History YMMV / Coraline

* UncannyValley:
** Done on purpose. Those eyes... or rather, buttons for eyes...
** Not to mention the Other Mother's skin in her final form.
** Also, there's the fact that the stop-motion in the other world is ever so slightly ''off'', especially during the circus scene. It's hardly enough to be noticed, but enough to be unnerving.
** For the shots down the tunnel to the Other House in the 3D version, the two camera angles used to produce the 3D effect are set a bit farther apart than usual, warping the perspective enough to make you realize something is up. In other words, when you look down the tunnel, you're seeing it through a pair of eyes that no human can have.
** When Coraline is searching for the lost children's souls and she goes into Other Bobinsky's apartment, he can be seen dashing around in the background. Any time you see him, particularly as he's winding around the rafters, it seems like he doesn't have bones, [[spoiler:which is the case as he's made entirely out of rats]]. The effect is ''profoundly'' unsettling.

* BrokenBase: Coraline herself is a well-liked character, but her treatment of Wybie falls here. Some people don’t seem to mind it, since she gets better and KidsAreCruel, after all, but there’s also a lot of people who dislike her treatment of him, since there isn’t really a reason for it and she goes as far as making a joke about his name, calling him “Why-were-you-born” instead of Wyborn. For these people, it's just way too harsh, and Wybie is much sweeter to her than she is to him. Doesn’t stop people shipping them, though.

* MainstreamObscurity: Considering the overwhelming popularity of the Neil Gaiman book and the Henry Sellick animated movie, very few even know a ''Coraline'' video game even exists (the video game page went in up in 2020, ''a whole decade'' after the movie page was created). Even hardcore ''Coraline'' fans tend to be surprised of this games' existence. Though, considering the reputation licensed games [[TheProblemWithLicensedGames tend to have]], you honestly cannot blame them.

* CompleteMonster: [[BigBad The Beldam]], or the "[[OneBadMother Other Mother]]", is a sinister temptress who lures children to her otherworldly lair under the promise of a better life. Spoiling them to keep them with her before convincing them to [[EyeScream sew buttons on their eyes]] to [[{{Yandere}} stay in her realm forever]] and then [[WouldHurtAChild murdering them or locking away their souls]] to replenish her own energy, the Beldam attempts to do the same to the title character. Forcing Coraline into a horrifying game of finding the dead children's eyes in order to save her parents, the Beldam also abominates her own servants for their failures.

** One of the quotes from reviews on the back cover of the book says, ''"You'll never look at buttons the same way again."'' The quote was from Creator/TerryPratchett.

** Alternately, she might not see the difference between loving children and eating their lives. Just like how she doesn't see the difference between loving someone enough to know what's genuinely best for them, or giving them everything they want.

* GeniusBonus: The Other Mother is most likely one of TheFairFolk of British folklore, who were said to kidnap and sometimes devour children. The portal between worlds looking like a little door is one of many fairy world gateways, and the stone with a hole in it is most likely an [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adder_stone adder stone]] said to help see through fairy or witches' illusions. The mushrooms surrounding the old well is a fairy ring, where [[http://www.ancient-origins.net/human-origins-folklore/do-you-dare-enter-fairy-ring-mythical-mushroom-portals-supernatural-003677 not-so-good things]] happen to those who step in it, so [[spoiler: Coraline using it to trap the hand was a very smart move on her part]]. Finally, [[spoiler:one of the dead children being revealed to have [[OurFairiesAreDifferent butterfly wings and a love of eating flowers]] suggests that the [[TheFairFolk Other Mother]] [[ImAHumanitarian doesn't just hunt human children]].]]

* WhatDoYouMeanItsForKids: Full of distinctly Freudian terror, but the true creepiness of the book isn't always apparent to kids, who might see it as just a book about scary monsters.

* AdaptationDisplacement: For anyone who grew up in the 2000s, they definitely knew about the movie before the book, for it's more kid-appealing than the latter.

