every frame - there's so much to engulf yourself in - and most of the major questions are left unanswered (where did the Prawns come from is just one of them) - but in a day and age when movies sometimes often fail to dazzle and be inventive, this original flick is head and shoulders above anything else I've seen on the big screen this year.
Sunshine Cleaning: Movie Review
Sunshine Cleaning: Movie Review
Rating: 6/10
Cast: Amy Adams, Emily Blunt, Steve Zahn, Alan Arkin
Director: Christine Jeffs
A film about cracking into the world of crime scene cleaning sounds like an interesting premise - and one which is currently not flooding the silver screen.
Sunshine Cleaning from New Zealand director Christine Jeffs is certainly fresh in places - and irritating in others.
The ever wonderful Amy Adams is Rose Lorkowski, a single mother whose son is forever getting into trouble at school.
Her unreliable sister Norah (Blunt) is flaking from one job to the next - the pair basically want a get rich quick scheme to pull their life out of the mundanity which has befallen them after high school promised so much.
Rose is having an affair with Steve Zahn's cop and he suggests one day there's good money in the forensic clean up business.
Throw in an oddball father (Alan Arkin) and you have pretty much a recipe for some quality screen time.
And to a point you do.
But the central characters Rose and Norah (and to an extent Alan Arkin's character) are quite irritating after prolonged exposure - riddled with neuroses and character quirks, which had they been underplayed would have been endearing.
Unfortunately after about 20 minutes, they're simply annoying.
Sunshine Cleaning feels in parts a lot like Little Miss Sunshine - which is no bad thing - and it has a lot of humour throughout - Blunt and Adams are good in their respective roles but their characters feel a little too stereotyped at times - Adams' Rose is having a lazy affair with a cop; Blunt's Norah is too kooky (witness her following a daughter whose wallet was found at a crime scene).
And the pair's secretly troubled parental relationship is a story thread which could have been seen coming a mile off.
Overall, Sunshine Cleaning feels a little bit too forced at times - whether that's the fault of the screenplay or the director I'm not 100% sure.
It's not a bad film - it's just with such an original premise, it could have been so much more.
Rating: 6/10
Cast: Amy Adams, Emily Blunt, Steve Zahn, Alan Arkin
Director: Christine Jeffs
A film about cracking into the world of crime scene cleaning sounds like an interesting premise - and one which is currently not flooding the silver screen.
Sunshine Cleaning from New Zealand director Christine Jeffs is certainly fresh in places - and irritating in others.
The ever wonderful Amy Adams is Rose Lorkowski, a single mother whose son is forever getting into trouble at school.
Her unreliable sister Norah (Blunt) is flaking from one job to the next - the pair basically want a get rich quick scheme to pull their life out of the mundanity which has befallen them after high school promised so much.
Rose is having an affair with Steve Zahn's cop and he suggests one day there's good money in the forensic clean up business.
Throw in an oddball father (Alan Arkin) and you have pretty much a recipe for some quality screen time.
And to a point you do.
But the central characters Rose and Norah (and to an extent Alan Arkin's character) are quite irritating after prolonged exposure - riddled with neuroses and character quirks, which had they been underplayed would have been endearing.
Unfortunately after about 20 minutes, they're simply annoying.
Sunshine Cleaning feels in parts a lot like Little Miss Sunshine - which is no bad thing - and it has a lot of humour throughout - Blunt and Adams are good in their respective roles but their characters feel a little too stereotyped at times - Adams' Rose is having a lazy affair with a cop; Blunt's Norah is too kooky (witness her following a daughter whose wallet was found at a crime scene).
And the pair's secretly troubled parental relationship is a story thread which could have been seen coming a mile off.
Overall, Sunshine Cleaning feels a little bit too forced at times - whether that's the fault of the screenplay or the director I'm not 100% sure.
It's not a bad film - it's just with such an original premise, it could have been so much more.
