CORALINE in 3-D!!!

Look, I'm a sucker for stop-motion animation/clay animation. I don't know why, but I find it MUCH more interesting that CGI (yes, even more than the fab PIXAR stuff).

Maybe because it's so tactile and real.

Anyway, I also LOVE 3-D movies (even though I've only seen a few). CORALINE, which is based on a novel written by Neil Gaiman and directed by the dude who directed THE NIGHTMARE BEFORE CHRISTMAS, is both stop-motion and (in certain locations) in 3-D.

Slam-dunk.

The flick is creepy and moody--not quiet suitable for kids under 8-10 years old. The art direction is wonderful. The plot, while dark, is no darker than the 1,000's of Fairy Tales adults have been shoving down our throats for eons. CORALINE features a smart, resourceful, and ultimately brave FEMALE protagonist (something I wish wasn't so rare). Even though she's getting older, I think it's the kind of film my baby sister should see--only because it is so female-centric. Not only does Coraline save herself but (mild spoiler) she saves her parents and defeats a terrible monster.

So how was the 3-D? It was good. Unlike the 3-D re-release of THE NIGHTMARE BEFORE CHRISTMAS, CORALINE was filmed in 3-D. That means there were more shots filmed with the explicit intent to wow in 3-D. The glasses are polarized, so they're not the lame "blue-and-red" 3-D from our youth. They fit over my regular glasses just fine (in case you were wondering). The theater we saw it in was packed, and I was sitting next to a little boy who--like much of the audience exclaimed whenever something would "lash out" at us.

Hell, even some of the previews made good use of the 3-D.

Being the inquisitive youth that I am, I did take my glasses off for a second just to see what the picture looked like (it looked like a blurry mess). I recommend this movie because:

1. The style is unique and deserves to be revered.

2. The story focuses on a young girl, one that does not conform to stereotypical convention--Coraline is a regular girl, but she kicks ass and chews bubble gum when things get crazy. And I like that. I wish ALL OF US male pigs would figure it out more often that chicks can do more than be helpless.

3. The 3-D effects are pretty damn cool. It's still a novelty, but one that's (almost) worth the extra $4 and the noisy little kids (and the crowds). If I owned a cinemaplex, I'd demand my theater show 3-D movies. We went out of our way just to see this film in 3-D. Meaning: I changed my habits just to enjoy this added perk. Take note Hollywood!!!

So go see it.