** ''[[https://youtu.be/gxs2vS2gJ-c Exploration]]'' is a song that is... Simply put, magical. The calming instrumentation accompanied with a lovely voice speaking in ForeignSoundingGibberish manages to be majestic... If a little unnerving, to some.
** The "[[https://youtu.be/0-viaCIl4rQ Other Father song]] is very catchy as well. It's also nice to see the kind Other Father get a song dedicated to him.
** "[[https://youtu.be/D-JCXMRGmo8 Careful what you pack]]" is a nice, calming melody with a good beat.
** "[[https://youtu.be/iGuJXsBqLRA Sirens of the seas]]" has a beat and flow that work well to complement the voice of the singer.
* AuthorsSavingThrow: While there is a bit of a BrokenBase regarding the changes done from book to movie, one thing that everyone was okay with was changing the appearance of the Other Mother from the tall, skeleton-thin HumanoidAbomination to a much more attractive and [[BitchInSheepsClothing nice-looking lady]], giving the audience more of a reason to believe that Coraline could trust her. Even then, her skeletal form is still in the movie, she just turns into it permanently ''after'' [[TheGlovesComeOff revealing her true intentions]].
* BaseBreakingCharacter: Wybie. Some of Coraline's CharacterDevelopment is changed or removed completely in order to focus on him. [[spoiler: Most notably, he comes to Coraline's rescue at the last minute in the ending; in the book, Coraline didn't ''need'' saving, because she was setting a trap the entire time.]] Others, however, [[ApprovalOfGod including Neil Gaiman]], find that he was a necessary character in order to make the narrative more fluid and to give Coraline someone to talk to, though he also disagreed with Wybie saving Coraline.

* BrokenBase: Coraline herself is a well-liked character but her treatment of Wybie applies here. Some people don’t seem to mind it, since she gets better and KidsAreCruel, after all, but there’s also a lot of people who dislike her treatment of him, since there isn’t really a reason for it and she goes as far as to make a joke about his name, calling him “Why-were-you-born?” instead of Wyborn. It’s just overall way too harsh and Wybie is much sweeter to her than vice versa. Doesn’t stop people shipping them, though.
* SugarWiki/DevelopmentHeaven: As if the sheer amount of FridgeBrilliance and {{Foreshadowing}} in the writing isn't enough, apparently the animation is good enough that many uninformed people thought that it was made with CGI.

** The average production speed will typically produce only ''a few seconds'' a day, assuming no mistakes are made. The film is 100 minutes long.
** [[SceneryPorn The garden scene? The mice circus? The theatre with hundreds of Scotties?]] They did all that in stop-motion. The mice circus alone took 2 months to animate.

** The lady who made the costumes actually ''knits'' them, using the same techniques that would be used to make full-sized clothing but with needles the size of human hairs.
** The hair for the characters had to be "injected" one by one.

** They wanted to shoot the movie in 3D, but the sets were too small to fit 2 cameras side-by-side. So what did they do? They shot each frame twice from different angles with a single camera. The result was a movie with some of the most highly-regarded 3D effects ever.

** [[CuteMute The Other Wybie]] is ''insanely'' popular among the fanbase. Unusual for a character who [[CanonForeigner didn't appear in the book]], the Other Wybie makes up for it for being one of the most [[AlternateCharacterInterpretation complex]] and [[TheWoobie sympathetic]] characters in the movie. Even people who [[BaseBreakingCharacter didn't like Wybie's inclusion]] tend to think that it was worth it for bringing the Other Wybie into the picture.
** Likewise, the Other Father has received a disproportionate amount of attention compared to his screentime, where in the film he's largely secondary to the Other Mother; like the Other Wybie, his actions and his lines in the film (including in his song to Coraline--provided by the vocalist of ''Music/TheyMightBeGiants'', giving yet another reason to like him) have enough hidden nuance to them to prompt [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RPzieU1_AQI entire]] [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=68x91RdYl5U video essays]] scrutinizing him in more depth.

* FandomEnragingMisconception: If you value your ''life'', '''never''' call this movie a "Creator/TimBurton movie" in front of any fan. Burton had ''zero'' involvement in it, '''Creator/HenrySelick''' directed it. The confusion likely comes from the advertisements saying it was [[DirectorDisplacement directed by the same person as]] ''WesternAnimation/TheNightmareBeforeChristmas'', which Burton ''wrote'' and ''produced'', but didn't ''direct''.
* FanficFuel: While it's completely understandable that Coraline wouldn't let Wybie enter Otherworld, it's still an interesting scenario. What would the Beldam try to manipulate him into staying? What would've happened if he ran into his Other counterpart?
* FriendlyFandoms: One has sprung up between this movie and ''WesternAnimation/GravityFalls'', ''WesternAnimation/{{ParaNorman}}'', and ''VideoGame/{{Psychonauts}}''. The four together make up a group dubbed the "''SugarWiki/MysteryKids''".

