Paranorman: Shows Us How to be Good

It’s a rather risky screenwriting business: attempting to make yours what has been done 759 million times before. Even more so when what is to be made yours involves playing with zombies in a tweaked, animated version of The Sixth Sense. It is in times like these that, either amazingly unforgettable characters will rise up to save the day or, a profoundly banal storyline will brand the movie as already done or overly cheesy. I was so happy to see that Laika Entertainment’s most recent stop-motion picture, ParaNorman, escaped the clutches of the world renowned movie monster Sir Dreariness. But you’re probably wondering, “Monica! What’s the secret!? Why do some movies make it past Sir Dreariness and others don’t?”

Fear not my young Padawans, I will guide you through to the understanding of this, one of screenwriting’s most fundamental questions. For starters, if you’re going to “walk the plank,” do it right: chin up, proper posture, and with a serious intent all the way to your demise. We’ve all heard the line, “Good artists borrow, great artists steal.” Some say Pablo Picasso said it, others T.S. Elliot. But no matter who it’s attributed to, you should take to heart the idea that you should only steal the good stuff. Don’t borrow someone else’s already lame and overused zombie idea, steal the good parts and make it your own. Enrapture your audience; make them forget that they had ever seen a Zombie before! And when you are done, have your unforgettable characters walk them home the long way.

Norman Babcock (Kodi Smit-Mcphee) is somewhat likethe protagonist Cole Sear (Haley Joel Osment) from The Sixth Sense, in that he has this incredible gift of seeing and speaking to the dead. Gladly however, their similarities don’t expand much further than that. Norman’s zombie/bully/ghost/witch infested world totally succeeds in convincing us that we didn’t just blow our money on a cheap rip-off version of that IMPOSSIBLE to forget “I see dead people” flick. Which is not in the least bit an easy feat to accomplish.

Although Norman’s world doesn’t stroll very far from your common kid flick movie characters (classic school bully, annoying older sibling, stud jock, oblivious parents, etc.) it has just enough creativity to make it sparkle on its own. I loved what they did to Norman’s older sister, Courtney Babcock (Anna Kendrick): so funny! In a story we’ve all seen a million times before, it really is all about giving the characters that extra sparkle. Also, there were moments when just the right amount of humor and slapstick comedy added so much to the movie. I don’t want to spoil the movie for you folks, so I won’t give away toooo much, but pay attention to a scene where a random townsman attempts to buy chips from a vending machine. Absolutely hilarious! I swear, that scene alone made the entire movie worth it.

For those of you who are fans of Laika Entertainment’s stop-motion films, such as, Coraline and Corpse Bride, this one does not cease to disappoint: absolute perfectionism in each character’s features, idiosyncrasies, and movements. To me it is really a delicate art to admire. I especially liked the construction of the movie’s scenery, more specifically, Norman’s carefully decorated bedroom. 

All in all, a very fulfilling dose of comedy mixed with just the right amount of sentimentality. Extra points for the brilliant stop-motion animation!