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Coraline Review – Too Scary for Kids?

by Jane Boursaw on February 23rd, 2009

"Coraline" is one of those movies that’s probably a great piece of filmmaking, but it’s not really appropriate for kids. The stop-motion animation, the cinematography, and the storyline are all beautifully done. But it’s just too darn scary for little kids. Even though it’s rated PG, I don’t recommend it for kids younger than 12, which, in my mind, means it should have been rated PG-13.

The story follows a girl named Coraline Jones (voiced by Dakota Fanning), who moves with her parents (Teri Hatcher and John Hodgman) to a creepy old inn also inhabited by some other quirky people, including Mr. Bobinsky (Ian McShane) and two older ladies (Jennifer Saunders and Dawn French). Living nearby with his grandma is a boy named Wybie (Robert Bailey, Jr.). There’s also a cat skulking around, voiced by Keith David.

Coraline’s parents are busy with their work – writing a seed catalogue – so they basically tell Coraline to go away and amuse herself so they can work. The dad is nice enough, but totally distracted. The mom is borderline abusive emotionally. Really great parents we’ve got there.

So Coraline DOES go away and amuse herself, by finding a tiny door in the wall that leads through a creepy tunnel into an alternative universe with parents who look like her parents, but whom are really nice and have creepy buttons for eyes. The "other mother" lures Coraline in with all sorts of sweet treats, which you have a feeling just isn’t going to go well.

At first, Coraline is able to move between the two universes, but eventually, she gets stuck in the alternative universe. The "other mother" keeps getting creepier and creepier, until she’s this spider-like creature who throws Coraline into a dark room until she can behave herself. Inside, Coraline encounters some creepy ghost-children who’ve apparently suffered the same fate. She has to figure out how to not only get out of this room, but also out of the alternative universe, lest she be stuck there forever. And the window of opportunity to get out is closing fast.

Aside from the overall creepiness of the movie, there’s one scene, in particular, that I found completely inappropriate for kids. In her real life, Coraline’s neighbors include the two older ladies, and one has a freakishly large bust. In the alternative universe, the women are shown in a nightmarish theatrical/circus arena, and the woman with the big bust is wearing only pasties, bouncing around on this circus-type equipment. My 11-year-old daughter and I looked at each other and said, "Ok, that’s completely inappropriate!" I read an interview with director Henry Selick, who said the scene made it past censors, but truly, it’s not for little kids.

I’m giving "Coraline" 3 out of 5 geckos because as mentioned, it’s a masterpiece of a film with awesome animation and storytelling. But it’s more suited to an indie arthouse crowd than little kids. Yes, I know a lot of kids have read the book in school – my daughter did, too. Doesn’t mean the movie is appropriate for kids.

I should also mention that the movie is in 3D. There were a few scenes where that came into play, but I can’t say I noticed it all that much.

 Images: Coraline, Focus Features, 2009

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