Rated
PG (Scary Action and Images, Thematic Elements, Some Rude Humor and Language)
Running
Time: 1 Hour & 33 Minutes
Cast
(voice)-
Kodi
Smit-McPhee-Norman Babcock
Tucker
Albrizzi-Neil Downe
Anna
Kendrick-Courtney Babcock
Casey
Affleck-Mitch Downe
Christopher
Mintz-Plasse-Alvin
John
Goodman-Mr. Prenderghast
Jodelle
Ferland-Aggie
Leslie
Mann-Sandra Babcock
Jeff
Garlin-Perry Babcock
Elaine
Stritch-Grandma Babcock
Bernard
Hill-The Judge
Alex
Borstein-Mrs. Henscher
Hannah
Noyes-Salma
Tempestt
Bledsoe-Sheriff Hooper
Directed
by Chris Butler and Sam Fell
 |
| The fate of Blithe Hollow rests in their hands in LAIKA's latest animated feature, "ParaNorman." |
Horror
films may be a dime a dozen but classics like "The Exorcist,"
"Halloween," "Friday the 13th," "A Nightmare on Elm
Street," and even "Hellraiser" have sadly become a rarity,
replaced by mindless torture porn and formulaic PG-13 fare. After sitting on
the shelf for close to three years due to a bankrupt MGM, Drew Goddard and Joss
Whedon's "The Cabin in the Woods" was finally released into theaters
this past April to overwhelmingly positive reviews (90% on Rotten Tomatoes) and
served as not just a love letter to the horror genre but also an indictment on
what it has devolved to. Unfortunately, the film's satire fell on deaf ears as
audiences felt that they were 'lied' to since they were expecting a generic
slasher movie. Still, it managed to become a modest box office success and
earned $66 million worldwide. Now, another gleeful send-up to the horror flicks
of yesteryear has been released with "ParaNorman," a late-summer
animated film from LAIKA Incorporated, who made their animation debut with
2009's "Coraline," based on the horror-fantasy novella from acclaimed
British author Neil Gaiman and directed by Henry Selick. Specializing in
stop-motion animation, LAIKA was founded in July 2005 and was split into two
divisions where one would focus on feature films while the other on commercial
work such as advertisements. The studio was supposed to dabble in CG as well
with a project titled "Jack & Ben's Animated Adventure" but it
was cancelled when a significant portion of its staff were laid off in 2008. Proving
that "Coraline" wasn't just a fluke, LAIKA's "ParaNorman"
is a charming, funny, imaginative, and even touching horror spoof and is by far
the best animated feature this
summer. Pixar, you just got served!
Living in the small New England town of
Blithe Hollow with his parents Sandra and Perry (Leslie Mann and Jeff Garlin),
and his obnoxious older sister Courtney (Anna Kendrick), young Norman Babcock (Kodi
Smit-McPhee) possesses an unusual ability—he can see and communicate with
the dead. This frequently causes friction between his parents, with his
exasperated father wishing his son was more 'normal' and stop all this talk
about ghosts. Branded as a freak at school and a victim of bullying by the
larger Alvin (Christopher Mintz-Plasse), Norman resigns himself to the loner
life and spends his time watching old zombie movies with his deceased
grandmother (Elaine Stritch). One of his classmates, the chubby Neil Downe
(Tucker Albrizzi), befriends Norman but trouble looms over the horizon when the
town crazy, Mr. Prenderghast (John Goodman), warns of a centuries-old witch's
curse that will destroy Blithe Hollow if not stopped. Knowing that his time on
Earth is almost over, Prenderghast seeks out Norman and reveals that only he can stop the witch's curse due to his
paranormal abilities. When a group of Colonial-era zombies rise from their
graves and begin terrorizing the townspeople of Blithe Hollow, Norman must put
aside his own fears and save his home with the help of some unlikely allies.
