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| Art by Dave Perillo |
I had previously enjoyed Coraline, and when it was announced that Laika Studios were producing a new animated film I was looking forward to seeing it. Well, it's taken a while, but I've now seen it. It did not disappoint!
Right from the start, with the horror homage and the 80's style opening credits and soundtrack it kind of set the tone for me. As with all the best animated films, ParaNorman should appeal to all ages - balancing the right amount of humour and in-jokes with a fair share of chills too.
Yes it's been done many times before, the outcast having to save the day, but add in the zombies and the supernatural elements, the story worked for me. Fast paced enough and a happy ending to keep you entertained throughout the two hours.
I'd been following the behind the scenes videos at Weirdwins, and all the effort that went into producing the film, as well as owning the 'Art & Making Of ParaNorman' art book too (which I thoroughly recommend). After watching the finished article, it was all worthwhile. I thought the animation was spot on, and visually impressive. I also liked the soundtrack by Jon Brion and art style of the end credits.
If you enjoyed films like 'The Nightmare Before Christmas', 'Corpse Bride' and 'Coraline', then you will get a kick out of watching 'ParaNorman'. A great looking film that both scares and makes you laugh and pays homage to the old schlocky horror films it's parodying. Recommended.
**** out of 5
Thank you for reviewing ParaNorman, Andy! I went online and rented ParaNorman on Friday after I saw that I could watch it in 3D from my DISH Hopper DVR. I ordered it to download to the DVR just before leaving my office at DISH, and it was ready to watch when I got home. I loved this movie, and I thought Laika did a great job with the animation. My kids loved it too; it’s great to find a movie that we all like because that doesn’t happen very often.
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