This is a challenging film.I saw it first in the cinema, with a packed house and in 3D. Worth every penny! For parents and children, make no mistake, this is not some fluffy fodder to merely entertain. There is a profoundly atmospheric and emotive core to this film which isn't easy. Some viewers may find that its sombre and dark, almost gothic tone, is disturbing, as well they might, for it is so. That said, this is a wonderfully refreshing, contemporary "fairytale" that is uncompromising and inventive. There has never been a stop-motion,puppet animation film to touch this in technical terms. It is simply, stunningly, awesomely fine. But it is the content,the shift in tone, that makes this more than flimsy, family fodder. Will it scare the kids....? Oh yes! Will it scare the parents...? I think so, because it enters into the terrain of primary fears in a dreamlike way to which only those who are completely anaethetised may be immune. Comparisons have been suggested with "Alice in Wonderland" and they are fair enough. It is an "Alice" for our times, though I consider that such a statement doesn't necessarily do the film justice. This is great filmmaking. Selick is a filmmmaker infused with the drama of passion,style,sensitivity and taste."Coraline" is a complete winner and quite simply, unmissable. Oh, and by the way, don't miss the sensational animation at the end of the endcredits. Most viewers and audiences do.