August 19, 2012 -- This animated film from the creators of “Coraline” is another film that fits into the Halloween theme of ghosts and witches. You could make a good Halloween triple feature with “Monster House,” “Coraline” and “ParaNorman.” All three are probably too scary for some young kids. “ParaNorman” is a good film in its own right, probably on a par with “Monster House,” but it isn't as good as “Coraline.”

“ParaNorman” is a film about an outsider, a young boy, Norman, who can see the spirits of dead people, yes, just like the boy in “The Sixth Sense.” Because of Norman's ability, he is shunned by most of the kids in school, except for his irrepressible friend, Neil, who is an outsider himself. The town they live in has a history similar to that of Salem, Mass. A young girl executed for witchcraft put a curse on her accusers and judges which will make them walk the earth as living dead, unless Norman can stop the curse.

Norman's uncle, Mr. Prendergast, shows up to tell Norman he must read a book over the grave of the witch before sundown on the anniversary of her execution to prevent the dead from rising. It turns out Mr. Prendergast has been doing this annual ritual for years to keep the witch's dead spirit at bay. When Norman tries to do the same, however, he is prevented from doing so by the school bully, Alvin. This causes the dead to rise and invade the town. The undead invading the town look a lot like zombies. In fact, this movie has been described, somewhat accurately, as a zombie movie for kids.

Norman leads a ragtag team of ghostbusters, including Alvin, Neil, his older sister and Neil's brother, on a quest to rid the town of the invading zombies. It turns out this is a lot more complicated than Norman, or anyone else, thought it would be. In order to end the curse, Norman must first learn the truth about the witch's curse, and that is very different than the way this story is told in local history. Norman must summon the courage to personally confront the spirit of the witch. Norman must become a hero to save the town. Stories about real heroes of this kind are very rare in movies today, but this is one of those rare stories, and it is to be cherished.

I remember a discussion I came across a while back amongst critics about movies with real heroes. One of the few movies people could agree upon which fit the bill was “Bubba Ho-Tep,” which is a funny story about a hero. “ParaNorman” is also a funny story about a hero. It has some very funny scenes, but it also has a message about heroism and the value of diversity. Like the Aardman films (“Chicken Run”) this film is modeled on stop-motion animation, which lends itself well to 3D presentation. The animation style is exaggerated for comic effect, in a way similar to the old “Far Side” comic strip, and it is very effective. The 3D presentation also looks very good. This film rates a B.

Click here for links to places to buy or rent this movie in digital formats, or to buy the soundtrack, posters, books, even used videos, games, electronics and lots of other stuff. I suggest you shop at least two of these places before buying anything. Prices seem to vary continuously. For more information on this film, click on this link to The Internet Movie Database. Type in the name of the movie in the search box and press enter. You will be able to find background information on the film, the actors, and links to much more information.

Copyright © 2012 Robert Roten. All rights reserved.
Reproduced with the permission of the copyright holder.

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