Tuesday, 11 August 2009
Coco Avant Chanel: Movie Review
Coco Avant Chanel: Movie Review
Rating: 6/10
Cast: Audrey Tautou, Alessandro Nivola, Benoit Poelvoorde
Director: Anne Fontaine
READ AN EXCLUSIVE Q & A WITH COCO AVANT CHANEL STAR AUDREY TAUTOU HERE!
Having conquered the New Zealand International Film Festival - and the hearts of TVNZ fashionistas Michiko Hughes & Clifton Piper , this biopic about the early life of Gabrielle "Coco" Chanel now finally opens nationwide (although the South Island has to wait until August 20th for its release).
Audrey Tautou stars in this tale of how Chanel overcame the adversities in the early stages of her life to become the icon we all now know.
It's quite a somber take as we first meet Chanel as she's abandoned at an orphanage in 1893 in France with her sister - and she desperately waits for her father to return.
However, when that doesn't happen, Chanel resigns herself to a life of hardship in France - and quickly discovers she's going to have to assert herself in a man's world.
Coco Avant Chanel is an interesting look at the designer and the hurdles she had to overcome - and at times, maybe it's because of viewing it with 20th Century eyes, she doesn't always come across as sympathetic - she's fairly ruthless and could be viewed by some as manipulative as she tries to claw her way into society and to be taken seriously.
However, on reflection, this was the only way open to Chanel - and she's quite right to use it to her advantage - because based on the man who serves as her patron, Etienne Balsan, is nothing more than a boor and a beast who demeans Chanel at every turn.
And while Tautou conveys the steeliness well, she also manages to portray subtle peeks into Chanel's frailties and grief at key moments during the film.
None of this is more evident than when she begins her relationship with the Englishman affectionately known as Boy Capel (Alessandro Nivola) - it is here that we get more of an insight into the human behind the tragedy - and an understanding of what shaped the woman who would define fashion for so many.
Even though there are some slow parts, it's Tautou's film though once again - but overall, Coco Avant Chanel is an intriguing look at what made the icon - and while the fashions are ever present in her early life, there's an emotionally satisfying pay off at the end as we see her creations take to the catwalk.
Rating: 6/10
Cast: Audrey Tautou, Alessandro Nivola, Benoit Poelvoorde
Director: Anne Fontaine
READ AN EXCLUSIVE Q & A WITH COCO AVANT CHANEL STAR AUDREY TAUTOU HERE!
Having conquered the New Zealand International Film Festival - and the hearts of TVNZ fashionistas Michiko Hughes & Clifton Piper , this biopic about the early life of Gabrielle "Coco" Chanel now finally opens nationwide (although the South Island has to wait until August 20th for its release).
Audrey Tautou stars in this tale of how Chanel overcame the adversities in the early stages of her life to become the icon we all now know.
It's quite a somber take as we first meet Chanel as she's abandoned at an orphanage in 1893 in France with her sister - and she desperately waits for her father to return.
However, when that doesn't happen, Chanel resigns herself to a life of hardship in France - and quickly discovers she's going to have to assert herself in a man's world.
Coco Avant Chanel is an interesting look at the designer and the hurdles she had to overcome - and at times, maybe it's because of viewing it with 20th Century eyes, she doesn't always come across as sympathetic - she's fairly ruthless and could be viewed by some as manipulative as she tries to claw her way into society and to be taken seriously.
However, on reflection, this was the only way open to Chanel - and she's quite right to use it to her advantage - because based on the man who serves as her patron, Etienne Balsan, is nothing more than a boor and a beast who demeans Chanel at every turn.
And while Tautou conveys the steeliness well, she also manages to portray subtle peeks into Chanel's frailties and grief at key moments during the film.
None of this is more evident than when she begins her relationship with the Englishman affectionately known as Boy Capel (Alessandro Nivola) - it is here that we get more of an insight into the human behind the tragedy - and an understanding of what shaped the woman who would define fashion for so many.
Even though there are some slow parts, it's Tautou's film though once again - but overall, Coco Avant Chanel is an intriguing look at what made the icon - and while the fashions are ever present in her early life, there's an emotionally satisfying pay off at the end as we see her creations take to the catwalk.
