Rating summary

Movie		5.0
Video		4.5
Audio		5.0
Extras		5.0
Overall		5.0

Coraline 4K Blu-ray Movie Review

Coraline is one of the best and most unique animated films. Using exceptional stop-motion animation, the film is a unique visual experience and one that will mesmerize audiences with beautiful animation, creative storytelling, and a haunting score. Based on the original book by Neil Gaiman (The Sandman), Coraline is a modern masterpiece and one of the most creative animated films the medium of film has seen to date. Executive produced by Michael Zoumas (Venom), Coraline offers plenty of fantastical and exciting elements to keep audiences entertained and engrossed from beginning to end.

Coraline Jones (Dakota Fanning) is a young girl with a wild imagination. Yet Coraline is left to her own when her overworked parents, Mel Jones (Teri Hatcher) and Charlie Jones (John Hodgman), decide to move the family from the idyllic locale of Pontiac, Michigan to the overcast land of Ashland, Oregon. Now staying at the bizarre Pink Palace Apartments, Coraline is in new and unexpected terrain.

Exploring her new home, Coraline discovers a walled-up entryway and has curiosity to open up the small door. Upon opening the door, Coraline discovers cement wall – the wall was closed. Yet overnight, the wall opens up and a illuminous pathway leads Coraline to a strange and bizarre fantasy world where she meets her “other” mother and “other” father (with buttons for eyes). Coraline even meets a mouth shut (ziplocked) version of her neighbor, Wybie (Robert Bailey Jr.) and a talking version of her neighborhood cat (Keith David). Why is there a strange otherworld with different versions of her parents and neighbors? Coraline must race against time to solve the puzzle – before it is too late.

The voice-performances in Coraline are wonderful and help to bring these characters to life. Dakota Fanning was perfectly cast as Coraline. Fanning imbues the character with plenty of personality: providing Coraline with a clear sense of character. The role was a great match. Teri Hatcher is outstanding in the role – especially in regards to voicing the “other mother” to Coraline. Hatcher provides the right degree of haunting creepiness required for the role of the buttons-for-eyes other mother.

A must-see in 4K UHD.

The animation is one of the most exquisite elements of the entire production. The art direction by Phil Brotherton (Kubo and the Two Strings), Lee Bo Henry (The Nightmare Before Christmas), Tom Proost (Wendell & Wild), and Dawn Swiderski (Spider-Man 3) is breathtaking. There is a sense of ambition behind the entire production.

Utilizing stop motion animation in one of the most creative and visually dazzling manners in motion-picture history, Coraline has some remarkable creativity on display in regards to the animation and the unique art style utilized for this production. The animators delivered something visually imaginative and there is a sense of grand ambition throughout. The level of detail provided to the characters and their world makes the filmmaking all the more fantastical and exciting. The moment Coraline crawls through the small doorway to the “other world” is one of the most iconic moments in animation history – with a dazzling array of color and showcasing a fantastic animation technique.

The cinematography by Pete Kozachik (Corpse Bride, James and the Giant Peach) is first-rate and is a great accompaniment to the unique animation. Kozachik imbues the film with the right amount of creativity for the cinematographic elements to unfold. Every frame of Coraline is perfectly lit and visually compelling.

The score composed by Bruno Coulais (Song of the Sea, The Secret of Kells) is one of my favorite components of Coraline. Indeed, after my most recent viewing of the film, I have had the theme music stuck in my head for many days and have found myself even humming it around my house. The score is breathtakingly beautiful and creative and one of the best efforts ever for an animated film. Coulais is a remarkable composer and the music here is a perfect match for the visuals. The score is exciting and bold.

Written and Directed by Henry Selick (The Nightmare Before Christmas, James and the Giant Peach), adapting the work of Neil Gaiman, Selick has terrific fun building the landscape of the movie from the ground up. Selick even handles the production design and helps the stop-motion animation to look as creative and ambitious as a far bigger production. Even at a large production budget of $60 million, the film looks like it could have cost $400 million, which should say something – as a testament – to the big ambitions of Selick and the magic of stop-motion animation. Coraline is arguably the finest stop-motion animated film ever made.

Coraline 4K Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Arriving on 4K UHD from Shout Factory, Coraline is presented in 2160p HEVC /H.265 in the original theatrical aspect ratio of 1.85:1 widescreen. The 4K UHD presentation is the best the film has ever looked before – theatrical or otherwise. The only presentation that would come close would be the 3D Blu-ray on a high-quality display. The 4K presentation has outstanding clarity and detail. The use of HDR is especially remarkable. The HDR makes the animation appear even more vibrant and colorful than ever before. The HDR implementation is outstanding and may be one of my favorite titles to see in 4K HDR to date. The animation benefits from the HDR tenfold and viewers will be drawn in to the fantasy world of Coraline with ease.  

Coraline 4K Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The release is presented in Dolby Atmos. The lossless, 24 bit high-resolution Dolby Atmos sound mix is one of the best things about the 4K UHD release. The soundstage is enveloping and creative fun from beginning to end. The score is well integrated and sounds remarkably lush. Dialogue is clear on the presentation. The Atmos audio soundstage is incredible and the extra height information is truly outstanding (making the film all the more engaging).

Coraline 4K Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

The release retains the remarkable supplemental package previously released on the Blu-ray Special Edition from Shout Factory. For more information on the supplemental package, please refer to the review by my colleague Brian Orndorf.

Coraline 4K Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Coraline is one of the most impressive achievements in animation history – providing cineastes with some of the most remarkable stop-motion animation the medium of film has seen to date. The effort is outstanding and the animation is remarkably vivid. The 4K UHD presentation is an example of perfection: the mesmerizing visuals have never looked this good on home media.

A first-rate video presentation is accompanied by an absorbing Dolby Atmos sound mix. The Blu-ray release includes the same wonderful supplemental package as previously found on the first Special Edition release from Shout Factory. Should 4K owners consider getting the upgrade? Absolutely. Coraline has never looked better before. Watching Coraline on 4K UHD is like watching the film for the first time again. Highly recommended.