** The Amazing Bobinsky from wears a Liquidator's Medal on his chest, which was given to the [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liquidator_%28Chernobyl%29 clean-up crew]] of the [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chernobyl_disaster Chernobyl Disaster]]. This turns his baldness and odd color scheme from a funny quirk to a DarkAndTroubledPast.
** A subtle and brilliant case of {{Foreshadowing}} can be found in the calligraphy on the cake Coraline is first given when she comes into the Other World. In calligraphy, an "o" with one loop shows the writer is telling the truth, whereas an "o" with a ''double'' loop through it shows the writer is telling a lie. The cake says "Welcome Home." However, the loops on the cake show that while Coraline is "welcome" (there is one loop in the "o") in the Other World, she is not "home" (there is a double loop in the "o") and the place is actually far more dangerous than it may appear at first glance.
** Going with the book's implication that the Other Mother is a member of TheFairFolk, her ability to transform things into something else (rats into mice, a pumpkin into the Other Father) is very similar to the glamour that faeries use to lure humans. Leaving a doll behind when she takes a human also calls to mind faeries leaving an inanimate object behind in place of the abductee. Said object also resembles the person stolen.

* HilariousInHindsight: In both the book and the movie, Coraline is mistakenly called "Caroline", much to her irritation - years later the movie would get a belated [[TheMockbuster mockbuster]] called ''Caroline and the Magic Potion'' [[note]]''Caroline'' might not have originally been an intentional knockoff, as it was originally in Spanish and had a completely different title, but at very least the packaging of the English dub emphasizes that the main character looks like a Coraline {{Expy}}[[/note]]

** The official website has a section where you can add button eyes to pictures. Let your imagination runs free...
*** Real-life example: A contest was held on the official site, where winners would receive custom-made Nike Dunks sneakers, which are made to look stitched together with patches, feature big, black buttons on the sides, and the soles are blue with white stars, much like the shirt the Other Mother makes for Coraline.

** A still image of [[https://i.redd.it/c7slncep71q41.jpg Coraline's father at his computer]] has made the rounds on Twitter, usually as a representation of mods or other Internet dwellers.
*** In the same vein, there's [[https://i.imgur.com/MyuPTnH.jpg a version]] mixing the above meme with the "Are ya winnin' son?" meme, usually replacing his PC's screen with [[https://i.imgur.com/vlXa3Yl.jpg hard videogame levels]] or [[TheInternetIsForPorn the other thing]].
* MisaimedMarketing: During the TV broadcast of the movie they aired an advertisement for [[Toys/{{Lalaloopsy}} a brand of dolls]] that have [[NightmareFuel buttons for eyes]]. They also made real-life replicas of the "Little Me" doll, which would be a horrible gift to anyone scared of this film.
* {{Moe}}: Coraline is oh so cute. Not even her mother can say no to those {{Puppy Dog Eyes}} she uses in order to get her to find they key to the tiny door for her.

** The scene where Coraline finds the first soul/eye, specifically the Ghost Boy's dialogue. "Bless you, Miss, you found me! But there are two still lost." The cheery tone combined with the line itself makes it sound more like "[[VideoGame/SuperMarioBros Princess is in another castle]]."
** "I ''hyave'' to go ''byack''!" Somehow, Creator/DakotaFanning's line delivery got away from her a little on that one.
* NoYay: The Other Mother's creepy obsession with Coraline. Not only is she the parallel version of her real-life mother, she almost fixates on taking care of Coraline by feeding her, treating her and playing with her [[spoiler: in hopes of devouring her soul]]. She also displays {{Yandere}} tendencies and tells Coraline "You ''know'' I love you..." while [[spoiler: in her true emaciated spider form]] and strokes her face, causing Coraline to react "You have a very funny way of showing it!"
* ParanoiaFuel: The doll. Think about it. A foreign object that transforms and moves around your house when you're not looking. And it turns out to be [[spoiler:the Other Mother's spy]]. Which implies [[spoiler:the Other Mother]] can see through buttons. Sleep tight. Button-eyed dolls and "made like me" dolls will seem scary after watching it. God help you if you have a Just Like You or Truly Me doll from the ''Literature/AmericanGirlsCollection,'' or a My Twinn doll.

