Coraline

Beauty in animation, lacking in emotional depth

An artistic film that doesn't try to be anything more than a gorgeously animated tale. The film lacks heart though, a problem with films that don't carry a well developed Relationship Throughline. There is an attempt to force it in there towards the end (Mom bringing Coraline a special gift), but because it wasn't the final action of an Obstacle Character who grew to that point, it seemed to come out of nowhere. If the filmmakers had developed the relationship between Coraline and her mother more, the film would have propelled itself beyond the beautiful character design and captivating animation that is already there.

A tale that should not go unnoticed.