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Button Eyes
Henry Selick's Coraline (Focus Features, 2.6), a visually dazzling 3D animated children's film, is about a young girl who feels bored and listless and neglected by her parents and longs, as many kids do, for a better, more lustrous life. She finds one in a magical fantasy realm that she one day disappears into, Being John Malkovich-style, by crawling through a trap door and then through a long psychedelic tunnel. (But with no mud.)
Sensually delightful and too good to be true at first, Coraline's fantasy world eventually, of course, turns out to be nightmare. (It reminded me of "A Nice Place to Visit," a Twilight Zone episode with Larry Blyden as a thief who gets shot and ostensibly goes to heaven -- a place filled with riches, girls and endless good times. Which eventually drives him bonkers.) And then she's trapped there, unable to return to the normal humdrum. And then it's a mildly scary touch-and-go situation for 15 or 20 minutes.
Based on a respected 2003 children's book by Neil Gaiman, Coraline is flawless from a technical standpoint. The stop-motion animation, which Selick (The Nightmare Before Christmas) is an obvious master of, is as good as it gets, and the 3D aspects only enhance. It's first-rate family fare.
But by the standards of me, myself and I, Coraline felt too slow and deliberate. It runs about 95 minutes, give or take, but it would have played better at 70 or 75 minutes. The story is bit too simplistic -- Coraline unhappy, finds fantasy realm, delighted with fantasy realm, concerned with fantasy realm, attempts to escape fantasy realm but can't, finally does. I starting looking at my watch around the 80-minute mark. I was quietly moaning 10 minutes later.
The only thing that kept me going was the creepy notion of all fantasy-realm inhabitants having button eyes, which I took as an analogy for the blotto, disconnected, spaced-out condition of a typical drug user. (You can always tell if someone's high by their peepers.) You could interpret the basic story, in fact, as a metaphor about a tweener kid falling prey to drug use. Lord knows it happens often enough in real-life suburbia.
The voicings by Dakota Fanning, Teri Hatcher, John Hodgman and Ian McShane are well and good.
Posted by Jeffrey Wells on February 4, 2009 at 8:08 AM
comment #1
MikeSchaeferSF
says ...
I was indeed surprised to see that it's as long as it is -- I was expecting 75 or 80 mins tops. But I love that style (and in 3-D!) so I'm totally there.
Posted by MikeSchaeferSF
at February 4, 2009 8:59 AM
comment #2
actionman
says ...
Seeing this on Saturday. Really looking forward.
Posted by actionman
at February 4, 2009 9:13 AM
comment #3
Breedlove
says ...
actionman, I truly hope that the message of the film inspires you to look inward and contemplate your own drug use.
The image of Jeff "quietly moaning" kills me.
Posted by Breedlove
at February 4, 2009 9:20 AM
comment #4
DeafBrownTrashPunk
says ...
The trailer looks SO AMAZING!!!! I saw this for the first time last weekend and it took my breath away.
I'm so seeing this on the opening night.and I love those cute button eyes... Wells, what you talking about?!?!?
Posted by DeafBrownTrashPunk
at February 4, 2009 9:32 AM
comment #5
actionman
says ...
Ouch, breedlove. I thought we were buddies :)
Posted by actionman
at February 4, 2009 9:34 AM
comment #6
D.Z.
says ...
But how does it compare to Spirited Away?
Posted by D.Z.
at February 4, 2009 9:56 AM
comment #7
MikeSchaeferSF
says ...
Well, uh, one is hand-drawn animation and the other is stop-motion figures. So, they're, er, completely different!
Posted by MikeSchaeferSF
at February 4, 2009 10:01 AM
comment #8
Fists With Your Toes
says ...
The story is nothing new, but it sustained my interest mainly because I'm a sucker for eye candy like this, which is on a whole new level. (It's the first stop-motion feature shot in 3-D) Here's a thorough interview Selick did with Gothamist, and lots of stills.
Posted by Fists With Your Toes
at February 4, 2009 10:05 AM
comment #9
Deathtongue_Groupie
says ...
Anyone else find it ironic that after Tim Burton's name was plastered all over NIGHTMARE (and to some extent JAMES/PEACH), that now that Selick is doing his first fully animated film without Burton involved it is Neil Gaiman's turn to be shafted when it comes to promotion?
It also shows just how little respect studios truly have for graphic novels. Sure, they'll go down to Comic Con to pimp their latest shitty fan boy movie and talk a good game, but when you fail to tout one of the biggest names you belie just how deep that supposed respect actually runs.
Posted by Deathtongue_Groupie
at February 4, 2009 10:42 AM
comment #10
scooterzz
says ...
i really loved that the 3-d effect is so subtle (unlike the monster vs. aliens approach)....it adds an element of depth that's just really beautiful....
and loved the french & saunders characters (gaiman's only proviso to selick)......
Posted by scooterzz
at February 4, 2009 10:49 AM
comment #11
storymark
says ...
Deathtongue - Not to disagree with your overall point, but Coraline wasn't a graphic novel. It was stright prose. Gaiman has been working primarily as a novelist and screenwriter for years now (though he does the occasional comic).
