Coraline

Directed by: Henry Selick

Starring:Dakota Fanning, Teri Hatcher, John Hodgman, Jennifer Saunders, Dawn French, Keith David, Robert Bailey Jr., Ian McShane

Running Time: 1h 41min

Selick has done it again, crafting an animated film that is equally entertaining for adults, children, and art school film buffs. When a project based on the youth novel by Neil Gaiman is taken on by someone as equally skilled at disturbing yet accessible work, one can breathe a sigh of relief. However, the expectations become huge, and the chance of disappointment quickly emerges. Yet, after seeing Coraline, in 3-D no less, that sigh quickly becomes an exasperated awe.

True to the tone of Gaiman's work, Coraline looks every bit as stunning as it reads. Though a little hesitant to bring my young daughter to see it, i was hoping it wouldn't provoke the nightmares the way Inkheart has (for both myself and my daughter). On the opposite end, i was hoping the movie version wouldn't kiddie down the darkness underlying Gaiman's tome of childhood disappointment. Thankfully, the movie delights all ages, with mesmerizing set pieces that tickle the tiny eyes in the audience, while tantalizing the adult brain that attempts to wrap their head around the stunning animation. The brisk third act seems to happen so fast with such fabulous art work that it begs to be immediately watched once again.

The voice casting is good, and the musical numbers exquisite. It was a delight to hear They Might Be Giants, for both young and old, while the images set to the score brought the entire film to fantastic heights. Groundbreakingly designed, with a nod to classic 2-D animation beauty, Coraline will definitely find a place in my Blu-Ray collection. I'm just not sure who will want to watch it more, me or my daughter?

Grade: A

Inkheart

Directed by: Iain Softley

Starring: Brendan Fraser, Eliza Bennett, Paul Bettany, Helen Mirren, Rafi Gavron, Andy Serkis

Running Time: 1h 46min

Perfectly cast, yet so disturbingly wrong. Straight out of the pages of the deeply involving series of children's books, Inkheart begs to be translated to film, yet makes such a feat very difficult due to the elements that make the book such an interesting read.

First off, Inkheart is a reader's read. A book for book lovers. The allusions the author makes to classic children's literature give much pleasure to a well read book enthusiast. Unfortunately, this doesn't make for good movie making. Instead, the talent involved in Inkheart, the movie, would have done well by referencing classic children's films, in lieu of the classic novels quoted in the text. Apart from the tornado sequence that evokes The Wizard of Oz, there isn't a lot of clever winks and nods happening.

Rather, it feels more like Fraser can't escape his Mummy series casting, as he plays reluctant hero to a series of computer generated FX, which is a shame, because he is well cast as Mo, the "Silvertongue" that reads books to life. Serkis makes a great villain and Bennett is wonderful in the lead role of Mo's daughter, a very plucky and tough heroine to nail down, and part of the reason why the book works so well. Bettany is smart casting for Dustfinger, as he can play both sides of the fence with equal skill and clever dialogue delivery. The coup de grace is the casting of recent Oscar winner Mirren, who can slip into the skin of ornery Elinor with much delight.

Yet, despite all the spot-on casting, none of the performances materialize, as each actor is boiled down to bare characteristics, with just enough screen time to barely string along the narrative. Suspense is limited, and key strengths of the book (effortless shifts in narrative perspective, balancing elements of old and new settings and surroundings, slow reveal of character, motive, and history) fall by the wayside. Had the adaptation been given the care, love and attention as The Lord of the Rings trilogy or the Harry Potter films, Inkheart would have been a real triumph and the birth of a new trilogy based on a child's classic. Instead, we are left wishing for something more.

Grade: D