CORALINE

SUMMARY: This new Tim Burton production, Coraline, is a new visual masterpiece and an unsettling story-line. The movie is about a bored girl who has just moved into a new home and has to leave her old friends and life behind.  School has yet to start so she searches her apartment complex for different things to preoccupy her.  While searching her own family's apartment she stumbles across something odd that changes her boring day to a more exciting one.

ACTING: Dakota Fanning, playing Coraline, has had experience in voice overs before so she does an excellent job.  As I was watching the movie I had no idea whose voice was Coraline's, which made it all the more enjoyable.  From the cats to the parents, each voice brings a uniqueness that keeps the characters in your memory.

SCRIPT: There are many different nationalities, ethnicities, and dimensions in this movie, yet the dialogue changes with each change in scene.  There is a feel of a horror film sometimes but still the movie has the qualities of a children's movie.  Adults will find the movie just as thrilling as the children will, even though though its still a cartoon.

CINEMATOGRAPHY/ARTWORK: The artwork and digital design of each frame can be a canvas in itself. With the array of colors and wierd creatures, the imagination is once kicked into gear.  The type of animation the Tim Burton uses also brings a real aspect to the cartoon that only he can capture.

RE-WATCHABILITY: Kids love repetition so they can watch movies over and over again no problem. Unfortunately, they don't like scary movies so this might be one they can only handle once.  On the other hand, adults can appreciate this movie more and can see all the little things it has to offer when scene from different angles.

PLOT: Tim Burton always has crazy twisted ideas that slightly disturb the viewer but are riddled with morals.  Horror Children movies is his specialty and he does it better then anyone probably could.  Some animated movies show how love overcomes all, others tell about how unlikely allies can survive an adventure together , but this movie scares kids into dealing with the situation there in and making the best of it.

RATING: ☃☃☃☃

AKIRA

SUMMARY: In 1988, Tokyo, Japan is destroyed by a nuclear explosion that leads to the start of World War III. The story takes place, 31 years later in Neo-Tokyo , a futuristic metropolis built on an artificial island in Tokyo Bay; a city troubled by political strife and gang violence.

ACTING/ANIMATION: The animation in this film is unmatched. The authentic facial expressions on all characters, let the film communicate not only verbally but also non verbally. The movements are carefully chosen and bring life to the character's actions. All aspects of the animation are very realistic and have changed the Anime world forever.

SCRIPT: The voices (even though dubbed to English) are surprisingly very well adapted to the animation. The voices also go with the characters, so that the face goes with the voice coming from it.

CINEMATOGRAPHY/BACKGROUND: Perfect scenery and a background of beautiful artwork. Amazing visuals that in itself are master pieces that would be widely sought out.

RE-WATCHABILITY: Easily a classic, can be rewound and watched over and over again. This is a movie that shows new things every time it's played.

PLOT: Deep concept that takes time to decipher. Between inferiority complex's and telekinesis powers, this sometimes confusing story line creates a very intense conflict between the protagonist and antagonist in the movie.

RATING: ☃☃☃☃☃