'Coraline' could be first Oscar contender of the year
"Coraline" could well be the first animated feature of 2009 to contend at next year's Oscars. Based on generally enthusiastic reviews, "Coraline" scores a solid 80 at Meta Critic and 79 with the top critics on Rotten Tomatoes. By way of comparison, current Oscar nominee "Kung Fu Panda" — which just swept the Annie Awards — managed only 73 at Meta Critic and 74 at Rotten Tomatoes.
The likes of Lisa Schwarzbaum of Entertainment Weekly and Los Angeles Times lead scribe Kenneth Turan were especially impressed with "Coraline." Said Turan: "The third dimension comes of age with 'Coraline.' The first contemporary film in which the 3-D experience feels intrinsic to the story instead of a Godforsaken gimmick, 'Coraline' is a remarkable feat of imagination, a magical tale with a genuinely sinister edge. The story of an 11-year-old girl's adventures in an alternate universe, 'Coraline' comes by its disturbing qualities honestly, through the efforts of writer-director Henry Selick and novelist Neil Gaiman. It may be rated PG, but it is more suitable for adults than the very small among us." And Schwarzbaum thought, "This thrilling stop-motion animated adventure is a high point in Selick's career of creating handcrafted wonderlands of beauty blended with deep, disconcerting creepiness."
Henry Selick has directed two acclaimed stop-motion films — "The Nightmare Before Christmas" (1993) and "James and the Giant Peach" (1996) — both of which predated the 2001 introduction of the animated feature category at the Oscars. In 2005, two of the three Oscar nominees — the winning "Wallace and Gromit: Curse of the Were-Rabbit" and "Corpse Bride" — were stop-motion. "Coraline," based on the acclaimed book by Neil Gaiman, has the added bonus of being presented in 3-D.
However, so too does the heavily promoted "Monsters vs. Aliens" due out next month. That film is from DreamWorks, which won the first animated feature Oscar with "Shrek," contended on its own three more times — "Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron" (2002), and both "Shark Tale" and "Shrek 2" (2004) — and co-produced the winning "Wallace and Gromit" entry. In the current Oscar race, the studio is hoping "Kung Fu Panda" can translate all those Annie Awards into one Academy Award.
Photo: Focus Features
RELATED POST:
'Kung Fu Panda drop kicks 'Wall-E' at Annie Awards
Get Gold Derby on Twitter. Join the Gold Derby Group at Facebook. Become friends with Tom O'Neil on Facebook. Get Gold Derby RSS feed via Facebook. RSS Feedburner. RSS Atom.
I love Coraline very much!!I hope it wins!!!!But I'm worried because it is competing with "up".I'm not a biG fan of up.BUT I'M A SUPER FAN OF CORALINE!!YAYYYY!!!!!!GO COARLINE,GO!!!!!
Posted by: jaksy20 | March 07, 2010 at 08:44 AM
Coraline was a nasty, awful movie. It's sad when adults who can't compete with other adults use children to try and score points. Coraline had nothing to say of worth, it was dark and depressing and bleak.
Posted by: Freida | February 02, 2010 at 11:07 AM
If you didn't like it you didn't like it. I saw it in 2d, so there was no 3d money made off me.
I loved it. Just because a movie is dark doesn't mean it is not good.
And " The ethical thread of Coraline is unnerving, stay at home where you are ignored and disregarded because the outside world is dangerous. "
No the point is don't ignore your kids. Think people
Posted by: Waltz | February 02, 2010 at 08:05 AM
Coraline was totally lame. The dialogue was stupid and the story was depressing. How could this dumb movie Coraline even be considered for an award? Coraline was commercial junk to make a buck off 3D.
Posted by: Groan worthy | January 12, 2010 at 11:30 PM
Coraline was a miserable movie and incredibly boring. . Gaiman's stories are emotionally strange and grim as if he has no control and life is just about survival. Coraline appears to be an allegory for Gaiman's involvement in Scientology. Good parents ignore you while evil parents interrogate, spy and turn unsuspecting children into brainwashed zombies, stealing their souls and replacing their eyes with buttons. The ethical thread of Coraline is unnerving, stay at home where you are ignored and disregarded because the outside world is dangerous.
Posted by: Kylie | December 07, 2009 at 06:51 PM
Hopefully coraline does win. The animation was jaw dropping and the story though a bit dull was very imaginative and creative. Coraline is now my favorite book I have read yet. Every time I read it, it still sends chills down my spine and keeps me on edge. Neil Gaiman is an excellent writer. Definatly a must buy when it is released on DVD.
Posted by: Jamie Gobeille | February 16, 2009 at 12:43 PM
Coraline is a visual and stunning stop motion animated 3D film that is the best movie of 2009. This movie is not just your average family film this is a fantastic wonderful piece of art.
Posted by: Alfredo Salazar | February 15, 2009 at 09:48 PM
I thought Coraline was filled with imagination and excitement. When it was in 3D it made it even more magical.
Posted by: Aidan | February 07, 2009 at 08:08 AM