In so many ways, ParaNorman is a film that I can relate to. It has a lead character named Norman who really feels like a lot like me and has many of my interests. It also has a supporting cast that feels like some of my own friends and a plot that has elements of one of favorite films of all time, The Blair Witch Project. Overall, ParaNorman is just great film that really deserves more attention then it is getting.
Set in the small town of Blithe Hollow, Massachusetts, ParaNorman is story of a nerd and a big horror fan named Norman (Kodi Smit - McPhee) who can speak to the dead and along with his friend Neil (Tucker Albrizzi), Neil's brother Mitch (Casey Affleck), the town bully Alvin (Christiopher Mintz - Plasse) and Norman's sister, Courtney (Anna Kendrick), they all try to stop an old witch curse that is seriously affecting their town.
The plot really works well here. It can be confusing and hard to follow at many times but it is original for an animation film, quite entertaining and provides plenty of interesting scenes including a pretty cool ending.
What is also interesting about the film is how the entire film has an adult feel to it even though it seems to be geared towards kids and teenagers. The movie has quite a few adult references and uses the Halloween movie theme song which most kids won't get. It also has a great grindhouse opening which really worked and added to the film.
ParaNorman also has stop motion animation which obviously has been done many times before but here it is done in a really different way that is both strange and original. I think this was a brilliant choice for the film.
Along with an adult feel, it also has a lot of strange moments that I can't quite figure out where it is coming from. There is also one scene that involves the character Mitch that can't make you look at the character the same way but it definitely adds to the film, I can tell you that.
ParaNorman also has really good characters and voice actors. The characters have a lot of personality to them that makes them likable and fun to watch. The voice work is great and this stands out even more because the film has some smart writing to it.
The humor in the film is sometimes good and sometimes hilarious and again the scene with Mitch is great because it is so strange and it is one my favorite parts of the film.
Out of all the films I have seen in 2012, ParaNorman is no doubt one of strangest and in many ways one of the dumbest films of the year, but it is still a great motion capture film that along with the The Avengers ranks as one of the top films of the year for me.
4/5.5
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