Coraline

What a visual treat! I really was amazed at how far forward Laika has brought stop-motion animation. Some of the shots and animation in this film are mind-bogglingly complex. From the cinematography to the art direction to the character designs to the score, I was thoroughly enchanted. The characters, save one or two, were all rich and hilarious. The film itself felt so right, not too long or short.

I'm noticing a tendency in these stop-mo films in that they veer towards the creepy a little more than I like. I suppose that's due to the fact that Selick and Burton have been involved in all of the major contributions to feature stop motion animation. It's not that I don't like creepy, but when Nick Park seems to be the only major animator NOT doing creepy it gets a little tiring. But don't get me wrong, I'm not downplaying Coraline. It's a beautiful film, and well worth seeing (Especially in 3D).