'You think you know the story.' This was the tagline for Goddard's "The
Cabin in the Woods" and similarly, "ParaNorman" looks rather
generic judging from the initial previews but that is actually one of the
film's greatest strengths as it plays with the audiences' expectations of what they think a zombie flick entails. A
surprisingly poignant horror spoof, Chris Butler and Sam Fell's animated film
is both hilarious and touching despite its familiar story of an outcast overcoming
his doubts and rising up to become the hero. The running time may only be a
mere 93 minutes but the film is paced well as it successfully transitions
between moments of drama and visual spectacle. While primarily marketed towards
children, adults will find a lot to love about "ParaNorman,"
especially if you're a horror aficionado thanks to its irreverent references to
a number of classics such as 1978's "Halloween" and 1980’s "Friday
the 13th" but the film is really a homage to George A. Romero's 1968
classic "Night of the Living Dead." Known as the 'Godfather of all
Zombies,' Romero imbues each of his zombie flicks with his unique brand of
social commentary tailored to the specific time period in which they were
released. Butler and Fell use this as their inspiration to create a cautionary
tale of what fear can do to people when confronted with a situation that they
are unable to comprehend. When someone does not conform to what society
perceives as 'normal,' then that person is ostracized and
"ParaNorman" explores the affect this can have on someone
psychologically. The villains are not the zombies; it is people who are unable
to set aside their own prejudices and listen,
which many of the characters fail to do and leads to a dangerous mob mentality.
This is what makes the film such a success because it puts a new spin on all
these horror tropes while exploring some life lessons in a way that feels
organic and not preachy. The thematic material will go over most kids' heads
but "ParaNorman" will still keep them engaged because it's so damn
funny. Most of the comedy is derived from the hilarious interactions between
the characters and when combined with the adventure elements, it becomes
reminiscent of 1985's "The Goonies." The most memorable character by
far has to be Norman's chubby friend Neil. Whether he's threatening to throw
hummus, watching his mom's aerobics videos, or just plain stating the obvious,
Neil steals every scene he's in and adds to the film's overall fun factor.
However, parents should still heed the PG rating as the film does contain some material that might be
too intense or even frightening for viewers under age ten.
Seamlessly blending
traditional stop-motion with CG animation, "ParaNorman" looks
beautiful with its macabre visuals and the climax is a real stunner as Norman
finally confronts the witch. One of the advantages of stop-motion is that it
lends every character and object a sense of 'realness' that isn't achievable
with CG no matter how advanced the technology is. Disappointingly, the 3D does
not add much to the experience and I found the depth to be quite lacking.
Taking off the 3D glasses revealed very little blur and the image might as well
have been in 2D. Surprising, considering the fact that this is stop-motion and
not a pile of pixels. At least there are no brightness issues but that's a
given in this day and age.
While the 3D is black mark on the film's otherwise
impeccable visuals, the voice acting from the cast are excellent and they
really make their characters come alive. Kodi Smit-McPhee captures all of Norman's
insecurities from his sense of loneliness and search for acceptance but also
his determination with only his voice. Anna Kendrick shines as well as Norman's
vain and obnoxious older sister Courtney and you can almost picture the actress
mimicking the body language of her character in the sound booth. Tucker
Albrizzi is adorable as Neil while Casey Affleck is virtually unrecognizable as
Neil's slow-witted older brother Mitch, who drops a major bombshell at the end
that will leave kids puzzled but adults laughing aloud. Christopher
Mintz-Plasse is solid as school bully Alvin, although he does not blend into
his role as well as the others due to his distinctive voice. The rest of the
voice cast includes Leslie Mann and Jeff Garlin as Norman's parents, John
Goodman as Blithe Hollow's crazed resident Mr. Prenderghast, and Jodelle
Ferland as the witch Aggie.
"ParaNorman" was released on August 17,
2012 to largely positive reviews with 86% on Rotten Tomatoes. Critics hailed it
as 'beautifully animated and solidly scripted, [the film] will entertain (and
frighten) older children while providing surprisingly thoughtful fare for their
parents.' The audience, which was comprised of equal parts adults and children,
thoroughly enjoyed the film during the advance screening on Thursday and there
was never a dull moment as laughter continuously filled the theater. Given its
non-kid friendly subject matter on death and the use of stop-motion, "ParaNorman"
won't be breaking any box office records like Pixar or DreamWorks Animation but
it should settle into second place with a solid $20 million behind "The
Expendables 2." The story may not break any new ground but with memorable
characters, gorgeous visuals, and loving references to the classic horror
flicks of yore, "ParaNorman" cements its status as not just the best
animated film of the summer but also one of the best films of the year, period.
Final
Rating: 4.5 out of 5
"There's
nothing wrong with being scared, Norman, as long as you don't let it change who
you are."
+Poster.jpg)
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