ParaNorman (2012) Movie Review - Underrated Kid's Horror Gem

Welcome to Knockout Horror. We are all done with our K-O-Ween 31 Days of Halloween feature but Autumn is still in full swing. With that in mind, why not spend the month of November looking at a whole bunch of horror movies set in the Fall? I mean, let’s be real for a second. Falling leaves, carved pumpkins, a gentle, crisp, cold breeze. What could be more fitting for horror than the autumn? I’ll be reviewing a whole bunch of these movies that fit this theme up until December and we will be starting off with stop motion horror comedy ParaNorman.

Now some of you may be wondering why I am reviewing a kid’s film? Well, everyone needs an entry point to horror and animated movies are the perfect option. Not entirely dissimilar from the slightly earlier stop motion horror movie Coraline. ParaNorman was released in 2012 and features a much stronger comedy leaning. Hilarious throughout but with a strong message about acceptance, ParaNorman is the perfect horror movie to watch with your kids. That’s not to say there is nothing to offer adults here. This is a movie with a sharp sense of wit and a a desire to make sure everyone has a good time. 

Animated Horror Fun

Norman, voiced by Kodi Smit-McPhee, is a somewhat misunderstood 11 year old boy living in the fictional town of Blithe Hollow in Massachusetts. Ostracised and bullied by the people around him, Norman appears to have the ability to talk to the dead. He frequently has conversations with his deceased grandma, voiced by Elaine Stritch in her last performance before her 2014 death, and his walk to school is populated by the ghosts of the many people who have passed away in the town.

After conversating with the spirit of a deceased man. Norman is told that something awful is about to strike the town and he is the only person who can stop it. All he has to do, is to take a book from the cold dead hands of the deceased man’s corpse. And head deep into the woods to find the resting place of a vengeful witch so he can read her a bed time story. Easy, right?

Hilarious Horror Comedy

So before we start, ParaNorman’s time period is somewhat ambiguous but it definitely has that autumn vibe. Fallen leaves are everywhere and the movie just feels like a fall horror so it fits nicely into this theme. I guess this one isn’t strictly horror but I can’t think of many movies that are more fitting to enjoy with the kids on Halloween.

Tremendously funny, in parts, ParaNorman is a genuinely easy watch for both adults and kids. It is full of positive messages, as well. Norman is a relatable character that is considered to be strange by the people around him. Despite this, he seems to harbour no ill feelings towards his friends and family. He just wants people to accept him and his special gift. Norman is a very sympathetic character and easy to like which is an important part of enjoying a movie like this. After all, this is a tale of acceptance, forgiveness and understanding each other’s differences.

Being honest, the cast is a bit cliched but they are, generally, quite charming and the humour associated with them is clever and well thought out. Rarely resorting to innuendo; characters like Neil and Mitch will have you laughing your ass off. Norman’s dad is a perfect representation of an ignorant generation afraid of change and his mum is full of brilliant one liners courtesy of her somewhat jaded life view. 

Although comedy is the focus, ParaNorman may be a little bit too scary for very young children. Believe it or not, the movie actually delivers on the horror element in a big way. Utilising a very serious underlying plot based on the horrific witch trials of the 1600s, some of the scenes are genuinely quite sad. This movie has a brilliant mix of laughs, tears, and frights.

Stiff Competition

ParaNorman released around the same time as Tim Burton’s stop motion horror comedy Frankenweenie. Expected to take a back seat to Disney’s high profile release; I think it is fair to say that Laika’s ParaNorman held its own despite the competition. For me, personally, ParaNorman is a much better movie than Frankenweenie and, without a doubt, it is a lot funnier. Frankenweenie felt slow and, almost, a little boring. ParaNorman basically throws all of its cards into the middle of the table from the get go and never lets up.

The children’s horror movie genre is a fairly well developed one. Films such as The Nightmare Before Christmas, Coraline, and Corpse Bride really laid the foundation for animated horror. It is a somewhat crowded market place given the high profile nature of many of these movies. To stand out is fairly difficult. To do it in a unique manner without seeming like you are imitating your competitors is an even bigger task.

ParaNorman, in my opinion, really succeeds at this and has carved out its very own place in the animated horror genre. Leaning more heavily into the comedy element, it has a strong “feel good” message that sets it apart from similar films. It takes itself seriously but also places a high value on being thoroughly enjoyable. Unlike some of the other movies in this genre, it is also in a tremendous rush to get to the action. The proverbial shit hits the fan at around the 35 minute mark and it never lets up from there. While perhaps not the ideal pacing for an adult, some may have preferred a little more plot development. Children are likely to find it easier to stay engaged with ParaNorman due to this focus on early escalation.

Beautifully Animated

ParaNorman is almost as gorgeous as Laika’s previous movie Coraline. Sharing the same 3D printed parts technology as its predecessor. Whereas Coraline used black and white 3D printers, ParaNorman became the first stop motion film in history to use full colour 3D printed parts for its models. This leads to characters popping right off the screen while retaining the same wide range of facial expressions as the aforementioned movie. The variety of emotions displayed by the cast only adds to both the horror and comedy elements.

ParaNorman’s animation is very smooth for stop motion. At times if almost feels like a CG movie. Sets are decently large and full of interesting landmarks. Scenes are busy and full of life. Lighting is fantastic and does a great job of adding atmosphere. It’s all just very nice to look at. ParaNorman feels like a real love letter to some of the Zombie movies of old. There is a heavy use of green hues and shadows that make the movie feel almost as if it came out of the 80s. This movie was made for 3D and we have a 3D projector so decided to watch as the makers intended. It looks fantastic with no use of arbitrary 3D elements. It has loads of depth and makes for a perfect 3D viewing experience. 

Character designs are unique and highly stylised. Though much of the cast is somewhat cookie cutter, the hilarious design choices really help them to stand out. Norman’s mall girl sister Courtney, voiced by Anna Kendrick, is your typical blonde haired valley girl type character. Her ridiculously wide hips and tiny waist, however, add a hilarious twist to this look. Equally, Neil’s jock brother Mitch, voiced by controversial actor Casey Affleck, is farcically broad shouldered and muscular. None of the designs here are plain, they are always highly comical despite the stereotypical nature of the characters.

Decent Voice Acting

Voice acting is decent throughout. Featuring a well known cast, Kodi Smit-McPhee is fine as Norman. Anna Kendrick is very fitting as mall girl Courtney. John Goodman is excellent as Mr. Prenderghast, as is Leslie Mann and Jeff Garlin as Norman’s parents. Casey Affleck is pretty uninspired as Mitch but the character still has some hilarious lines. I felt as though Christopher Mintz-Plasse didn’t have much to work with as fairly dull bully Alvin but he does okay with what he has.

Underrated actor Jodelle Ferland makes an appearance as Aggie and, as usual, she is great. She offers a sense of nuance and depth to an, ultimately, sympathetic character. The standout performance for me, however, was Tucker Albrizzi as Neil. He is by far the highlight of the entire film and his delivery is spot on. There is one scene, in particular, where he tells Norman to throw a stick for his dead dog. It’s a simple sequence but Albrizzi’s delivery of the lines had me laughing my ass off.

Should You Watch ParaNorman?

You should definitely watch ParaNorman. This is a perfect option for family Halloween viewing and a great choice for a first horror movie, though perhaps not for very young children. Hilarious, touching, often scary and thoroughly enjoyable. This is another great movie from Laika and a perfect example of how to do family friendly horror. There is a very positive message here about acceptance that makes the brilliant animation and interesting plot all the more special.