Big Picture Big Sound

The Film

Director Henry Selick extends his line of bizarre stop-motion-animation tales with Coraline, a film based on Neil Gaiman's 2002 novel. Like his other fractured fairytales, this probably isn't one that you want to put the kiddies through -- unless you enjoy a night of huddling under the covers.

Coraline Jones (voiced by Dakota Fanning) is a whiny little girl. Of course, you can't blame her. She's new to Pink Palace Apartments, her parents (Teri Hatcher, John Hodgman) ignore her as they complete a garden catalog, and her only friend is a chatty boy named Wybie. As a token of friendship, Wybie gives Coraline a doll his grandmother had; a doll that looks exactly like Coraline.

In her boredom, Coraline finds a tiny door in her new home, only to find out it's blocked by bricks. That night, she is called back to the door, which this time features a vortex into the "Other World." Inside this world, her parents cook awesome meals, play fun games, and have buttons for eyes. Of course, there isn't just a better family, but better stuff to do, as the toys and even her neighbors seem to be a lot more entertaining. After each night, she wakes back up in her normal life, longing for the night before. Her third time is almost a charm, until her new "parents" offer her the chance to stay for good -- if they can sew buttons over her eyes.

Coraline is a creepy, yet stunning animated feature. Like Alice in Wonderland, this is a trippy adventure with a slew of bizarre characters. Those extras include apartment dwellers Bobinsky (Ian McShane), a Russian acrobat who loves mice and stinky mail-order cheese; Miss Spink and Miss Forcible (Jennifer Saunders and Dawn French), two retired actresses with an unlimited supply of really old candy; and a nameless black cat (Keith David), who may be Coraline's only hope.

The Picture

Coraline is one of Universal's best transfers (that we've seen). The 1:85:1 image is demo-worthy material, with an unbelievable amount of sharp details and bold colors throughout. It is a visual feast, from the strands of Coraline's metallic blue hair to the garden to the Other Mother's culinary delights. You'll certainly want to reach out and grab a turkey leg, even when not wearing 3D glasses. Speaking of which: For a release whose image is so stellar, the 3D was a major letdown. Highly acclaimed in theaters, this version is actually the first stop-motion feature to be filmed in 3D -- and it certainly shows its infancy. Not that we expect much more than a novelty, but it seemed like there were a lot of missed 3D opportunities, such as during the Other World circus scene. It also dims the colors and details that make this film such a delight. [editor's note: these are just a few reasons why current anaglyph 3D technology is so bad, but at the moment there are no other options compatible with current gear].

The Sound

The DTS-HD Master Audio track is a nice complement to the image here. There are a lot of sounds to hear in the Other World, you know. From wind, thunder and other elements to footsteps, barking dogs and cotton candy cannons, this track is a dream come true for audiophiles. Dialogue is also exceptionally crisp and clean, and features perfect casting, most notably Fanning and an extremely sweet, yet wicked, Hatcher.

The Extras

Like the film itself, this release is impressive when it comes to the extras. There are three different picture-in-picture offerings, via Universal's U-Control feature. "The Making of Coraline" is a 35-minute, 10-part series, which covers everything from the look, the voices, the puppets, and why Wybie was invented for the movie. All of these are very interesting, although it's weird that they would bother with the voices, when that portion is given its own 10-minute featurette. Guess they wanted to make sure to give everyone a plug, in case you just went with the making-of feature. Also, even though they are lumped together, the deleted scenes are interesting, thanks to director Henry Selick's insight on why each one got clipped. There are a total of five scenes, not including the montage or the piece from the closing credits, which technically isn't deleted (he just wanted to make sure you saw it).

Final Thoughts

The 3D isn't as fun as you'd expect, thanks to limitations in current technology, but Coraline is. Selick creates a playground for the senses -- as well as your Blu-ray setup. Even if you aren't a fan of animated features, this one is worth picking up.

Product Details

• Voice Actors: Dakota Fanning, Teri Hatcher, Jennifer Saunders, Dawn French, Ian McShane
• Director: Henry Selick
• Audio/Languages: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 (English), DTS 5.1 (French, Spanish), Dolby Digital 2.0 (English)
• Subtitles: English SDH, French, Spanish
• Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1
• Region: A
• Number of Discs: 2
• Rating: PG
• Studio: Universal Pictures
• Blu-ray Disc Release Date: July 21, 2009
• Run Time: 136 minutes
• List Price: $34.99
• Extras:
  • 2D Feature
  • 3D Feature
  • U-Control Picture-in-Picture (2D Only)
  • U-Control Tours and Voice Sessions (2D Only)
  • U-Control Picture-in-Picture Animatic (2D Only)
  • My Scenes
  • Deleted Scenes
  • The Making of Coraline
  • Voicing the Characters
  • Creepy Coraline
  • Feature Commentary with Director Henry Selick and Composer Bruno Coulais
  • D-Box Motion Enabled
  • BD Live