The Film
Despite the animation thing, it's hard to recommend ParaNorman as a movie for the kiddies. That is, unless your kids love seeing zombies get a shotgun blast to the abdomen.
ParaNorman is a stop-motion-animated film that's slightly more creepy than its cousin, Coraline -- you know, the film where adults had buttons for eyes. If you don't think that your kids can handle that super-cool, super-creepy 2009 film, they may have a hard time with ParaNorman.
That's not to say it's not a fun flick. See, Norman (voiced by Kodi Smit-McPhee) isn't your average boy. Instead of pitching a tent and having an interest in carpentry (which his dad thinks is appropriate for his age), he digs monster movies and can see and speak to the dead. Those sorts of talents don't go over that well with his fellow Blithe Hollow residents, until they need Norman to have a chat with all of the zombies that have turned up around town.
ParaNorman is part Coraline, part The Sixth Sense and maybe even part The Walking Dead. That certainly makes for a cool movie, but also a lot of nightmares. Also, underneath that creepy exterior is a sweet little movie with an excellent message about bullying. As long as you plan for ParaNorman accordingly, it will be a fun time.
Want to unearth even more info about this movie? Check out Joe Lozito's theatrical review of ParaNorman.
The Picture
Instead of giving this title separate 2D and 3D Blu-rays, Universal has put both versions on one disc. However, all of that scrunching hasn't hurt this 2.40:1 transfer one bit. The image is phenomenally sharp, with detail down to textures on clothing and in droplets of water. The 3D, on the other hand, isn't as good as Coraline, which was one of the earliest Blu-ray 3D releases. It's not even as good as you'd expect from a movie titled, ParaNorman. That said, it has great depth and just enough pop-out effects to make this a spooky, incredibly fun viewing experience.
The Sound
Universal has given ParaNorman a fun DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track. Dialogue is always clear, but there is plenty of immersive action to keep you on the edge of your seat. After all, there's nothing like the animated undead to awaken your surrounds! Those sounds come in the form of the film's killer (no pun intended) soundtrack, as well as the occasional giggle, thunder, hooty owl and other creaks and cracks.
The Extras
ParaNorman comes packing a pretty hearty collection of extras. There's a commentary track, a peek at some early animated sequences, and a picture-in-picture commentary under Universal's U-Control menu. However, the bulk of the goodies can be found under "Peering Through the Veil" and "Additional Featurettes," which offer up about an hour's worth of tidbits about the cast, the animation, the story, and other production tidbits.
Final Thoughts
ParaNorman is a very cool little movie with an excellent AV presentation. It's also pretty creepy, so don't be surprised if you're nursing a few nightmares. If your kids enjoy films like Coraline and even Monster House, ParaNorman is a fun 99 minutes with a nice message.
Product Details
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