RottenTomatoes.com
Log In | Register | What is RT?
Check out the new RT Community
  • Home
  • Movies
  • DVD
  • Celebrities
  • News
  • Critics
  • Trailers & Pictures
  • CommunityBeta
  • Box Office
  • | In Theaters
  • | Opening
  • | Upcoming
  • | Best Of
  • | Certified Fresh
RT Search Powered by Google
help icon Enhanced RT
searches on Google
Click here to turn on enhanced search results from RT on your Google searches.
 
Movies / Upcoming / Coraline
Coraline

Rate this Movie Help Icon

  • Write a Review
  • Read Reviews
  • Add to List
  • Buy Poster External Icon
  • Visit Official Site External Icon
Bookmark and Share

Coraline (2009)

  • T-Meter Critics
  • Top Critics
  • RT Community
  • My Critics
  • My Friends
88 %
Tomatometer
Template ImageTemplate Image

How does the Tomatometer work Help Icon

Reviews Counted:208

Fresh:184

Rotten:24

Average Rating:7.6/10

Consensus: With its vivid stop-motion animation combined with Neil Gaiman's imaginative story, Coraline is a film that's both visually stunning and wondrously entertaining.

Runtime: 1 hr 41 mins

Genre: Childrens

Australian Theatrical Release:
Jul 30, 2009 Wide

US Box Office: $75,169,351

Synopsis: As covetous children are often warned: "Be careful what you wish for." It’s this very cautionary wisdom that sets the stage for Henry Selick’s CORALINE, an eerily eye-popping stop-motion animation... As covetous children are often warned: "Be careful what you wish for." It’s this very cautionary wisdom that sets the stage for Henry Selick’s CORALINE, an eerily eye-popping stop-motion animation tale of fractured dreams and families made whole. As the films opens, Coraline Jones (voiced by Dakota Fanning) and her parents (Teri Hatcher, John Hodgman) have moved into the Pink Palace, a once-vibrant boarding house that’s turned drab and dilapidated. As her parents work feverishly on a new gardening catalog, the bored and belligerent Coraline is admonished to explore her new world’s possibilities. Along the way she meets her fellow tenants, including two aging English showgirls and a mouse-training Russian acrobat, as well as an outcast neighborhood boy named Wybie. But it is a mysterious hidden door that most piques Coraline’s interest--a gateway to a parallel world where her "other" parents and neighbors live only to see Coraline well fed and endlessly entertained. All is not cakes and carnivals for Coraline, though, and the black buttons that have replaced the eyes of these otherworldly imitations hint at darker intentions. When these intentions are revealed, Cora and a friendly magical cat use their wits and willpower to defeat Coraline’s wicked "other mother" and restore balance in the real world. Based on Neil Gaiman’s beloved children’s novel, director Selick (THE NIGHTMARE BEFORE CHRISTMAS) uses the stop-motion technique to bring CORALINE to life with amazing visual and emotional depth. The result is a frightfully magical adventure that will give the whole family plenty to shriek, cheer, and talk about. [More]

Starring: Dakota Fanning, Teri Hatcher, John Hodgman, Dawn French

Starring: Dakota Fanning, Teri Hatcher, John Hodgman, Dawn French, Jennifer Saunders, Ian McShane

Director: Henry Selick

Director: Henry Selick
Screenwriter: Henry Selick
Producer: Bill Mechanic, Claire Jennings, Henry Selick,
Composer: Bruno Coulais
Studio: Focus Features

[See More Credits]

  • Trailers
  • Pictures
  • Part 1: Henry Selick and Neil Gaiman bring Coraline to Life
    >
    Part 2: Crafting the world of Coraline
    >
    Part 3: The Story of Coraline
    >
    Part 4: Meet The Inhabitants Of Coraline's World
    >
  • Part 5: Coraline In The Higher Dimensions
    >
    Trailer
    >
    Way Too Old for Dolls
    >
    Mr B
    >
  • Meet Wybie
    >
    The Other Mother
    >
    Welcome Home
    >
    Bug Room
    >
  • RT Review Revue - Coraline, He's Just Not That Into You, The Pink Panther 2, Push
    >
1 - 4 of 13