** The Other Mother devouring "cocoa-beetles from Zanzibar" with squishy noises and a [[SickeningCrunch sucking crunch]] as she devours the beetles.
** The Other Miss Spink and Miss Forcible's [[FanDisservice outfits]], dressed and singing as sirens.
* StrawmanHasAPoint: It's meant to be a {{Jerkass}} move on Coraline's mother's part when she won't buy her the mittens in the clothes store. Given that the price tag reads $24.19 and they're struggling financially at the moment, that is indeed an extravagance they can't afford. [[spoiler: But when the catalogue is sold, [[PetTheDog she buys the mittens as a gift]]]].
* TheyWastedAPerfectlyGoodPlot: While Wybie remains a base breaking character for reasons explained above. Many acknowledge there is a way his character could been better utilized. It is later revealed he is the grand nephew of one of the Other Mother’s victims. Wybie, along with his grandmother, could have been used to explore the harm left behind by the Other Mother’s cruelty. Showing how scars and pain can pass through the years when losing a loved one. But Wybie doesn’t seem to be bothered and his grandmother only receives a brief cameo near the end with no awareness or reconciliation with her long lost sister.

** For the shots down the tunnel to the Other House, the two cameras used to get a 3D effect were set a bit farther apart, warping the perspective enough to make you realize something was up. In other words, when you looked down the tunnel, you were seeing it through a pair of eyes that no human can have.
** When Coraline is searching for the lost children's souls, and she goes into Bobinsky's apartment, Bobinsky is seen dashing around in the background. Anytime you see him, particularly as he's winding around the rafters, it seems like he doesn't have bones, [[spoiler:which is the case as he's made entirely out of rats]]. The effect is ''profoundly'' unsettling.
* SugarWiki/VisualEffectsOfAwesome: About halfway through the movie, try to remind yourself that the movie is stop-motion and ''not'' CGI. Many people who saw the movie in its initial release were not impressed because ''they didn't'' realize it was stop-motion!

** [[spoiler: All of the Ghost Children, who were lured in and tricked by the Other Mother the way Coraline was. Except she actually succeeded with them, and they had to be ghosts for decades. One has possibly been this way since the 1800s.]]
** The Other Father and the Other Wybie, who seem to be just pawns of the Other Mother and seem to love Coraline all the same. The Other Wybie even gets muted and has his mouth sewn into a smile, while later [[spoiler: pulling a HeroicSacrifice]].

** It's not quite the same as the Bruno Coulais movie soundtrack, but the game soundtrack done by Mark Watters is still quite excellent. From the perky and catchy [[https://youtu.be/4SM23ozmw2c Blue Things]], [[https://youtu.be/7QDbvZBoCBU the Outside]], and the whimsical [[https://youtu.be/lN4CNNBA6S8 Other House]] theme. The tense [[https://youtu.be/ceg44NOSZDw theme]] where you're alone in the house [[spoiler: (especially after the nightmare)]] really showcases the fear and desperation.
** Speaking of excellent soundtracks. The DS version of the game also has an ''outstanding'' soundtrack with several standouts. Considering it's a handheld licensed game with none of the production value of the movie or the console version, its commendable when you consider they could've completely half-assed the soundtrack, but they absolutely did ''not''. Some good ones:
*** The [[https://youtu.be/8igSQlTdZws Main theme]] greets you from the start of the game to give you a glimpse of what's to come, and plays throughout the real world.

*** [[https://youtu.be/3c970cebEsQ Other Wybie's theme]]. A faster paced version of Wybie's theme, but with a slight hint of innocence and sadness thanks to the instrumentation.
*** [[https://youtu.be/iYcZpPjUh4w Second Capture]]. A creepy theme for when Other Mother begins to reveal her nefarious plans.

*** [[https://youtu.be/85Sib35AYuA Dreams]]. A heartwarming theme for the (freed) Ghost Children.
* CriticalDissonance: The Coraline game was overall savaged by critics and sits at a miserable ''42'' on Metacritic, yet has a 95% approval rating on Google, and is highly rated 4.6/5 on Ebay, and the majority of customer reviews on sites like Amazon and Gamestop are positive. The game must have hit the mark ''somewhere''.
* ItsShortSoItSucks: The game is about the length of the movie, which isn't bad for a movie, but for a video game, it's a different matter.
* MainstreamObscurity: Considering the overwhelming popularity of the Neil Gaiman book and the Henry Sellick animated movie, very few even know a ''Coraline'' video game even exists (The video game page went in up in 2020, ''a whole decade'' after the movie page was created) Even hardcore ''Coraline'' fans tend to be surprised of this games' existence. Though considering the reputation licensed games [[TheProblemWithLicensedGames tend to have]], you honestly cannot blame them.

