ParaNorman

Little Norman Babcock (voice by Kodi Smit-Mcphee from Let Me In), the hero of ParaNorman, is a boy about 12 or so who can see ghosts and talks to them regularly. The one he speaks to the most is the spirit of his grandma (Elaine Stritch), who spends most of her time as a ghost doing what she probably did when she was alive - sitting on the couch, watching TV, and giving Norman advice when needed. His dad (Jeff Garlin) and shallow older sister (Anna Kendrick) are embarrassed by his behavior of talking to ghosts they can't see. His mom (Leslie Mann) does her best to understand and support Norman, but even she seems concerned when she tries to convince him that grandma's gone to a better place, and Norman responds with, "No she's not, she's in the living room!"

Things are not much better for Norman outside of the home. It seems that everyone knows that he believes he can talk to the dead, which has understandably given him the reputation of being the town weirdo, and a victim of the local bully, Alvin (Christopher Mintz-Plasse). The closest thing to a friend that Norman has is a chubby and dorky kid named Neil (Tucker Albrizzi), who looks kind of like an animated version of Rowley, the chubby and dorky kid from the Diary of a Wimpy Kid movies. Norman and Neil live in the small town of Blithe Hollow, which serves as a stand-in for Salem, Massachusetts. Like Salem, Blithe Hollow has a history of witch trials. In fact, one of those witches' spirits still haunts the town with a curse that forces those who persecuted her long ago to rise from the dead as zombies every year on the anniversary of her death.

Of course, no one in town knows about this curse, because it's been kept in check by Norman's crazy Uncle Prenderghast (John Goodman). He can see and talk to the dead also, and up until now, it's been his duty to prevent the witch from rising from the grave every year. He does this by reading a passage from a certain book. But this year, Prenderghast does not live long enough to stop the curse from happening. Fortunately, he happens to know that Norman shares his gift for seeing ghosts, and so his spirit visits the kid during a most unfortunate time (while Norman is using the bathroom), and charges him with the task of finding the book, and completing the ritual that will hold back the curse for another year. Norman finds the book easily enough, but doesn't get to the witch's grave in time. Therefore, the witch rises from her slumber, the dead start walking the Earth, and young Norman will have to put aside his fears, and use his sixth sense to save his town.

ParaNorman is the latest in a line of animated films for kids with horror undertones, like Monster House, Coraline, and The Corpse Bride. Much like those movies, this is a clever and frequently very funny film that understands a simple basic truth - kids like to be scared. There's no denying it. Why else would they have such a fascination with monsters? Not only does this movie get it, but it's been written in such a way that it will thrill kids, but not really terrify them. The movie can be a little intense at times, but it never takes itself entirely seriously. Even the zombies seem to be in on the joke, and are frequently used as comic relief, rather than objects of terror. Kids will love this movie for the adventures that Norman and his friends go on to stop the witch's curse. Accompanying adults will probably love it more, for its sly dialogue and smart script.

Not only is it wonderful to listen to what these characters say to each other, it's a joy to look at, too. The movie is done with stop motion animation, which means all the sets are models and incredibly detailed. There are a lot of hidden gags found all around the background that most audience members will miss. At one point, as the camera is flying over the town of Blithe Hollow, we see a sign reading, "Welcome to Blithe Hollow - a nice place to hang". This is accompanied by an image of a smiling witch with a noose around her neck. Aside from the hidden background gags, the movie features some truly stunning action sequences, made all the more amazing when you consider that the characters are all three-dimensional figures being moved frame by frame by the animators. Stop motion animation is one of the more time consuming versions of the artform, and the true brilliance of ParaNorman is that we very quickly forget that we're looking at model figures up on the screen, and eventually just accept them as genuine characters.

That's because this is a surprisingly tender and heartfelt film. For all of its ghosts, witches, and zombies, the movie is really about a little boy trying to fit in and find his place in the world. Nothing new, obviously, but this film deals with it in a very mature manner that helps us relate to and connect with young Norman. And while some of the characters who surround him can seem quite silly, they never come across as shallow caricatures. This is a movie that's been thought through in just about every category, and it really shows. I think the best complement I can give is that the movie pulls off the rare feat of being charming, funny, suspenseful, and heartfelt often at the same time. It's one of 2012's best animated releases, also.

One final note: ParaNorman is being shown in 3D in select theaters. I cannot judge it, as I saw it in 2D. However, having seen the movie, I can't imagine it being much better in 3D. The added dimension seems mostly to be used for things flying at the camera in a few scenes. Besides, the movie is frequently dark, or takes place at night. Experience has shown time and time again that if you watch a dark movie with dark glasses, it just makes the picture muddy and dull. See it in 2D if possible.

See the movie times in your area or buy the DVD at Amazon.com!

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