Posted by storymark
at February 4, 2009 10:51 AM
comment #12
Deathtongue_Groupie
says ...
storymark - Yet, to date his most well known creation is the Sandman series, which is usually ranked in the top 5 of "graphic novels" on various lists of such I have seen over the years.
Posted by Deathtongue_Groupie
at February 4, 2009 10:57 AM
comment #13
scooterzz
says ...
also, not to be disagreeable but, i think his recent newbury win will make make 'the graveyard book' more recognizable than anything he's done previously.....
Posted by scooterzz
at February 4, 2009 11:01 AM
comment #14
The Winchester
says ...
"having button eyes, which I took as an analogy for the blotto, disconnected, spaced-out condition of a typical drug user"
The irony of course being half the audience for the film will be people who have just smoked an obscene amount of pot before seeing it.
Posted by The Winchester
at February 4, 2009 11:32 AM
comment #15
storymark
says ...
I know I will.
Posted by storymark
at February 4, 2009 12:00 PM
comment #16
actionman
says ...
me 2
Posted by actionman
at February 4, 2009 12:35 PM
comment #17
D.Z.
says ...
Deathtongue: I didn't know Gaiman was "big". Last time I checked, Stardust was a flop. I think the fact that he got Coraline off the ground after that is an accomplishment in itself. As for Selick, Nightmare Before Christmas may have used his animation style, but it relies on Burton's concept of and approach to the idea. Otherwise, Selick would also be responsible for The Corpse Bride, and not just James and the Giant Peach. Frankly, though, I'm surprised Selick even got work after Cool World 2, er, Monkeybone.
Posted by D.Z.
at February 4, 2009 3:12 PM
comment #18
scooterzz
says ...
dz-- you're making things up again...gaiman is huge in the publishing world (and even bigger in the fanboy world)....his newbury medal win of two weeks ago will guarantee that his books be read for generations.....
tim burton's contribution to 'nightmare' was to put his name on it so that it would move faster...even the design of jack skellington was based on the physical look of selick....burton approved of all of selick's design ideas for 'nightmare'...
Posted by scooterzz
at February 4, 2009 3:33 PM
comment #19
D.Z.
says ...
scooter: Being big in one medium does not guarantee success in another medium. Gaiman's huge with American comic geeks and the Hot Topic crowd, but not necessarily anyone else. Also, as I said before, I agreed that it's Sellick's style; but it's still Burton's concept.
Posted by D.Z.
at February 4, 2009 3:47 PM
comment #20
MilkMan
says ...
I'm going to get high and take my son to see this.
Posted by MilkMan
at February 4, 2009 4:20 PM
comment #21
storymark
says ...
Yes, D.Z., and Gaiman was only referred to as "big" in the context of ComiCon, where by your own admission, he is "huge", thus negating your original quibble.
Now please shut the hell up.
Posted by storymark
at February 4, 2009 4:22 PM
comment #22
scooterzz
says ...
dz -- the fact that you limit his literary popularity to 'american comic geeks' and 'the hot topic crowd' speaks to how out of your depth you are on this subject.....
(and i can't believe after years of reading this site i'm even responding to you.....must be end of days)...
Posted by scooterzz
at February 4, 2009 4:23 PM
comment #23
D.Z.
says ...
story: He's huge in a "put on a pedestal" sort of way. But he's not box office gold. Hell, Alan Moore isn't box office gold, and his films have more general appeal than Gaiman's films.
scooter: If I'm out of my depth, then why do they bring up "Nightmare Before Christmas" in the ads, and not Gaiman, Stardust, or Mirrormask?
Posted by D.Z.
at February 4, 2009 4:31 PM
comment #24
nemo
says ...
I never pay attention to graphic novels, I'm a couple decades too old for the graphic novel demographic, and I usually have little interest in movies based on graphic novels. And yet even I have heard of Neil Gaiman. He must be huge.
I'm finding myself intrigued by Coraline. Too bad my only pot-smoking friend lives 500 miles away.
Posted by nemo
at February 4, 2009 4:47 PM
comment #25
LOTGA
says ...
DZ- If Coraline were being released a month from now, you bet your ass the marketing would be pimping Gaiman's Newbery win of a week ago.
Posted by LOTGA
at February 4, 2009 5:47 PM
comment #26
D.Z.
says ...
LOTGA: I'm thinking the studio really doesn't know how to sell it, since it doesn't have any wise-cracking CG talking animals or a sci-fi setting. Personally, I'd think it'd make more sense if they sold it as a counter-programming date movie for V-day.
Posted by D.Z.
at February 4, 2009 7:45 PM
comment #27
scooterzz
says ...
the sad thing about coraline is that it has three weeks to be appreciated in 3-d....after that the disney machine moves in and the jonas brothers take over every 3-d screen in the country....
Posted by scooterzz
at February 4, 2009 7:52 PM
comment #28
air nike shoes
says ...
DZ- If Coraline were being released a month from now, you bet your ass the marketing would be pimping Gaiman's Newbery win of a week ago.
Posted by air nike shoes
at October 10, 2009 5:54 AM
comment #29
air nike shoes
says ...
the sad thing about coraline is that it has three weeks to be appreciated in 3-d....after that the disney machine moves in and the jonas brothers take over every 3-d screen in the country....
Posted by air nike shoes
at October 10, 2009 5:55 AM
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