It’s a given that a movie’s going to be fun when its opening scene is an Evil Dead reference. Created by Laika – the same stop-motion animation team responsible for the stellar “Coraline” – “ParaNorman” is a film that’s gorgeous, fun and often quite humorous … oh, and there are zombies in it too. What’s not to like?
The story takes place in the fictional town of Blithe Hallow, Mass., an all too accurate parody of Salem, Mass., where many years ago, the town condemned a woman to death for witchcraft. In turn, she placed a curse upon both the town and its citizens. The protagonist, Norman Babcock, is a typical horror movie junkie. He stays up late to watch B-grade monster movies, his room is decked out in creepy accessories featuring the undead, and he speaks to ghosts. (Okay maybe that last part isn’t so typical). It’s because of this ability that he is ostracized from both home and school, often embarrassing himself in front of others due to his paranormal powers.
As the anniversary of the witch’s death approaches, it’s not long before Norman’s abilities begin to spiral out of control and he realizes the town’s curse is not just a legend after all. Zoinks. Looks like it’s up to him and a gang of ragtag teens to solve the mystery of Blithe Hallow once and for all.
The main reason to see “ParaNorman” is the visuals. The characters and plotline are great, but I was particularly sucked into Norman’s world by the astonishing stop-motion animation. The characters are masterfully animated, showing a huge range of emotions and actions, and the sets and backgrounds are carefully crafted in a style that’s familiar, but with just enough creepy, otherworldly touch thrown in. The greenish-yellow hues make for a great, subtly haunting atmosphere and the crooked, off-center buildings are just cartoony enough to make the town feel real, but not too real. By the time the finale rolls around, viewers will be having a hard time deciding which piece of delicious visual cake to eat first.
The characters are mostly archetypes, but are well developed and have enough slight differences so that they don’t become cookie cutter and boring. The plotline is fairly simplistic, but has an excellent third act that is actually the best and most entertaining part of the movie.
There’s not really any underlying themes or allegories (that I noticed), therefore some may say it lacks depth, but I believe that as long as you concentrate hard on that single layer – which they certainly have – then multiple layers aren’t necessary for creating a good film. And the fact that “ParaNorman” is homage to classic horror means it’s also fun to see what references you can catch. On one viewing I noticed nods to “The Evil Dead,” “Night of the Living Dead,” “Friday the 13th,” “Poltergeist,” “Scooby-Doo,” and yes, the villain is a creepy white girl.
“ParaNorman” has had a lot of heart poured into it. Whereas most children’s movies worry so much about losing the interest of their young audience that they pepper in any flashy, obnoxious thing they can think of at the expense of story or character development (see Ice Age 4, or Shrek 38), “ParaNorman” has enough faith in both its audience and its narrative to take the time it needs to tell a good story with good characters. That is what makes a movie fun and interesting to watch. It’s worth your time.