* {{Narm}}: The Bicycle Crash [[NonStandardGameOver failure]] in the game gotten this reaction from people for being more funny than scary. Coraline and Wybie's expressions stay ''completely stoic'' through the whole thing.
* SugarWiki/NoProblemWithLicensedGames: The DS version (developed by Art Co. Ltd) is viewed as being quite decent and an improvement over the console version, due to putting its own twist on the story and properly adapting it for a video game, playing out like an interactive adventure. The original [[SugarWiki/AwesomeMusic soundtrack]] being a major standout.

* TheProblemWithLicensedGames: The [[UsefulNotes/PlayStation2 PS2]] and [[UsefulNotes/NintendoWii Wii]] versions do a decent job of recreating the Pink Palace, but is otherwise filled with dull mini-games, complete with unskippable win/lose animation. Enemies inexplicably inhabit the Other World ''before'' its sinister nature is revealed, and huge chunks of the film are omitted or demoted, including the entire existence of the Ghost Children (They do appear briefly in minigames), and [[spoiler: the Other Mother's hand retrieving the key.]] In addition, the film's soundtrack for both versions is replaced by a generic spooky fare, although the latter got the better end of it with an orchestrated soundtrack. ''WebVideo/PositivelyDreadful'' [[https://youtu.be/jeHqKlgdU3w did a review on the game as well.]]
* SoOkayItsAverage: The overall reaction to the console game, from those people who actually went out of their way to play it of course. It's a very relaxing and inoffensive game.
* ToughActToFollow: The game got it ''bad''. A licensed video game based on a critically acclaimed and beloved animated movie, which was based on an acclaimed book. General reactions say that while the Coraline game isn't a terrible game in its own right, it's nothing outstanding. Some appreciate it for existing in the first place, being an overall inoffensive and delightful bonus trip into the world of ''Coraline''.

* SugarWiki/AwesomeMusic: Bruno Coulais' score for the movie is stunning, particularly [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_LLHUQQ9cmM&list=PLDCD67CE98D531DCE&index=2 the opening theme]], which really does evoke a sense of the world through the eyes of a child.

** The Other Mother devouring "cocoa-beetles from Zanzabar" with squishy noises and a [[SickeningCrunch sucking crunch]] as she devours the beetles.

[[folder:All works]]

* ParanoiaFuel: Be afraid of buttons. Be VERY afraid.

[[folder:Book examples]]

[[folder:Movie examples]]

* AuthorsSavingThrow: While there is a bit of a BrokenBase regarding the changes done from book to movie, one thing that everyone was okay with was changing the appearance of the Other Mother from the tall, skeleton-thin HumanoidAbomination to a much more attractive and [[BitchInSheepsClothing nice-looking lady]], giving the audience more of a reason to believe that Coraline could trust her. Even then, her skeletal form is still in the movie, she turns into it permanently after [[TheGlovesComeOff revealing her true intentions]].

* FanficFuel: While it's completely understandable that Coraline wouldn't let Wybie enter Otherworld, it's still an interesting scenario. What would the Beldam try to manipulate him into staying? What would happen if he ran into his Other counterpart?

** Going with the book's implication that the Other Mother is a member of TheFairFolk, her ability to transform things into something else (rats into mice, a pumpkin into the Other Father) is very similar to the glamour that Fairies use to lure humans. Leaving a doll behind when she takes a human also calls to mind Fairies leaving an inanimate object behind in place of the abductee. Said object also resembles the person stolen.
** The Beldam, in her spider form, catches Coraline trying to escape her web by feeling the vibrations that her movements make. This is how real spiders are alerted that something has been caught in their web.

* NoYay: The Other Mother's creepy obsession with Coraline. Not only is she the parallel version of her real-life mother, she almost fixates on taking care of Coraline by feeding her, treating her and playing with her [[spoiler: in hopes of devouring her soul]]. She also displays Yandere tendencies and tells Coraline "you know I love you..." while [[spoiler: in her true emaciated spider form]] and strokes her face, causing Coraline to react "you have a very funny way of showing it".