See More Movie Trailers & Pictures

Reviews for Coraline

  • T-Meter Critics
  • Top Critics
  • RT Community
  • My Critics
  • My Friends
 
 
1 - 20 (sorted by date; Australian critics are listed first)
Text View | 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 >> >|
Arrange By:Fresh | Rotten | Comments | Name | Source | Date
 
 

This is one of those films that works best if you can forget about the source material. Selick’s film is more like a three-ring circus.

Full Review Source: The Age (Australia) | comment Comment
08/05/09
Jake Wilson
Jake Wilson
The Age (Australia)
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

A wonderfully inventive film.

Full Review Source: At the Movies (Australia) | comment 1 Comment
07/29/09
David Stratton
David Stratton
At the Movies (Australia)
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

The 3-D animation is just superb in Coraline; the imagination of Neil Gaiman has taken flight with director Henry Selick.

Full Review Source: At the Movies (Australia) | comment Comment
07/29/09
Margaret Pomeranz
Margaret Pomeranz
At the Movies (Australia)
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

Coraline is a genuinely creepy film that employs 3-D trickery to its best affect. A deliciously entertaining mythological adventure.

Full Review Source: FILMINK (Australia) | comment Comment
07/29/09
Pauline Adamek
Pauline Adamek
FILMINK (Australia)
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

The visual invention is staggering, ranging from fabulous fantasy to eerie scary

Full Review Source: Urban Cinefile | comment Comment
07/29/09
Andrew L. Urban
Andrew L. Urban
Urban Cinefile
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

A whimsical fantasy created in stop animation and set in alternate universes, Coraline is a visual treat certain to whisk every age into a magical wonderland.

Full Review Source: Urban Cinefile | comment Comment
07/29/09
Louise Keller
Louise Keller
Urban Cinefile
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

A whimsical fantasy created in stop animation and set in alternate universes, Coraline is a visual treat certain to whisk every age into a magical wonderland.

Full Review Source: Urban Cinefile | comment Comment
07/29/09
Richard Kuipers
Richard Kuipers
Urban Cinefile
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

It takes an extraordinary mind to create a truly original, truly new, truly beautiful fable, Coraline is one such creation.

Full Review Source: Sydney Morning Herald | comment Comment
07/29/09
Giles Hardie
Giles Hardie
Sydney Morning Herald
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

With Coraline, Henry Selick and his team of stop-motion animators have created a real wonder, one that will entertain children for years to come.

Full Review Source: Washington Times | comment Comment
08/30/09
Sonny Bunch
Sonny Bunch
Washington Times

Coraline has enough exhilaration and dread to remind viewers of the first time they read about Gretel pushing the Witch into the oven

Full Review Source: CinePassion | comment Comment
08/26/09
Fernando F. Croce
Fernando F. Croce
CinePassion

Walks the thin line between scary and downright entertaining...

Full Review Source: Cinema Crazed | comment Comment
07/21/09
Felix Vasquez Jr.
Felix Vasquez Jr.
Cinema Crazed

A wonderfully weird film, a modern-day Alice in Wonderland that marries technology and good old-fashioned storytelling.

Full Review Source: Times-Picayune | comment Comment
07/21/09
Mike Scott
Mike Scott
Times-Picayune

Coraline is near perfect family entertainment - if your family can handle some pretty ghoulish creatures.

Full Review Source: What Would Toto Watch? | comment Comment
07/20/09
Christian Toto
Christian Toto
What Would Toto Watch?

At times it was trying too hard to be WHIMSICAL %u2122 and missing the point that whimsy is best taken unselfconsciously. By all means see it if you can also endure the tedious splendor that is Nightmare Before Christmas. They are both stunning to look

Full Review Source: Cinerina | comment 2 Comments
05/31/09
Karina Montgomery
Karina Montgomery
Cinerina

If you're going to make a movie that doesn't quite add up to the sum of its parts, you might as well make sure those parts are beautifully formed.

