The story was excellent. It's your basic "young heroine discovers a nightmarish alternate world" story (and I loves me some nightmarish alternaworlds).
The story was written by the awesome Neil Gaiman, and I cheered when I saw his name in the opening credits (I didn't know he wrote it until then). And, this isn't like that sucktacular Beowulf movie. Neil was truly Neil here.
I also cheered when I saw that French and Saunders were in it. And, yes they voice two characters that were perfect for them.
Anyway, if your list of favourite movies includes Labyrinth, Pan's Labyrinth, Mirrormask, Spirited Away, Wizard Of Oz, or Alice In Wonderland (and mine does). This is your kind of movie!
The animation was splendid too! The makers of this movie said 3D was perfect for stop-motion because the advantage of stop-motion is that everything you're watching physically exists.
And, that certainly plays out in moments involving a cloth tunnel (you really feel like you're going through it too), and when they show a close-up of tea leaves. The fact that it's real cloth and real tea add a nice touch of reality that makes the unreality stand out even more.
Semi Spoilers: Highlight to read.
Some stunning images include anything involving the ghost children. And, towards the end when the world literally falls apart (that might have been CG, but if it was, it blended with the stop-motion, nicely).
The 3D was used really well (not so many gimmicky "pop-out" scare moments), and I'm glad I caught it that way. But, even without the 3D it's an impressive film.
I should also point out how dolls as a motif is so cool in this film (since stop-motion film is animation created with dolls anyway). I kinda have a phobia about dolls, but I like having that phobia played with, and that movie did it quite nicely.
Anyway, I just loved this movie!
