MY NEIGHBOR TOTORO

Childhood can be a magical time -- and in the Studio Ghibli movie My Neighbor Totoro, this is literally true.  Enchanted creatures are all around, leading to adventures, discovery, and help for two little girls.  (This review refers to the 2005 Disney DVD version.)

Young sisters Satsuki (Dakota Fanning) and Mei (Elle Fanning) are excited to be living in a new house in the country.  Their father Professor Kusakabe (Tim Daly) moved them out there, presumably to be near their ailing mother (Lea Salonga) who's recovering in a nearby hospital.  The house is old but exciting, and there are lots of nice neighbors, including the elderly Granny (Pat Carroll). The kids have a great time, working on the house and going to school.

There are other things happening in and near the house.  At first the kids see "soot sprites," small balls of soot with eyes, in the house.  As the kids explore the giant tree near the house, Mei discovers some small creatures, then comes across Totoro, a giant cat-like spirit with a mighty roar, a big grin, and a pretty unusual way of fighting.  Satsuki soon comes across these creatures, and the grown-ups are surprisingly supportive of the kids' discovery, saying only little children can see these spirits.  And when trouble happens, the spirits turn up to help.

My Neighbor Totoro is a leisurely delight.  While the movie isn't packed with plot twists or developments, it captures the joy of being a young child.  There's a tremendous sense of fun, not only with the cute creatures but with the kids running through a field, exploring their new house, or doing some cleaning or chores.  The animation is very creative, and the voice talent does a good job for the loving family.  My Neighbor Totoro is quite delightful.

Overall grade: A-
Reviewed by James Lynch

Coraline (Laika Entertainment, 2009)

Coraline is terrific stop-motion animated movie, directed and co-written by Henry Selick (The Nightmare Before Christmas). A great thing about this movie is that it treads on new turf; for example, it's the first stop-motion animation in 3-D, and rarely if ever has cutting edge animation been wedded to such sheer, supernatural 'offbeatness.' To give you an idea of its nature, it's Labyrinth meets 2001: The Space Odyssey, sharing motifs with the former and being as grand, sumptuous, and offbeat as 2001.

At the center of the story is 11-year-old Coraline, voiced by Dakota Fanning (Hide and Seek). She and her parents move into a subdivision of an old house in Oregon. For someone 11, she can be a rather acerbic gal, but that probably reflects that she's chronically ignored by her parents, especially mom. Coraline's also an explorer, but one in training -- she loves mud and the outdoors, but on rainy days when she can't go outside, her dad has to give her a gentle push to explore her new home.

Catching her eye one day is a doorway. It opens to a portal that sends her to a new world, parallel in key respects yet apparently more attractive. It boasts everything from groovier, more attentive parents, better meals, and a model train on the dinner table that delivers gravy for you, to impossibly colorful gardens, a circus of talented mice, and a mute but good-natured version of a pesky age mate she's semi-friends with in her other world. She's sold.

And so was I. This movie can hardly be over-praised. It's not that there are no flaws, but that it doesn't matter. Its 'sumptuousness factor' is roughly on a par with 2001; and, as in that movie, we're treated to enough periods of understated action, offbeat images, and moody music/sound effects that cue us just to sit back and absorb the trip. As for the 3-D, well, I'm an old-school lover of 3-D, and I must say that this movie breaks ground in how skillfully it weaves the 3-D factor into its fabric. There's no gimmick here; in fact, something would be lost by seeing this movie in 2-D. But Coraline would still be excellent.

Kudos should go to all of those who were involved in making this film. Go enjoy the stunning finished product and stay through to the end of credits, where you'll see some mind-blowing 3-D effects. I'm not sure where people come up with this stuff, but I'm glad they do.

Overall grade: A+

reviewed by Dave Nofer

Coraline

"Be careful what you wish for" is a cliche, but quite often a very valid one. It's also the basis for Coraline, a creative and visually stunning kids' movie from the folks behind The Nightmare Before Christmas.

Coraline Jones (Dakota Fanning) is a spunky young girl who just moved and couldn't be more depressed about it. Her parents (Teri Hatcher and John Hodgman) are too absorbed in their work to pay any attention with her, and they're also dull. Next-door-neighbor inventor kid Wybie (Robert Bailey Jr.) annoys Coraline with his chatting, and the only other housemates are a pair of old heavy actresses named Miss Forcible (Dawn French) and Miss Spink (Jennifer Saunders), eccentric acrobat Mr. Bobinsky (Ian McShane) who trains mice for a circus, and a mangy old cat. And they all call her "Caroline" (except for the cat).

But someone has left Coraline a doll of her, and soon Coraline finds a sealed door in a room. This door goes to a long circular passage, which leads to a parallel world! In this new world everyone has buttons for eyes, but otherwise everything seems better than Coraline's old world. Other-Mother cooks delicious meals and plays lots of games, Other-Father is a creative genius whose garden even resembles Coraline, the toys are all alive, Wybie never speaks, and there are amazing shows put on for her.

But all isn't well. That mangy cat walks freely between the two worlds, and in the other world he speaks (voiced by Keith David), warning that this seemingly perfect world is a trap. And there's something horrible Other-Mother wants Coraline to do to stay in the other world forever...

Adapted from Neil Gaiman's novella of the same name, Coraline is a really fun movie. Director Henry Selik has a good ear for how the grownup world feels for a child, and what that child's ideal world would be. The voicework here is first rate, and the animation is beautiful (plus the 3-D works tremendously!). The story ultimately boils down to a kids' game, but Coraline remains a plucky and spirited heroine. If you're in the mood for a darker fairytale, or you liked The Nightmare Before Christmas, then go see Coraline.

Overall grade: A-

Reviewed by James Lynch