Full Review Source: SFX Magazine | comment Comment
05/27/09
Richard Edwards
Richard Edwards
SFX Magazine

The film combines stunning visuals — there are scenes of incredible beauty — with good old-fashioned storytelling that is funny, inventive and at times scary. Destined to be a classic.

Full Review Source: Sunday Times (UK) | comment Comment
05/13/09
Cosmo Landesman
Cosmo Landesman
Sunday Times (UK)

The movie is beautifully crafted, but like the same director's other stop-motion feature, Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas, it will mystify and in some cases terrify younger children.

Full Review Source: Observer [UK] | comment Comment
05/13/09
Philip French
Philip French
Observer [UK]

It's easy to admire the film's psychedelic surrealism and its marvellous design, but it's not a great deal of fun.

Full Review Source: Independent on Sunday | comment Comment
05/13/09
Nicholas Barber
Nicholas Barber
Independent on Sunday

Here the film goes very dark but kids will lap it up, scares and all.

Full Review Source: Sunday Mail [UK] | comment Comment
05/13/09
Mickey McMonagle
Mickey McMonagle
Sunday Mail [UK]

Here's my recommendation, don't let this be your kid's first scary movie, especially in the 3D, which is the only way to see this beautiful, hypnotic film.

Full Review Source: The Scorecard Review | comment Comment
05/11/09
Jeff Bayer
Jeff Bayer
The Scorecard Review
 
 
1 - 20 (sorted by date; Australian critics are listed first)
Text View | 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 >> >|
all

Latest News for Coraline

November 02, 2009: Henry Selick Talks Coraline, Future Projects, and More Opens in new window
If you're a fan of "Coraline" director Henry Selick's work, you won't want to miss this interview, which finds him discussing projects past, present, and future. More...

October 21, 2009: Wes Anderson Talks Fantastic Mr. Fox - RT Interview
Wes Anderson, arguably the godfather of the quirky American indie thanks to the likes of Bottle Rocket and Rushmore, takes his first steps into the world of stop-motion... More...

July 20, 2009: RT on DVD: Watchmen Director's Cut, Coraline, Animated GI Joe
As the entire combined forces of North American geek culture descend on San Diego's Comic-Con this week, fear not; geekiness galore is to be found in this week's new releases!... More...

June 14, 2009: Sydney Film Festival: Final Day Wrap
Seven years in the making, Henry Selick's Coraline is a mind- boggling feat of stop motion animation. Presented in glorious 3-D as a Sydney Film Festival first, Selick's... More...

See All

More Movies

Coming Soon in Australia
Tomatometer Percentage Movie Date

80% 80% 2012 12/11
63% 63% The Brothers Bloom 12/11
48% 48% Dorian Gray 12/11
17% 17% Amelia 12/11
71% 71% The Boys Are Back 12/11

What’s Hot On RT

RT on DVD

RT on DVD

Transformers 2 rolls out

Prince of Persia

Prince of Persia

Watch the HD trailer premiere here

Scary Xmas Films

Scary Xmas Films

We pick 10 of the best

New Moon

New Moon

Behind the scenes with the Twilight stars.

Other News

  • Top Stories
  • Popular
  • Interviews
 
 

Comments

 
 
Top Stories
Headlines Comments
  
  • Weekly Ketchup: Abrams eyes Micronauts, Aykroyd as Yogi Bear
51
  • J.J. Abrams Producing Micronauts Movie? Source: Wall Street Journal
11
  • Peter Murphy Filming Twilight Saga: Eclipse Cameo Source: MTV
18
  • David Goyer Promises "Existential" Ghost Rider Sequel Source: MTV
160
  • Emmerich Plans 2012: The TV Series Source: Entertainment Weekly
18
  • John Hurt Talks Harry Potter, Quentin Crisp and Alien - The RT Interview
42
  • Guttenberg Promises Three Men and a Baby Sequel Source: WENN
66
  • Berenstain Bears Going CGI for Big-Screen Debut Source: USA Today
3
  • Ian McKellen Is Excited About The Hobbit Source: Sci Fi Wire
26
  • Owen Wilson IS Marmaduke Source: Hollywood Reporter
40
Popular
Headlines Comments
  
