'PARANORMAN': Three Stars (Out of Five)
An Academy Award nominee for Best Animated Feature Film (of 2012), and one of the better reviewed movies of the year, this stop-motion animated film tells the story of a boy who can communicate with dead people who's called on to save his town from a 300-year old curse. The film was written and co-directed (along with Sam Fell) by Chris Butler. Butler worked on the storyboards for other spooky animated films like 'CORALINE' and 'CORPSE BRIDE'. This marks his feature film directing and writing debut. The film was produced over the course of three years at a studio in Hillsboro, Oregon and is the first stop-motion animated film to use a 3D color printer to create it's character's faces (and the second to be shot in 3D). The voice cast includes the likes of Kodi Smit-McPhee (of 'LET ME IN' and 'THE ROAD' fame), Anna Kendrick, Casey Affleck, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, Leslie Mann, Jeff Garlin and John Goodman. I found the film to be a cut above the norm for this type of kid venture but not worth quite the critical rave it's received.
The film revolves around a boy by the name of Norman Babcock (Smit-McPhee) who is gifted with the ability of being able to speak to dead people. His family and other townsfolk in the small town of Blithe Hollow don't believe he can really communicate with spirits though and he's seen and treated as an outcast freak. A fellow classmate, who's also an outcast named Neil (Tucker Albrizzi), is the only one who believes Norman, along with Norman's uncle Mr. Prenderghast (Goodman). Mr. Prenderghast calls on Norman, one day, to protect the town from a 300-year old curse. Norman is informed that the curse was cast by a witch centuries ago and will bring about the living dead. Norman is reluctant to believe his uncle until zombies start walking the streets and it truly is up to Norman to use his special powers to save the day.
I have a hard time getting in to animated kid's films like this (especially stop-motion ones). Usually due to the fact that these films are all filled with one-dimensional characters and lame kid friendly jokes. This movie definitely has it's fair share of both these things but it also has a little more character and emotional depth than most animated films of this type. It also plays some good homage to monster films and has a nice retro feel to it (at times). The music is spectacular and it is a little more creepy and mature than you might expect from the trailers. It also has been praised (as well as condemned) for having the first openly gay character in a kid's film (which I think is a very good thing). The movie still has it's flaws and it isn't as cool as critics make it out to be but it is a decent, better than average animated kid's film.
Watch our movie review show 'MOVIE TALK' at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k6yq7kwUUDQ
An Academy Award nominee for Best Animated Feature Film (of 2012), and one of the better reviewed movies of the year, this stop-motion animated film tells the story of a boy who can communicate with dead people who's called on to save his town from a 300-year old curse. The film was written and co-directed (along with Sam Fell) by Chris Butler. Butler worked on the storyboards for other spooky animated films like 'CORALINE' and 'CORPSE BRIDE'. This marks his feature film directing and writing debut. The film was produced over the course of three years at a studio in Hillsboro, Oregon and is the first stop-motion animated film to use a 3D color printer to create it's character's faces (and the second to be shot in 3D). The voice cast includes the likes of Kodi Smit-McPhee (of 'LET ME IN' and 'THE ROAD' fame), Anna Kendrick, Casey Affleck, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, Leslie Mann, Jeff Garlin and John Goodman. I found the film to be a cut above the norm for this type of kid venture but not worth quite the critical rave it's received.
The film revolves around a boy by the name of Norman Babcock (Smit-McPhee) who is gifted with the ability of being able to speak to dead people. His family and other townsfolk in the small town of Blithe Hollow don't believe he can really communicate with spirits though and he's seen and treated as an outcast freak. A fellow classmate, who's also an outcast named Neil (Tucker Albrizzi), is the only one who believes Norman, along with Norman's uncle Mr. Prenderghast (Goodman). Mr. Prenderghast calls on Norman, one day, to protect the town from a 300-year old curse. Norman is informed that the curse was cast by a witch centuries ago and will bring about the living dead. Norman is reluctant to believe his uncle until zombies start walking the streets and it truly is up to Norman to use his special powers to save the day.
I have a hard time getting in to animated kid's films like this (especially stop-motion ones). Usually due to the fact that these films are all filled with one-dimensional characters and lame kid friendly jokes. This movie definitely has it's fair share of both these things but it also has a little more character and emotional depth than most animated films of this type. It also plays some good homage to monster films and has a nice retro feel to it (at times). The music is spectacular and it is a little more creepy and mature than you might expect from the trailers. It also has been praised (as well as condemned) for having the first openly gay character in a kid's film (which I think is a very good thing). The movie still has it's flaws and it isn't as cool as critics make it out to be but it is a decent, better than average animated kid's film.
Watch our movie review show 'MOVIE TALK' at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k6yq7kwUUDQ