I read the book sometime back and watched the movie this past weekend. Didn’t realize it was a 3-D feature till I got to the ticket booth. At first, I grumbled at the the extra surcharge, but that quickly subsided when I sat down in the theater.

So… Coraline, being a 3-D movie, also had 3-D previews which I enjoyed. For some reason, I can’t remember any of them. Heh.

Anyway, Coraline is a stop-motion film, and a very well made one at that. The design of the environment and the characters alone deserve kudos. It was the sort of realism you can only get with actual physical objects, combined with superb fluid movements available only in animation. Whoever was responsible for painting the scenes is a genius.

The voice cast was excellent. Coraline seemed just like how I thought she would be, except for maybe her blue hair. Both her parents have browny hair. Seems like mum’s got some explaining to do.

I thought the movie was pretty close to the book, with the exception of a new character named Wyborn. I thought his role was actually a good one, and made the movie work out in its own way. I did prefer the book’s ending to the movie’s, but only for the severity. (Read the book if you don’t understand.)

All in all, the visuals were stunning. The music and voices were great. And like the book, I enjoyed the story just as well. One qualm I did have was that peering into the 3-D glasses the whole time made my eyes a bit tired. Other than that,

I approve.

images stolen from http://blog.wired.com