ParaNorman

Animation, while still considered by many to be solely for children, is gradually becoming more and more accepted for adults.  With studios like Pixar and Dreamworks creating works that can be appreciated by both children and their parents, animation, whether computer or hand-drawn, is doing well.  I imagine if you did a public opinion poll, animation would be the friendly candidate that everyone feels they know.  If you saw Coraline a couple of years ago, that image is a bit different.  Coraline was an amazing movie, and it was kinda creepy.  ParaNorman follows the same path but gives us a different experience.  With an interesting plot, simple characters, and atmosphere out the wazoo,  ParaNorman is an excellent film.

For those of you who have not been privy to the previews, let me sum up ParaNorman for you.  It is the story of young Norman, who just so happens to have the power to see ghosts.  Unlike the kid from the Sixth Sense, Norman is just fine with this; it is everyone else who has a problem with it.  That information gives you the gist of the story without giving away any serious plot points not already displayed in trailers.

While the story in ParaNorman isn't extraordinarily unique, it is handled well.  The decisions made by the film-makers give us something we've seen before presented differently.  It's different enough that you don't find yourself bored while watching what is presented as a kid's flick.

My only complaint is that the characters are not as rich as the plot.  The plot is simple but feels meaty.  The characters are very simple and basic; you don't see a whole lot of character development.  Characters change, but it is not complex.  It is possible the characters as caricatures is an intentional choice by the group behind the film.  The simple characters allow the audience to spend more time focused on what is happening to Norman and his story, which is the driving force behind ParaNorman.  Based on some of the decisions made throughout the movie, I find it hard to believe the one-dimensional characters are the result of poor planning or laziness.  It seems that their simplicity is merely a show-case for more important messages.

The characters may be simple, but their design is not.  Each character looks unique and has physical characteristics that show that a great deal of love and care went into their creation.  They each move differently.  While some of the designs, such as the mother's appearance, can be jarring, they work.  In particular, the witch is absolutely amazing.  I don't know why, but I feel that she is one of the more impressive animated characters I have seen on screen recently.  She jumps out at you, and so much emotion is conveyed through the voice and appearance that it is just amazing.*

Perhaps ParaNorman's most impressive feat is the amount of atmosphere they've managed to create.  From the first shot, you get the feeling that you're watching an old horror movie, which is precisely what they were going for.  It's impressive that they kept that feel without being overt about it as the film continued.  The chosen shots were very cinematic, show-casing a great eye for cinematography.  In the earlier parts of the movie, ParaNorman made me feel like I was watching art.  As the action picks up, the film loses that a bit, but that's not a bad thing.

I heard from the theater manager that the 3D was very good on ParaNorman.  Since Mark and I were catching the last showing, we didn't have a choice in the matter.  Our showing was 2D, which I am fine with. We actually had the theater to ourselves, and it was kind of spooky.  The atmosphere permeates the film so much that certain scenes were almost scary.**  Considering I was watching a kid's film, that's pretty impressive.

As with any good film, it's not only one thing.  It's not all doom and gloom; they've included some humor too.  I laughed out loud quite a few times, but I'm easily amused when it comes to movies.***

ParaNorman is a movie well worth your time.  You probably don't need to see it on the big screen, but if you like 3D, I hear it's great.  It won't be out on DVD by Halloween this year, but hopefully, you can catch it around Halloween of next year.  It's that kind of movie, and it's awesome.

*Seriously, I have no idea why I was so in awe.  I found it to be better than anything I've seen from Pixar and Dreamworks lately, as far as design goes.

**I'm starting to feel old.  We didn't really have restrictions to what we watched as children, but I find myself wondering if I would let my kids watch this film at times.  I'm sure I would, but it got a little scary!  Of course, we've been playing Amnesia, so I could just be carrying that horror around with me.

***Mark is never as quick to laugh at movies as I am, but he thinks it is super funny when a dog poops.  Go figure.