The Bottom Line
Pros
- Absolutely beautiful and unique stop-motion animation looks great in hi-def
- Fascinating "making-of" features show details of handmade movie elements
- Bonus features show voice acting in action
Cons
- 3D version color looks awful (as with every other movie shown in 3D on a standard home theater)
Description
- Deleted Scenes: Fans can see even more stunningly
- The Making of Coraline: Watch how stop-motion animation is done
- Voicing the Characters: A behind-the-scenes look at the voices behind the characters
- Creepy Coraline: A talk with Neil Gaiman (author of the Coraline book) and director Henry Selick
- Picture in Picture: Watch the feature-length animatic along with the movie
- Tours and Voice Sessions: Watch the actors record their voices in character
Guide Review - Coraline (2009) - Blu-ray Review
Coraline is not a Tim Burton film, but the subtle resemblance to the style of movies like The Nightmare Before Christmas isn't totally coincidental. Director Henry Selick worked on both movies, but Coraline is in an animation category all it's own. The magnificently whimsical, and at times terrifying, animated world captivates the eyes as the creepy story captivates, or disturbs, the mind. The movie makes an excellent animated Halloween fright flick, but be sure to preview before showing this movie to children. The visions of "other mother" and her evil tricks could haunt a kid's nightmares for years. (For more on the movie's content, see the Coraline review for parents.)
Coraline on Blu-ray looks beautiful; however, having seen the movie in 3D in theaters, I did miss that element watching it at home. Of course, the Blu-ray does come with glasses to watch the 3D version, but the home theater 3D experience is still lacking. The actual 3D elements of Coraline come out much better than some other movies I have seen, but the color is what suffers in 3D home viewing. The muted tones, especially in a movie as colorful as Coraline, really take the fun out of 3D.
Merely reading the titles of the bonus features on the Coraline Blu-ray, they may seem pretty standard, but the process of stop-motion animation makes the "making of" features unbelievably fascinating. The fact that just about every tiny detail in the movie is handmade commands even more respect for the filmmakers and artists behind the scenes. Watching the features about the voice actors and the making of the movie can also help kids see that the movie is fake (again I caution, though, preview this movie before your kids see it). From shots of the actual set to secrets behind effects like fog and growing flowers, fans of Coraline will not be disappointed with the Blu-ray bonus features.
