Review: ParaNorman (2012)

I must be doomed to watch kids’ films lately, because ParaNorman turned up on my Netflix as the most viable option this week.  I’m very glad I took the time out to see this one.  Rarely have I encountered a movie aimed at children that was as creepy and intelligently written as this one.  And though there’s nothing to jump out and make it into a work of sheer genius, it certainly comes a lot closer than most other films in the genre.

The story revolves around one Norman Babcock, a kid that just happens to be able to see ghosts.  His life is a bit odd, being as how he’s in constant conversation with all of the dead folks hovering around his neighborhood, and most of the other kids (as well as his father) think he’s a few short of a six-pack.   But Norman endures, despite being the creepy kid in town.

All this changes when another ghost-seeing person, Norman’s uncle Prenderghast shows up and tells Norman that his ability to see the dead is key in making sure that the spirit of a hundreds-of-years-old witch doesn’t awaken and start bringing the dead back to life.  Norman resists, but when his uncle dies and shows up in spirit form to push the point, the boy finally caves.

With the help of his only friend Neil, his sister, Neil’s older brother and a bully from school, Norman sets out to fulfill his destiny.  But he turns up, of course, a bit too late.  Zombies rise from their graves and start trying to catch the gang.  Norman must figure out why stopping the witch didn’t work out, avoid zombies and crazed town-folk alike and then finally confront the witch face-to-face in order to set things right.

The story of ParaNorman is a classic one - the tale of the outsider who is misunderstood by everyone despite their amazing talents.  The witch in question actually turns out to be an 11-year-old girl that was hung as a witch and the zombies are the killers that she cursed.  The underlying story is much darker and more complicated than one would expect from a children’s movie, but to a smart kid it’s just what is needed.  Too many films aimed at kids pander to them and avoid certain subjects.  ParaNorman definitely doesn’t fall into that trap and that’s its greatest strength.

The second thing that really impressed my about the film is the organic dialogue.  The things that the characters say don’t sound as scripted as movies usually do, particularly kids’ films.  The jokes are witty and clever and perhaps a little above most kids’ heads at times, but there’s enough silly toilet humor and slapstick to keep the younger crowd entertained as well.

Another thing that makes the film interesting (though some might considering it annoying), is the unique style of stop-motion animation.  Combined with the effects, it comes across jumpy and stylistic.  I loved it, but some might find it distracting.  Where this style excels is, by far, in the creation of the witch.  The twitchy, chaotic depiction of the child-spirit is the stuff of nightmares and evokes a strong emotion, especially considering the background of the spirit being a child murdered by ignorant witch-hunters.  The landscape where Norman has his final conflict is straight out of an epic video game.  Combined, it’s a very creepy finale.

Critics and audiences had significantly mixed responses to ParaNorman, so if you’re looking for a typical children’s film that has been refined by millions of dollars of graphic technology and watered down by million of dollars of marketing polls, it might not be for you.  Otherwise, check it out as soon as you can.  And if you have a kid that doesn't mind a scary movie, bring them along for the ride.

ParaNorman Witch courtesy of basementrejects.com