PHOTOS COURTESY OF AMAZON.COM

BY MICHELLE NGUYEN

Every year, as Halloween cycles with the years, people of all ages purposely seek out sources of fears and thrills. However, difficulty may be found in trying to find the correct, age appropriate entertainment for the younger generations.

Coraline, directed by Henry Selick, is one such movie, a stop-motion animated picture designed specifically for children. This PG movie was released in 2009 with Dakota Fanning voicing the character of Coraline, a child who is frustrated by her parents’ inattention and is irritated by the behavior of her various neighbors. On the other hand, Coraline soon learns that things on the other side may not necessarily be better. This movie shares some elements with The Nightmare before Christmas, also directed by Selick.

Coraline moves to a new town with her parents and comes to live in an old home with strange neighbors. She then discovers, in the absence of her writer parents, a secret door to a land where everything seems so much better, but things turn sour as her “other mother” grows more possessive.

The garden of the “Other World,” to me appears to be an embodiment of the movie. Coraline wishes for her real parents to plant a garden in the backyard with her, but is continually put off due to their work. The garden in the “Other World” is a fantastical creation that hides a more sinister intent and purpose. The events in the “Other World” and the garden cause Coraline to feel that perhaps her previous life may not have been so dismal. This movie creates a surreal fairytale fantasy that appeals to children and many people; it has enough twists to excite a younger audience. Overall, it’s a good movie choice to share with the family around Halloween time.

RATING: A-