In 2009 a new stop-motion movie called Coraline appeared in some theaters, and as it was from a brand-new animation company located in my home town, I had to go support it with a ticket. For the very first movie created by a studio founded by a shoe company, the thing turned out to be very good. It made a respectable haul, too, putting Laika on the map and allowing them to continue to make stop-motion films for the next decade or so.
Coraline is a blue-haired girl who just moved to a new house, and she hates it. She also can’t stand living under her parents’ thumb. So when she discovers a curious door in her bedroom leads to an alternate world with parents that are more fun, she’s thrilled — until those people turn out to be more sinister than she thought. Then when her fake parents kidnap her real parents, they’ve gone too far and Coraline must gather all her courage to face them down.
Another thing about Coraline was that it came out when the 3D trend was just starting to gain...
