Director(s) – Chris Butler (Missing Link) and Sam Fell (Flushed Away, The Tale of Despereaux)
Starring – Kodi Smith-McPhee (Let Me In, X-Men: Apocalypse), Anna Kendrick (The Twilight Saga: New Moon, Fear Itself), and Christopher Mintz-Plasse (Superbad, Kick-Ass)
Release Date -2012
Rating – 4/5
Blu Release – 4/5
The year I started writing my reviews, 2012 to be exact, I went to the theater to watch ParaNorman with my wife after work. I worked for a different wireless carrier at the time and they were a miserable company to work for. I was constantly depressed so I started writing reviews as a way to pass time and to get out of my head. That was when I started my blog with the intent of reviewing ParaNorman and the other films I was watching at the time. However, I soon changed my mind and decided to focus on older films that more people may have forgotten.
I absolutely loved ParaNorman but I figured there was enough sites, blogs, and YouTube channels covering it without wasting my time on the review. Now, here I set almost a decade later writing a review for ParaNorman because Shout Factory asked me to cover some of their new Laika Studio releases. Thanks Shout for once again supporting Horror Society and myself!
**Spoiler Alert** The film follows Norman (Smith-McPhee) who is an abnormal kid. He can see the dead which has made him the odd one out in his family and school often making him the center of the school bully’s aggressions. His strange existence gets even stranger when his estranged uncle tries to warn him about impending doom. Norman doesn’t believe him and soon he discovers that his uncle has died. This sparks the beginning of a wild night for Norman and a few select others when the undead start rising from their grave with a connection to a suspect witch that was executed several centuries earlier. Now he must stop the witches curse before innocent people in town are murdered by the living dead. **Spoiler Alert**
I absolutely loved ParaNorman when it was released and I would say it’s my favorite film to date to come out of Laika Studios. It’s such a fun horror-centered film that the entire family can enjoy. Hell, I’ve actually watched this one three times this year already prior to getting in this release for review.
The voice acting in this one is probably my favorite of any animated film. We get the legendary John Goodman as a deranged hermit who communicated with the dead, we have McLovin himself as a braindead bully, Theodon from Lord of the Rings is a fucking zombie, and so many more that deserve to be mentioned but I’m a lazy fuck. The characters, much like Coraline, are bigger than the screen they are on and stick with everyone watching it.
The story for this one is a lot of fun and one I try to watch at least once during October. I love anything that has do to with colonial America and when you toss in witches, which I feel are often underutilized, and zombies mixed with another lonely child seeking acceptance from his family and peers. It’s a great story for kids but also works for many of us looking for something a little light-hearted to watch during the Halloween season.
Finally, the stop-motion animation is even more impressive than Coraline. I absolutely love the unique look of the characters, as well ass, how amazing the ghosts and zombies look. It’s impressive and this film is my aesthetic. Overall, ParaNorman is a must for someone seeking a family friendly film and horror fans alike. The blu from Shout is the way you need to see this film so grab it while you can. I highly recommend it.
Special Features:
NEW Inside LAIKA – Discovering The Characters And Effects Of ParaNorman Featuring Never-Before-Seen Test Footage
NEW Inside LAIKA – Revisiting The Puppets With LAIKA’s Animation Team
NEW Feature-Length Storyboards
NEW Character, Concept Art And Behind-The-Scenes Photo Galleries
Audio Commentary With Writer/Director Chris Butler And Co-Director Sam Fell
“Peering Through The Veil”
Original Featurettes
Art & Essay Mini-Book
