ParaNorman is a really wonderful film that is rather topical and certainly has something to say. It explores the idea of bullying and how people, mainly adults, can be rather ugly when faced with things they do not understand. The tale cuts through everything and proves to be very touching, surprisingly effective, and quite funny.
I went into this movie knowing I was going to like it. Perhaps that gave me a predisposition toward really liking it, but I honestly feel this stands up as a great movie on its own even without my predispositions. There is a very human quality to it that makes the whole thing terribly endearing. The characters have a humanity about them that is more apparent than any number of live action films.
ParaNorman rewards multiple viewings. Besides the wonderful characters and story, the animation is fantastic, the character designs are unique and well worth taking the time to actually look at. To go a step further, the movie is littered with horror movie references, so if you like horror, be sure to keep your eyes open. You don't have to wait long, the opening sequence drops you right into horror homage. You see, the movie opens with Norman watching an old school B-horror movie, completely with print damage, bad acting, the whole nine yards, it helps set the tone for everything that is to come and will surely be appreciated by the horror fan in all of us.
Audio/Video. The movie is presented in its original aspect ratio of 2.4:1. This high definition transfer is pretty stunning, I am hard pressed to find fault with it. The detail is all there, fine textures in he clothing, blades of grass, the decomposing corpses, you see everything. The movie was shot using Canon EOS 5D Mark II SLR cameras, the result is a sight to behold. Colors are sharp, blacks are solid, and every last detail is there to be seen.
Article comments
1 - Alan Morlock
You do realize that Selick was the one that actually directed Nightmare Before Christmas right?