* StrawmanHasAPoint: It's meant to be a {{Jerkass}} move on Coraline's mother's part when she won't buy her the mittens in the clothes store. Given that the price tag reads $24.19 and they're struggling financially at the moment, that is indeed an extravagance they can't afford. [[spoiler: But when the catalogue is sold, she buys the mittens as a gift]].

* SugarWiki/VisualEffectsOfAwesome: About halfway through the movie, try to remind yourself that the movie is stop-motion and not CGI. Many people who saw the movie in its initial release were not impressed because ''they didn't'' realize it was stop-motion!

[[folder:Game examples]]

* BigLippedAlligatorMoment: '''[[SugarWiki/FunnyMoments MY KINGDOM-M-M-M-M FOR A HORSE!!!]]'''

** The Other Mother devouring "cocoa-beetles from Zanzabar" with squishy noises and a sucking crunch as she devours the beetles.
** The Other Miss Spink and Miss Forcible's outfits, dressed and singing as sirens.

* GeniusBonus

* HilariousInHindsight:
** From [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=91nfNp7MVIw this clip]]:
--->'''Coraline''': [[VideoGame/{{Antichamber}} Huh? How can you walk away from something and still come back to it?]]
** The first time we see Coraline's mother (the real one), she's in a jumper with a bob haircut and her laptop casts a bluish glow all over her, making her look like [[WesternAnimation/InsideOut Sadness.]]
** In both the book and the movie, Coraline is mistakenly called "Caroline", much to her irritation - years later the movie would get a belated [[TheMockbuster mockbuster]] called ''Caroline and the Magic Potion'' [[note]]''Caroline'' might not have originally been an intentional knockoff, as it was originally in Spanish and had a completely different title, but at very least the packaging of the English dub emphasizes that the main character looks like a Coraline {{Expy}}[[/note]]

* BaseBreakingCharacter: Wybie. Some of Coraline's CharacterDevelopment is changed or removed completely in order to focus on him. [[spoiler: Most notably, he comes to Coraline's rescue at the last minute in the ending; in the book, Coraline didn't ''need'' saving, because she was setting a trap the entire time.]] Others however, [[ApprovalOfGod including Neil Gaiman]] find that he was a necessary character in order to make the narrative more fluid and to give Coraline someone to talk to, though he also disagreed with Wybie saving Coraline.

* BrokenBase: Coraline herself is a well-liked character but her treatment of Wybie applies here. Some people don’t seem to mind it, since she gets better and KidsAreCruel, after all, but there’s also a lot of people who dislike her treatment of him, since there isn’t really a reason for it and she goes as far as to make a joke about his name, calling him “Why-were-you-born?” Instead of Wyborn. It’s just overall way too harsh, and Wybie is much sweeter to her than vice versa. Doesn’t stop people shipping them, though.

* TheyWastedAPerfectlyGoodPlot: While Wybie remains a base breaking character for reasons explained above. Many acknowledge there is a way his character could been better utilized. Is is later revealed he is the grand nephew of one of the Other Mother’s victims. Wybie, along with his grandmother, could have been used to explore the harm left behind by the Other Mother’s cruelty. Showing how scars and pain can pass through the years when losing a loved one. But Wybie doesn’t seem to be bothered and his grandmother only receives a brief cameo near the end with no awareness or reconciliation with her long lost sister.

* ParanoiaFuel: The doll. Think about it. A foreign object that transforms and moves around your house when you're not looking. And it turns out to be [[spoiler:the Other Mother's spy]]. Which implies [[spoiler:the Other Mother]] can see through buttons. Sleep tight. Button-eyed dolls and "made like me" dolls will seem scary after watching it. God help you if you have a Just Like You or Truly Me doll from the ''Literature/AmericanGirlsCollection.''

* TheProblemWithLicensedGames: The [[UsefulNotes/PlayStation2 PS2]] and [[UsefulNotes/NintendoWii Wii]] versions do a decent job of recreating the Pink Palace, but is otherwise filled with dull mini-games, complete with unskippable win/lose animation. Enemies inexplicably inhabit the Other World ''before'' its sinister nature is revealed, and huge chunks of the film are omitted or demoted, including the entire existence of the Ghost Children (They do appear briefly in minigames), and [[spoiler: the Other Mother's hand retrieving the key.]] In addition, the film's soundtrack for both versions is replaced by a generic spooky fare, although the latter got the better end of it with an orchestrated soundtrack. [[WebOriginal/PositivelyDreadful Positively Dreadful]] [[https://youtu.be/jeHqKlgdU3w did a review on the game as well.]]