  • 12 Facts About 2012
132
  • Total Recall: George Clooney's Best Movies
88
  • Box Office Guru Wrapup: This Is It Tops Box Office Worldwide
55
  • Critics Consensus: A Christmas Carol Dazzles But Disappoints
40
  • Ho-ho-horror! 10 Scary Christmas Movies
36
  • Friday Harvest: Prince of Persia, The Road, and more!
21
  • Weekly Ketchup: Abrams eyes Micronauts, Aykroyd as Yogi Bear
17
  • John Hurt Talks Harry Potter, Quentin Crisp and Alien - The RT Interview
14
  • RT on DVD: Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen
0
Interviews
Headlines Comments
  
  • John Hurt Talks Harry Potter, Quentin Crisp and Alien - The RT Interview
14
  • Richard Kelly chats about The Box
1
  • Terry Gilliam Talks Doctor Parnassus
15
  • Wes Anderson Talks Fantastic Mr. Fox - RT Interview
8
  • Wolverine Creator Len Wein Talks About the Film
28
  • Gavin Hood Talks Wolverine; Possible Sequel
28
  • Duncan Jones talks Moon, Sam Rockwell, and Mute
14
  • Emma Stone talks Zombieland - RT Interview
40
  • Michael Moore: The RT Interview
139
  • Andrea Arnold talks Fish Tank - RT Interview
4
 
 

Sponsored Links

Around The Network

  • Coraline at Rotten Tomatoes
  • Coraline at IGN

Fresh Links

Featured
Oscar nomination for Rockwell?
Oscar nomination for Rockwell? External Link

Join Moon director Duncan Jones' quest to get Sam a nod.

Scorsese's favourite horror movies
Scorsese's favourite horror movies External Link

What are Marty's all-time scariest picks? The Daily Beast finds out.

Werewolves Prowl the Movies
Werewolves Prowl the Movies External Link

TIME tells us the tales behind 13 of Hollywood's most famous wolfmen.

The Return of Pee-wee
The Return of Pee-wee External Link

The 57-year-old is headed back to the Playhouse. Details catches up with the iconic star.

Follow Rotten Tomatoes on Twitter
Follow Rotten Tomatoes on Twitter External Link

Get all the latest movie updates, reviews, interviews and features here.

Competitions
Win Tranformers: Revenge of the Fallen and more on DVD
Win Tranformers: Revenge of the Fallen and more on DVD External Link

The year's biggest film is here and we're giving away big Transformers prize packs -- including both movies and the animated series.

 
 
About| Site Map| Help| RT To Go| Contact Us| Critics Submission| Linking to RT| Licensing| Movie List| Celebs List| Newsletter
IGN Logo

IGN.com | GameSpy | Comrade | Arena | FilePlanet | GameSpy Technology
TeamXbox | Planets | Vaults | VE3D | CheatsCodesGuides | GameStats | GamerMetrics
AskMen.com | Rotten Tomatoes | Direct2Drive | Green Pixels


By continuing past this page, and by the continued use of this site, you agree to be bound by and abide by the User Agreement.
Copyright 1998-2009, IGN Entertainment, Inc. About IGN | Support | Advertise | Privacy Policy | User Agreement | Subscribe to RT's XML feed! IGN RSS Feeds
IGN's enterprise databases running Oracle, SQL and MySQL are professionally monitored and managed by Pythian Remote DBA
Certain product data ©1995-present Muze, Inc. For personal use only. All rights reserved.