Thursday, 6 August 2009
Coraline: Movie Review
Coraline: Movie Review
Rating 7/10
Vocal Cast: Dakota Fanning, Teri Hatcher, Jennifer Saunders, Dawn French, Keith David
Director: Henry Selick
From the director of James and The Giant Peach, The Nightmare Before Christmas, and MonkeyBone comes Coraline, based on a book by renowned fantasy writer Neil Gaiman.
Coraline Jones (Dakota Fanning) has moved to a new apartment with her mother and father (Teri Hatcher from TV2's Desperate Housewives and John Hodgman) - but she finds that her parents are too busy to get her settled in.
To her amazement during her exploration of the new drab home, she finds a locked door - which, when opened takes her through to an alternative version of her current life.
The trouble is, in this alternative world, her Other Mother and Other Father are much more attentive and she starts to feel maybe she should stay with this family (even though everyone in this world has buttons for eyes).
But she gradually begins to discover that not everything is as it seems in the new world&.can she escape back to her old life before it's too late?
There's much to love in this latest animated outing.
Coraline is a beautiful piece of Gothic tinged work - full of dark greys to start off with, its colour schemes are resplendent on the big screen.(Even more so in digital 3D)
They're vibrant and vivid to show the contrasts in Coraline's world and life - Coraline herself wears a bright yellow coat in her humdrum world - and when she goes through to the Other World, the garden comes to life with plush colours (blues, purples, reds) which really light up the screen.
It's a dark, cleverly animated fable which will scare some smaller children and is a cautionary tale (in some ways) of Mother Knows Best.
Coupled with its ethereal soundtrack (which is wonderfully evocative) and beautiful surroundings, it's quite the treat to behold - and with the added subtleties of the 3D, it really brings the worlds to life.
The stars of the show - outside of the score and animation - are Teri Hatcher and Dakota Fanning; Hatcher in particular is both motherly and sinister and works hard to bring the Other Mother to life.
Coraline is a gothic horror film for children and adults alike - and it should be cherished and enjoyed - even if it does scare the little horrors senseless in places.
Rating 7/10
Vocal Cast: Dakota Fanning, Teri Hatcher, Jennifer Saunders, Dawn French, Keith David
Director: Henry Selick
From the director of James and The Giant Peach, The Nightmare Before Christmas, and MonkeyBone comes Coraline, based on a book by renowned fantasy writer Neil Gaiman.
Coraline Jones (Dakota Fanning) has moved to a new apartment with her mother and father (Teri Hatcher from TV2's Desperate Housewives and John Hodgman) - but she finds that her parents are too busy to get her settled in.
To her amazement during her exploration of the new drab home, she finds a locked door - which, when opened takes her through to an alternative version of her current life.
The trouble is, in this alternative world, her Other Mother and Other Father are much more attentive and she starts to feel maybe she should stay with this family (even though everyone in this world has buttons for eyes).
But she gradually begins to discover that not everything is as it seems in the new world&.can she escape back to her old life before it's too late?
There's much to love in this latest animated outing.
Coraline is a beautiful piece of Gothic tinged work - full of dark greys to start off with, its colour schemes are resplendent on the big screen.(Even more so in digital 3D)
They're vibrant and vivid to show the contrasts in Coraline's world and life - Coraline herself wears a bright yellow coat in her humdrum world - and when she goes through to the Other World, the garden comes to life with plush colours (blues, purples, reds) which really light up the screen.
It's a dark, cleverly animated fable which will scare some smaller children and is a cautionary tale (in some ways) of Mother Knows Best.
Coupled with its ethereal soundtrack (which is wonderfully evocative) and beautiful surroundings, it's quite the treat to behold - and with the added subtleties of the 3D, it really brings the worlds to life.
The stars of the show - outside of the score and animation - are Teri Hatcher and Dakota Fanning; Hatcher in particular is both motherly and sinister and works hard to bring the Other Mother to life.
Coraline is a gothic horror film for children and adults alike - and it should be cherished and enjoyed - even if it does scare the little horrors senseless in places.
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