Coraline.

THERE'S no place like home in Coraline, the first ever stop-motion animated feature created in stereoscopic 3-D, adapted from Neil Gaiman's best-selling novel by writer-director Henry Selick.

This colourful yet thematically dark fairy tale has echoes of The Wizard Of Oz and Alice In Wonderland as an 11-year-old girl confronts the evil that threatens her fractured family.

The eye-popping effects are used sparingly, but there are some neat flourishes. Fans of the director will appreciate the odd in-joke like the yolk of a cracked egg taking on the appearance of Jack Skellington of The Nightmare Before Christmas.

The story revolves around young Coraline Jones (voiced by Fanning), who moves into the Pink Palace Apartments with her writer mother Mel (Hatcher) and father Charlie (Hodgman).

Exploring her creaky, new home, Coraline meets the neighbours - she is enthralled by fading British musical hall divas Miss Spink (Saunders) and Miss Forcible (French) and 8ft tall Russian giant Mr Bobinsky (McShane) and his jumping mice.

One night, Coraline uncovers a secret door leading to a parallel reality where her Other Mother and Other Father provide her with all of the love, support and attention she craves. The plucky heroine feels considers staying in Other World for good, but the black cat (David) warns of the dangers in this fantastical realm.

Coraline falls some way short of the genius of The Nightmare Before Christmas, but is still a hugely enjoyable escapade, enlivened by energetic vocal performances and Selick's directorial brio. A fantasy musical hall sequence is particularly impressive with hundreds of Scottie dogs running amok as Spink and Forcible fly through the air on trapeze.

It's easy to forget that the gorgeous visuals are the result of seven year's of pain-staking handiwork, rather than digital trickery. Though the plot is wafer thin and there are noticeable longueurs, gorgeous visuals ensure there is always something to catch the eye..

FEATURING THE VOICES OF: Dakota Fanning, Teri Hatcher, John Hodgman, Ian McShane, Jennifer Saunders, Dawn French, Robert Bailey Jnr, Keith David DIRECTOR: Henry Selick CERTIFICATE: PG RUNNING TIME: 100mins REVIEWER'S RATING: . . . . SHOWING: Cineworld, Showcase, VUE VERDICT: Fanning captures the heroine's vulnerability and is complimented by energetic supporting vocals, including three markedly different roles for Hatcher

CAPTION(S):

BUTTON IT, MAM: Other Mother (Teri Hatcher) and Coraline (Dakota Fanning)