Review of ParaNorman (2012) by Stefan N — 03 Oct 2013

Let's get this straight; animated films are not family flicks or movies for children, they are a medium used to entertain people of all ages. I am particularly glad Chris Butler actually thought of this and that he treats his target audience, in this case, children, with a respect for their intelligence.

"ParaNorman" tells the story about a boy named Norman who can communicate with dead people and is considered weird by many of his peers. When his uncle with the same talent dies, he is in charge of stopping the witch's curse, an annual curse that is stopped by reading "Sleeping Beauty" on top of the witch's grave.

I have seen "Brave" and "Madagascar 3" and so far "ParaNorman" is without a doubt my favorite animated film of 2012 due to its superior animation, its well-constructed and executed humor, and its heart all amid a strong Gothic tone.

To start off, I always appreciate the art of stop-motion animation since it is fairly rare. Aesthetically, the images are always so simple, neat, and crisp. Most of all, we do not see the directors plunge into absurd nonsensical visuals since they are restricted.

For instance, in "Madagascar 3," I was annoyed by the constant explosions, fireworks, objects flying into the camera's perspective. However, in this film, I don't have to flinch while watching it.

Further,the humor is perfect especially since we see many tasteless jokes in modern movies. An example of this is in the opening scene where Norman is talking to his grandmother who asks him to turn up the heating.

He tells his father that his grandmother feels cold, but his father reveals that his grandmother is dead. What a way to introduce us to Norman's special abilities!There are many jokes that only adults will understand such as a nod to 1979's "Halloween.

" The comedy is very cerebral and it takes us a few seconds to understand the joke which is the most successful kind of comedy. Lastly, the movie has a lot of heart since his narcissistic sister, clueless parents,and cruel yet troubled bully come to understand and appreciate him in the end.

I have to admit it is cheesy but we cannot deny its warmth. I like to see that bullies are not just evil they have their own self-esteem problems which is realistic and has a good message. My only reserves are that the movie is filled with cliches, my main complaint for most movies, although it works very well.

Truth be told, they are not too obvious, but can be annoying. The sister is a drama queen who only cares about being popular and Norman is hailed at the end for his special abilities (quite predictable).

This may annoy viewers, but "ParaNorman" packs enough laughs, warmth, and simply beautiful animation with a few surprises all withing a distinct style that we forget about its negatives. I can say with full assurance that I will eagerly await Butler's next films.