From Henry Selick, the director of The Nightmare Before Christmas and James And The Giant Peach, comes a visually stunning stop-motion feature!

Coraline Jones is bored in her new home until she finds a secret door that leads into a world that’s just like her own … but better! But when this fantastical adventure turns dangerous and her “other” mother tries to keep her forever, Coraline must count on her resourcefulness and bravery to get home.

For thoughts on Coraline, please check out my review of the previous Blu-Ray release here.

For a look at the Limited Edition 4K UHD SteelBook, please check out my unboxing video:

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MCsMq8aIrJI]

Video Quality

Coraline comes to 4K UHD Blu-Ray courtesy of Shout! Factory with a stunning 2160p/HDR transfer in 1.85:1. The company just released a new Blu-Ray last year after securing a new deal with LAIKA, which was not that much different from the older Universal release that has been around for over a decade. Both of those older releases are very fetching, but fans are finally getting what they truly want from this new disc sourced from a 4K restoration. Stop motion animation is already a wonder, but experiencing it in such sumptuous quality is a real treat.

The animation is given a nice boost in basic textures and details with this new release. Every single frame is a showcase for the innumerable small facets that make up this world. Every element you can imagine from clothing to character models and environments is presented with greater clarity than ever before. The ridges on cloth and the rounded edges of items like buttons are more prevalent and immediate. Brightly lit scenes are especially pleasing to witness with an unparalleled visual splendor. There is no doubt that the animators have put the utmost care into each environment to make the experience seamless for the viewer.

Where this disc really shines is in the implementation of the HDR. The colors present in this transfer will knock you sideways with the wide range of hues permeating the frame. Each color is presented with more vibrancy and nuance so that everything appears more natural to the intended aesthetic. The real world is given a more muted aesthetic which really springs to life once Coraline makes it into the Other World. Black levels are much improved with no hint of compression artifacts or digital anomalies of the sort. The depth of field is also increased by a nice margin, especially in the shadows. The white highlights are handled with more stability in a way that captures this film famously. This is a transfer free of major encode issues. This is a dazzling 4K UHD Blu-Ray presentation that dusts the previous Blu-Ray, and it is an experience that fans will love.

Audio Quality

This release boasts an immersive new Dolby Atmos track that opens up this world brilliantly. One of the most effective elements of the film, and what stands out from the very opening moments, is the score from Bruno Coulais which is very effective in acclimating you to this world. From there you are treated to a sonic landscape replete with environmental effects. The sound design is executed with precision as it conveys a real sense of dimensionality to the locations. The track engages all of the channels with panning effects and environmental sounds that create a fully fleshed-out world.

The additional height tracks are deeply appreciated as you have characters walking overhead, objects tumbling, rain falling and just a general sense of depth that feels more exciting. There is some significant activity in the low end due when things get a bit more perilous with Other Mother. Dialogue comes through clearly without getting overshadowed by any competing sound effects or score. Shout! Factory has delivered a crackerjack audio presentation that brings this story to life quite nicely. English SDH, Spanish and French subtitles are provided for those who want them.

Special Features

Shout! Factory has provided Coraline with the option of a sleek new SteelBook featuring artwork that is truly lovely in person. Video of the SteelBook can be found at the top of this review.

Booklet: A multi-page booklet is included featuring an essay from Variety Chief Film Critic Peter Debruge in which he discusses the place of this film in the LAIKA filmography, as well as the emotional themes that keep this one timeless.

Audio Commentary: Director and Screenwriter Henry Selick And Composer Bruno Coulais deliver a very informative commentary track that is mostly dominated by Selick with some brief insights from Coulais. In this track, Selick discusses the changes from the novel in the film, the voice performances, catering to improvisation, taking elements from his childhood and weaving them into the story, the decision to make this a fully stop motion feature, the character designs and much more that are truly great.

Inside LAIKA – Discovering The Characters Of Coraline: A new 11-minute featurette which gives you a look into the production process including thoughts behind certain character designs and vocal casting. The glimpse behind the scenes that this provides is truly amazing. Interview subjects include writer/director Henry Selick, animators Brad Schiff, Amy Adamy, Suzanne Twining, and Juliana Cox, supervising animator Anthony Scott, and lead animators Trey Thomas, Phil Dale, and Travis Knight.

Inside LAIKA – Revisiting The Puppets with LAIKA’s Animation Team: A new series of brief videos in which Phil Dale and Brad Schiff give you a brief overview of the characteristics of these characters, the challenges of each puppet and other design anecdotes interspersed with clips from the films. This helps illuminate how much care was taken with each character.

- The Beldam (1:16)

- Mr. Bobinsky (1:40)

- The Cat (1:12)

- Coraline Jones (1:15)

- “Other” Father (1:05)

- “Other” Mother (1:10)

- Wybie Lovat (1:02)

Feature-Length Storyboards: An option to watch the film in storyboard form. It is wild to see how the film evolved from early drawings to what we got in the final product.

The Making Of Coraline: A pleasing all-encompassing look at various important aspects of the production which gives you a lot of fun and fascinating insights into the creative process.

- The Evolution Of The Story (2:42)

- Inspiring Design – Character Design And Art Direction (3:56)

- Directing The Voice Sessions (3:16)

- Making Puppets (4:30)

- Coraline’s Closet (4:50)

- Setting The Stage – How Does Your Fantastic Garden Grow? (4:12)

- It’s Alive (3:19)

- I’ve Seen Fire And I’ve Seen Fog (4:01)

- The Eyes Have It (3:20)

- Wrapping Up Coraline (2:03)

Creepy Coraline: A five-minute featurette looking into the more creepy and unsettling aspects of the story with insights into how the team crafted the rats, bugs, Slugzilla and more that may make your skin crawl.

Voicing The Characters: An eleven-minute featurette exploring the performances in the film including a closer look at Dakota Fanning, Teri Hatcher, Keith David, Robert Bailey Jr., John Hodgman, Ian McShane, Jennifer Saunders, and Dawn French. Each performer reveals a little bit about the characters they are playing and how they arrived at the voice in the film, along with additional comments from director Henry Selick.

Deleted Scenes: A nine-minute collection of unused material introduced by Selick including a scene of “Other Dad” making a disgusting casserole, a full-length version of the ghost kid angels and additional moments that are worth seeking out.

Still Galleries: Sections are provided for Character Art, Concept Art and Behind The Scenes photos.

Trailer: The two-and-a-half minute trailer is provided here.

Final Thoughts

LAIKA is one of the most creative studios working in animation today, and every film they release is like a little gift to the world. This may seem hyperbolic, but there are too few creative forces that shape practical animation in the magnificent way this company does. Coraline is the perfect blend of creepy and exciting for the perfect spooky, family-friendly movie night. Underneath the macabre exterior, the film is overflowing with themes that will enrich your life. It is among the best the company has ever released, and it is one of the best animated films of the modern time. Shout! Factory has provided the film with a 4K UHD Blu-Ray release that boasts a terrific A/V presentation and an assortment of special features that are not to be missed. Plus, you have an option to get this in a stunning SteelBook package. Even if you already own this one on Blu-Ray, you owe it to yourself to upgrade and see this film in the best presentation possible. Highly Recommended

Coraline will be available to purchase on Limited Edition SteelBook and Standard 4K UHD + Blu-Ray Combo Pack on December 13, 2022.

Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the 4K UHD Blu-Ray.

Disclaimer: Shout! Factory has supplied a copy of this disc free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.