ParaNorman (2012)

 

ParaNorman (2012)

7/10

Starring the voices of

Kodi Smit-McPhee

Tucker Albrizzi

Anna Kendrick

Casey Affleck

Directed by Sam Fell and Chris Butler

ParaNorman stands with one leg in horror and the other in comedy. The movie had me laughing, and it was thrilling, keeping you on the edge of your seat as you eagerly wait to see how it all turns out.

ParaNorman is a 3D stop-motion animated comedy-horror film produced by Laika, who are known for their short films and commercials. Their first full-length movie was in 2009; the name of the flick was Coraline, which was distributed by Focus Features, the same company that distributed this movie as well.

The film took three years to produce, using sixty Canon EOS 5D Mark II DSLR cameras instead of conventional 3D cameras. Its release was met with favorable reviews, with Rotten Tomatoes giving the movie an 87% approval rating from critics.

The movie’s plot centers around a young boy named Norman Babcock (voiced by Kodi Smit-McPhee), who is able to speak with the dead. His regular "gist mate" is his late grandmother, whom he sees daily. Unfortunately, no one else sees her, so Norman’s habit of passing messages from his grandma to his dad or anyone else in the house isn’t welcomed.

Norman also sees and talks to various ghosts in town, which has made him popular in the town and at school—as a weirdo.

Norman’s only friend is a chubby kid named Neil Downe (voiced by Tucker Albrizzi), who has come to terms with Norman’s behavior and enjoys the fact that he can see dead people.

The movie’s antagonist is a ghost from 300 years ago, who is actually a witch that the town executed. Norman’s uncle, Mr. Prenderghast, tells him that his gift is passed down to him so that he can save the townspeople from the witch’s curse when he is gone. Without fully giving Norman all the details, Mr. Prenderghast dies, and now Norman must find a way to save the town from the awakened zombies and a ghost who is tearing the town apart for revenge.

I’m not totally a stop-motion animation fan. This is my second attempt at watching this movie. The first time, I was turned off by the stop-motion animation idea, but after hearing the favorable reviews it had gotten, I decided to give it a try. A decision I didn’t regret making.

ParaNorman will leave you glad that you took the time to see it. The animation was a step up from other stop-motion animations, and the movie’s dialogue is intriguing.

Take time out of your busy schedule to see this wonderful stop-motion animation.