First, I’m a tough critic that hardest on works so close to excellence that they can brush the fringes of cinematic immortality. Those are the films that frustrate me the most. And so we have CORALINE.
This film could have easily (SOOOOO easily) been better. When I say better I mean this could have been a film for the ages instead of a diverting trifle no one will remember a year from now. How could this film have been easily fixed? First and foremost, the pacing was WAY off. The film moves so slowly that neither child nor adult could stop themselves from fidgeting. You have to give us a story that moves along at a proper clip. Instead, the filmmakers gave us a script structured in episodes that didn’t build off each other. When the filmmakers should have been ratcheting up terror, suspense or marvel they hashed out lethargy.
Part of this comes from a navel gazing related to the animation. Yes, the animation is marvelous and the world a masterpiece of macabre design but we’re living in a time where photorealistic dinosaurs are a more than just a possibility, they’re all over our media. You can’t just give us pretty pictures.
Second, the voice acting was average at best and that’s a terrible thing to say about such an amazing cast. There was zero chemistry between the performers and the fact that they’re recording their parts in isolation booths makes no difference. Just look at the amazing chemistry on the long-in-the-tooth SIMPSONS.
What a pity for a film that finally made proper, scratch that, that finally made artful use of digital 3D technology. Here’s hoping someone else uses this flick as a stepping stone for something greater.
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