Opening Today: Coraline

Focus Features

“Coraline” follows the title character as she seeks out an alternate world to soothe the loneliness she experiences in the real world, with strong parallels to “Alice In Wonderland” and “The Wizard Of Oz.”  The movie, which is based on an award-winning novel of the same name, is directed by Henry Selick, who also directed the “Nightmare Before Christmas” and apparently has a similar aesthetic.  I read a very flattering review from a less-trusted source yesterday and now A.O. Scott at the Times has posted a very positive review, ultimately marking it a Critics Pick:

“Mr. Selick, for his part, is so wantonly inventive and so psychologically astute that even Coraline’s dull domestic reality is tinted with enchantment”

And it’s in 3-D!

“Mr. Selick uses the [3-D] technology to make his world deeper and more intriguing.  […]  And what is there, on the screen, is almost too much to absorb in one sitting: costumed mice and Scottish terriers; glowing blossoms and giant insects.”

I’ve never seen a movie in 3-D and I think this may be the one to pop my cherry.  In an article published earlier this week, Selick spoke with the Times about working with the 3-D technology and his desire to not make it gimmicky; he ultimately describes it as “window-dressing.”

Here’s the trailer:

Related: New York Times Review; Rotten Tomatoes Meta-Reviews; Google Showtimes (Um, how do I find the 3-D theaters?!)