I went to see ParaNorman with Brad last night, and it was terrific. The animation is a feast for the eyes. It's new and somewhat experimental. There is nothing about it that makes it similar to the animation movies we are accustom to now like the Pixar movies. The Pixar movies are amazing, and I will never forget my amazement when I saw Sully's (Monsters, Inc.) fur blown by a breeze. It was palpable. But there's something so special about the animation in ParaNorman.
The animation in ParaNorman is reminiscent of the 1964 Rudolph the Red-nosed Reindeer special that we've all loved since the time we believed in Santa Claus. ParaNorman is an updated stop-motion, claymation-ish kind of animation that's been revamped and given a modern tweak. Much more sweat went into its creation than that of CGI movies. The clothes were sewn by human hands and doll bodies were moved and manipulated by human hands. One detail that should be disclosed is that the many facial expressions used were printed with a 3D printer, but that doesn't detract from the overall appearance of the movie. It only adds.
As for the plot line, it was entertaining, comical, and delivers several meaningful messages for kids, tweens, teens,and adults too about bullying and not fitting in. The messages weren't too heavy-handed for me, but might agitate someone less tolerant of morality tales. The movie will also get you excited about the approach of fall and Halloween. Nothing to harp on about ParaNorman!
One last bit of advice I do have is to not shell out the extra $3.50 for the 3D version. I didn't see it in 3D, and I can't recall any scene in which I thought to myself, "Erg, should have seen this in 3D."
I loved it, too, and I would add to Vicki's praise that it contains one of the best rising-from-the-grave scenes in recent memory. It also made me wish I hadn't been so afraid of horror movies as a kid, so I could have had a bedroom like Norman's.
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