Paranorman

[baumer]

Discuss

[JackO]

ParaNorman is about a down and out kid named Norman (voiced by Kodi Smit Mcphee) who talks to ghosts. The atmosphere for the film really hit before the it even started with the Feature Presentation title card. When we first meet Norman he is having a conversation with his grandmother. His dead grandmother. The way they set up that reveal was one of the many unique visual flourishes that this film features, it's just to bad, it doesn't really get highlighted again the last half hour. Anyways, this movie is sad, dark, and somewhat scary. It is currently being advertised as a kid's movie but there was one scene were Norman was exploring a house by an old cemetery (I know, right?) and some moths fly up in 3D all over screen. Babies were crying, the people in front of me were questioning their sanity. It was just too much. I did really like how the zombies were first introduced as very evil and scary but then they end up being the victims. I almost felt bad for them. Almost. Another reason why this film is very dark is because a freakin kid is killed and it is essential to the climax of the story. Now other kid's movies have dealt with death kind of, like Toy Story 3, but not in this blunt tragic sad raw sort of way. I do recommend seeing it if you are past 6 years old though. While the film gets muddled with unnecessary characters, sidequests that bring nothing to bear, and a few awkward moments, the themes presented in the film are good enough to think about long afterwards.

[Gopher]

It has some of the same problems Coraline did- the plot is somewhat haphazardly constructed and it doesn't really come together at the climax- but it keeps the same visual sense of magic and wonder. It's quite brave in the way in confronts themes of death and bullying head-on, and it never uses its jokes to undermine those themes, even though it's a very funny movie. It's the best animated film of the year (although it hasn't been the greatest year for animation) and I definitely recommend it.

Edited August 17, 2012 by Gopher

[Ezen Baklattan]

Brilliant animation, a surprisingly throughtful message, and a well written script, this movie is fantastic.

[Kvikk Lunsj]

I am going to watch this some time this week.

[AniNate]

Liked this film better than Coraline, mostly because of its stronger grasp on story and message. The setup could've used a bit more levity, as it's almost totally downbeat, slowly paced and not much fun to sit through, and the film didn't really start to gel for me until it finally kicked into romp form. But from then on it becomes a briskly entertaining yarn and it will surely get points with the Academy for a pretty brave move it pulls with one of the characters at the end.

B+

[IndustriousAngel]

Very good film, surprisingly funny (much more than Coraline) but gets really touching at the climax (also more so than Coraline). Laika did a great job from the technical and artistical POV; the sets are original and top notch, a little creepy and full of jokes at the same time - the characters easy to distiniguish and funny too. About the only fault is Norman himself; he's just a little too depressed, always looking concerned. Hey, even a freak has to smile now and then (at least if he's main protagonist in a kids film).

Sound and voice acting are good (Alvin was my favourite - D.E.D. omg) and the music was ok.

A from me - ok, I'm a sucker for animation, especially stop motion, but this was really good and I'll watch it multiple times on BD, freeze-framing to enjoy the sets!

[Noctis]

An immense joy to watch. Visually gorgeous, great characters, and a surprisingly thoughtful message that is always dealt with care. Technical aspects are just fantastic on every level, the designs of the characters and the sets were very well done. I've always had a soft spot for stop-motion, though. It's genuinely hilarious, and features a ridiculously awesome moment at the end between the jock and Norman's sister. That was a delight.

"Sweet baby Jesus!"

A

[75Live]

Pretty good movie. I like stop motion. It had the right blend of humor and creepiness. I liked the ending with Norman relating to the girl. Glad I saw it.

B+

[CoolioD1]

I really liked this movie, even though a bunch of the jokes didn't work for me, only a couple really landed, but I got pretty invested in the story and it's got a great message. Really cool animation as well.

[acab]

My favourite animated film from this year (although i haven't check Ralph and Frankenweenie yet). I really liked it. Great message, great visuals and a very successful mix of creepiness and humor. It also gave me a Goonies vibe. I would prefer a stronger plot and a little less sentimentality but it's still a great film.

[BK007]

B-Didn't really work for me. It's quite a beautiful movie, proving stop motion can look as great as CGI, but really the story isn't tight enough and a lot of the characters are just not likeable.It doesn't set up a universe that abides by its rules, conveniently breaking conventions already set up and relies on storytelling devices almost like copping out.There's a fantastic film in there, but the final product was not it. The basic crux is fine, but the details are messed up in my opinion.Still, Laika has shown balls with its themes, visuals and characters so I'm glad it did well as I'd like to see more from them- hopefully a little more together than this ultimately was.edit: Unfortunately I knew about the gay joke/twist beforehand so it made it really obvious. Anyway things I had problems with: sharp swings in character from a couple characters (mostly the sister), a lot of the climax/confrontation between Aggy and Norman (Aggy's character needs a bit of a revamp or at least the storyline/motives or development of that storyline).

Edited December 4, 2012 by BK007

[TheMovieman]

Pretty good movie though once I got past admiring the stop motion, it did kind at times kind of bore me. However, the story does get a bit better towards the end even if the climax wasn't the best. Still, I did enjoy for the most part enjoy it though it's hardly perfect.

***¾/*****, (B, 7.6/10, 3/4)

[Goffe]

The movie actually starts very well, sadly everything falls apart when they go to the city hall, it becomes incredibly boring, negatively peaking with the politically correct first climax, it gets better after that, but it's already too late. There were 3 scenes that I think it's worth mentioning: 

- Norman going to school and talking with dead people

- Norman and Grandma talking

- Aggie talking with Norman in the forest

those scenes are on another level, just amazing piece of art.

 

B (73)

Edited August 17, 2013 by Goffe