ParaNorman (2012)

A misunderstood boy takes on ghosts, zombies and grown-ups to save his town from a centuries-old curse.

Directors:

Chris Butler, Sam Fell

Writer:

Chris Butler

Stars:

Kodi Smit-McPhee, Tucker Albrizzi, Anna Kendrick

Nominated for 1 Oscar. Another 15 wins & 24 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Kodi Smit-McPhee	...	Norman Babcock (voice)
Tucker Albrizzi	...	Neil (voice)
Anna Kendrick	...	Courtney Babcock (voice)
Casey Affleck	...	Mitch (voice)
Christopher Mintz-Plasse	...	Alvin (voice)
Leslie Mann	...	Sandra Babcock (voice)
Jeff Garlin	...	Perry Babcock (voice)
Elaine Stritch	...	Grandma (voice)
Bernard Hill	...	The Judge (voice)
Jodelle Ferland	...	Aggie (voice)
Tempestt Bledsoe	...	Sheriff Hooper (voice)
Alex Borstein	...	Mrs. Henscher (voice)
John Goodman	...	Mr. Prenderghast (voice)
Hannah Noyes	...	Salma (voice)
Jack Blessing	...	Slob Guy / Civil War Ghost (voice)

Storyline

In the town of Blithe Hollow, Norman Babcock is a boy who can speak to the dead, but no one besides his eccentric new friend, Neil, believes his ability is real. One day, Norman's estranged eccentric uncle tells him of an important annual ritual he must take up to protect the town from a curse cast by a witch it condemned centuries ago. Eventually, Norman decides to cooperate, but things don't go according to plan. Now, a magic storm of the witch threatens Blithe Hollow as the accursed dead rise. Together with unexpected new companions, Norman struggles to save his town, only to discover the horrific truth of the curse. With that insight, Norman must resolve the crisis for good as only he can.

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Plot Keywords:

curse | witch | ghost | talking to the dead | injustice | 

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Taglines:

You don't become a hero by being normal.

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Genres:

Animation | Adventure | Comedy | Family | Fantasy

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG for scary action and images, thematic elements, some rude humor and language

Details

Official Sites:

Official site Official site [jp]

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

17 August 2012 (USA)

Also Known As:

El alucinante mundo de Norman

Box Office

Budget:

$60,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

$14,087,050 (USA) (17 August 2012)

Gross:

$55,994,557 (USA) (28 December 2012)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Focus Features, Laika Entertainment

Technical Specs

Runtime:

92 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital Datasat

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Save for Judge Hopkins, the seven cursed zombies are not referred to by name, but they did have names: the aforementioned Judge Hopkins, Eben Hardwick, Thaddeus Blackton, Lemuel Spalding, Amelia Wilcot, Goodie Temper, and Wile London.

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Goofs

When Neil is watching his mother's aerobics DVD, it has white lines going across the screen as it is paused. VHS tapes did that but DVDs don't.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Movie Zombie: Grrr. Brains!
Grandma: What's happening now?
Norman Babcock: Well, the zombie is eating her head, Grandma.
Grandma: That's not very nice. What's he doing that for?
Norman Babcock: [chuckles] Because he's a zombie. That's what they do.
Grandma: He's gonna ruin his dinner. I'm sure if they just bothered to sit down and talk it through, it would be a different story.

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Crazy Credits

After the credits, a short featurette shows a time-lapse video of the creation and modeling of the Norman figure used for filming.

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Connections

References Day of the Dead (1985)

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Soundtracks

"Fix Up, Look Sharp (Contains Sample of "
The Big Feat")"
Written by Nicholas Donald Denton, Dizzee Rascal (as Dylan Kwebena Mills), Billy Squier (as William H. Squier)
Performed by Dizzee Rascal (as Dizzy Rascal)
Courtesy of XL Recordings Limited

User Reviews

Remarkably Endearing

ParaNorman looks like a throwback to the good old campy stop-motion animated films. The concept may not sound so original, but the designs and the themes of the story are the main appeal here. The movie is fun and wonderful to look at. While it goes through a crazy adventure comedy, there is a surprising twist that made this so endearing. It is something that we don't usually see in an animated film, but because of that we intend to love it. ParaNorman is funny, creepy, smart, and affecting.

ParaNorman is oddly different as an animated family film. Unlike the others, this one has a dark and mature context, but by sentimental means. Although the story is about spirits and zombies, the true core of this film is the emotion and the message that it is trying to show us. There's a couple of moments that are quite affecting. Usually is when Norman is being alone in his gloomy life. In other parts, the film is ought to be funny. The comedy sometimes feel way apart from the drama, but they still work anyway.

The stop-motion animation indeed looks marvelous. These little figures really brought themselves to life as their voice actors provide their personalities. The campiest part, the zombies, are quite impressive to look at. It's undeniably solid. The music score sure knows which part is suppose to be gloomy, campy, or just ordinary. It's a great effect to the scenes and you'll love it. The rest of the movie is all ridiculous and fun little set pieces that are entertaining enough to enjoy.

ParaNorman is surprisingly strong. The depth of the story made this movie so special. It's still filled with comedy and lightheartedness. In the end, it turns out to be endearing. It's a rare kind of family film that is brave to show what it wanted to show. It might be hard for some to understand its sentiment, but if there's anything else why anyone would like this film then it's because of its majestic animation. ParaNorman is simply great and it's easy enough to recommend.