Review of ParaNorman (2012) by Zal — 14 Dec 2012

When I first saw the trailer, I wasn't sure if I would like this film and when I saw it, I didn't like it. I LOVED it. I love stopmotion, but that's not why I love this film (well, it's one of the reasons). All the characters are very likable. Even characters like the sister, the best friend's brother, and the school bully were lots of fun. They started out as stereotypical jerks but there's a little more to them then that.

I also like how there's actually atmosphere in this movie. A lot of kids movies are afraid of being too scary because it's "dark," but ParaNorman, for the most part, is not scary. The scene that freaked me out was the climax (same thing with Coraline, but I think Coraline's climax was scary as %$@*). I won't say what happens but even if you don't think it's scary, it's still a great scene, especially if you love animation since it combines stopmotion, computer, and hand-drawn animation.

While it's not scary, there are a lot of elements of horror. If you like watching old grindhouse movies, you might find this interesting since the writers have incorporated their love of the genre into this film.

I realize this movie won't be everyone's cup of tea and that's okay. I went with a friend who thought it was going to be a cute, Tim Burton-y type of movie and she ended up not liking it. I love Tim Burton's stopmotion films, but I don't know how his fans will feel about this movie. ParaNorman is more for Coraline fans. Since I am a Coraline fan, I recommend this. But I also recommend it because it was creative, funny, and touching.