A young girl (Fanning) walks through a secret door in her new home and discovers an alternate version of her life. On the surface, this parallel reality is eerily similar to her real life – only much better. But when her adventure turns dangerous, and her counterfeit parents (including Other Mother [Hatcher]) try to keep her forever, Coraline must count on her resourcefulness, determination, and bravery to get back home – and save her family.

Director Selick (the unsung hero behind Tim Burton’s A Nightmare Before Christmas) finally gets his chance to shine, or at least step out of Burton’s shadow and with the perfect material for him. By perfect, we mean super creepy. And by unsung, we mean he directed Nightmare not Burton (look it up). If you’re a Burton fan or thought the underwater claymation scenes from The Life Aquatic were the best part of that movie, then Selick’s solo work is for you. If you’re a fan of 3-D stop-motion animation, then the LA Times’ behind-the-scenes photo gallery is just for you.

Rated PG for thematic elements, scary images, some language and suggestive humor.

Director: Henry Selick
Stars: Dakota Fanning, Teri Hatcher, John Hodgman
Studio: Focus Features
Release Date: 6 February 2009 (USA)

In Hong Kong, a trio of young people with special abilities are pursued by a clandestine U.S. government agency who wants the gifted ones back in their fold.

I think director Paul McGuigan (Wicker Park, Lucky Number Slevin) has a thing for too-intricate storylines; during Push’s 2008 Comic-Con panel, poor Camilla Belle stumbled through a plot explanation that began to sound like playing rounds of Magic: The Gathering. Djimon Hounsou, meanwhile, could barely remember his role in the movie. Good thing Dakotah Fanning then popped out to, like, tell the crowd she finally lost all of her baby teeth. Or something.

Rated PG-13 for intense sequences of violence and action, brief strong language, smoking and a scene of teen drinking.

Director: Paul McGuigan
Stars: Camilla Belle, Dakota Fanning, Chris Evans
Studio: Summit Entertainment
Release Date: 6 February 2009 (USA)