* EnsembleDarkHorse: [[CuteMute The Other Wybie]] is ''insanely'' popular among the fanbase. Unusual for a character who [[CanonForeigner didn't appear in the book]], the Other Wybie makes up for it for being one of the most [[AlternateCharacterInterpretation complex]] and [[TheWoobie sympathetic]] characters in the movie. Even people who [[BaseBreakingCharacter didn't like Wybie's inclusion]] tend to think that it was worth it for bringing the Other Wybie into the picture.

* HardTruthAesop: For the parents in this version. You may be overworked and busy, but being constantly dismissive of your child when she's craving for attention is going to have some kind of consequences. The Other Mother was able to sucker Coraline in precisely by providing the love and affection she wasn't getting from her real parents. The parents aren't being malicious, and in fact have good reasons for ignoring their daughter, but that still doesn't mean it didn't cause a lot of problems.

* ParanoiaFuel: The doll. Think about it. A foreign object that transforms and moves around your house when you're not looking. And it turns out to be [[spoiler:the Other Mother's spy]]. Which implies [[spoiler:the Other Mother]] can see through buttons. Sleep tight. Button-eyed dolls and "made like me" dolls will seem scary after watching it.

[[folder:Video game examples]]

* JerkassWoobie: Coraline. She's definitely justified in feeling neglected, but she really acts like a spoiled brat about it. The most glaring example would be how she gets into a huff over not getting a pair of gloves.

** The Other Miss Spink and Miss Forcible's outfits, dressed and singing as sirens,

** And that the producer Bill Mechanic wanted Selick to put in lots and lots of kids. Adding Wybie helped Selick to satisfy that need as well.

%% * TheWoobie: Coraline, [[spoiler:the ghost children, Other Father, Other Wybie, and arguably the real Wybie.]]

* SugarWiki/MostWonderfulSound: The Cat speaking in The Other World. Being voiced by Keith David helps.

* {{Squick}}: The Other Mother devouring "cocoa-beetles from Zanzabar" with squishy noises and a sucking crunch as she devours the beetles.

* ToughActToFollow: Although Laika has produced several other financially successful and beautifully made stopmotion films since, so far, none have reached the same level of popularity or [[NightmareFuel infamy]] as this one.

* SugarWiki/VisualEffectsOfAwesome: About halfway through the movie, try to remind yourself that the movie is stop-motion and not CGI. No, you can't.
** Many people who saw the movie in its initial release were not impressed because ''they didn't'' realize it was stop-motion!
* WhatDoYouMeanItsForKids: Yes, despite being terrifying, this movie is appropriate for kids, so long as they can handle a good scare every now and then. Oddly enough, the ABC Family airing slaps it with a TV-14 rating.
* TheWoobie: Coraline, [[spoiler:the ghost children, Other Father, Other Wybie, and arguably the real Wybie.]]

* OlderThanTheyThink: Unlike most licensed tie-in games, The video game actually predates the movie release by a whole week.

** In both the book and the movie, Coraline is mistakenly called "Caroline" - years later the movie would get a belated [[TheMockbuster mockbuster]] called ''Caroline and the Magic Potion'' [[note]]''Caroline'' might not have originally been an intentional knockoff, as it was originally in Spanish and had a completely different title, but at very least the packaging of the English dub emphasizes that the main character looks like a Coraline {{Expy}}[[/note]]

*** The [[https://youtu.be/8igSQlTdZws Main theme]] greets you from the start of the game to give you a glimpse of what's to come.
*** The [[https://youtu.be/3ujK7JCzCwk Other World]] theme. A jovial sounding mix of the real world theme.

*** [[https://youtu.be/SuWHyBpOUAU Dancing]]. A jovial theme for minigames.

* SugarWiki/AwesomeMusic: It's not quite the same as the Bruno Coulais movie soundtrack, but the game soundtrack done by Mark Watters is still quite excellent. From the perky and catchy [[https://youtu.be/4SM23ozmw2c Blue Things]], [[https://youtu.be/7QDbvZBoCBU the Outside]], and the whimsical [[https://youtu.be/lN4CNNBA6S8 Other House]] theme. The tense [[https://youtu.be/ceg44NOSZDw theme]] where you're alone in the house [[spoiler: (especially after the nightmare)]] really showcases the fear and desperation.