ParaNorman

ParaNorman ï ¿½ Time for the Entertainment

The Halloween party is approaching, awaited in Italy with the same enthusiasm as the Anglo-Saxon countries, and then what could be better than going to the cinema to see a good horror film where, however, we laugh a lot? A film suitable for children but which will also be very popular with adults. The opportunity is given by “ParaNorman”, an animated film obviously in stop motion, which can be seen in Italian cinemas for a few days. It is a real gem of the genre directed by British writer Chris Butler, screenwriter and director together with Sam Fell, who has already directed "Down the Tube" is "The adventures of the mouse Despereaux". Butler, on the other hand, is a rookie director but has a respectable resume having worked as a storyboard artist for stop motion author Henry Selick (director of hit films like" Nightmare before Christmas ","The Corpse Bride" is "Coraline and the magic door") and his friend and inspirer Tim Burton.

Norman and Neil Laika Entertainment

“ParaNorman”, shot using stop-motion technology, which makes the film highly realistic and which captures the action frame by frame, also uses modern computer graphics technology. For this combination it is a very engaging and crackling film of images and colors, rigorously gloomy and macabre though. In fact, it is inspired by the genre of dark comics typical of the world loved by Selick and Burton, proving to be one of the most evocative and fascinating cartoons of this year, both for the processing technique, but also for the plot that tells a sort of The coming-of-age story of a teenager, Norman, struggling with a task apparently below his means: saving his people from a supernatural threat. In fact, typical elements of the film are precisely these: the danger that comes from the otherworldly world and that hangs over a small town in the American province during the Halloween period; and the presence of "strange" main characters who, however, have a chance of redemption. All themes that reflect another horror masterpiece of animation for children, "Monster House".

Norman Babcock Laika Entertainment

The protagonist of the Fell and Butler film is a little boy who will become a super hero even if he does not have the typical qualities and characteristics. Norman Babcock is misunderstood by everyone and harassed by school bullies, in particular the pimply Alvin, his parents, Sandra and Perry, and his particularly obnoxious fashion sister Courtney. As can be seen from the title of the film, however, the reality will be quite different, in fact only apparently he is not a hero, because he is in possession of paranormal skills that will allow him to save his town from an ancient and frightening curse. Norman loves horror movies and everything scary but, above all, he has a special gift: he can talk to the dead, including his beloved grandmother, who consider him their favorite interlocutor, when they have to settle some bills they have left unfinished. in the world of the living. And, indeed, even Norman prefers the dead to the living, because they consider him a "strange" type, treating him as a kind of "village idiot". To complicate the life of this somewhat peculiar teenager even more, comes the prophecy that strikes his small town in New England, Blithe Hollow. A curse that no one knows and that, now, Norman knows because revealed to him, on the verge of death, by an old uncle, also considered not quite sane.

The ParaNorman zombie Laika Entertainment

Blithe Hollow was the scene of a violent witch hunt three hundred years earlier and one of them, Aggie, as it burned in the flames, cast a curse. A terrible anathema that only the boy's old uncle could counter, in fact, he was the chosen one who had to defend Blithe Hollow from the living dead who, every year on Halloween night, when the world of the dead and the living come into contact, they invade it unleashed by the old witch burned at the stake and her chilling curse. Now, having run over the grandson of the terrifying secret, he has put the 90 load on his already difficult situation of classic loser without muscles, mistreated and discarded by everyone. Now, in fact, it will be up to him to protect the hamlet and its inhabitants from ghosts, zombies and witches who go in search of humans. And so from a lonely, introverted and grumpy kid, the typical nerd in short, Norman will become a super hero, he will turn into "Para Norman", the only one capable and able to save everything and everyone from the horde of the hungry living dead. And it will be precisely his being "different" his strength that will allow him to fight for his town and also to change his family, as will be seen in a film finale that, after many laughs, will give way to reflection. All this, however, will happen not before Norman faces and passes frightening tests, for the imagination of a child and that would make even an adult shiver.

Thanks to each of these moments "of fear", never sweetened to protect and not impress the little ones, the two directors are able to tell a world where everything is possible and make them laugh at the absurdity of everything that surrounds them. Surely "ParaNorman" is a film more suitable for children who love scary and horror stories and tales but it is, however, a film suitable for younger viewers and, as Chris Butler is keen to point out, this was a fundamental aspect for they and that, therefore, they had no intention of avoiding, but that they have researched and wanted to create specifically. So much so that, to confirm this aspect even more, the English director recalls other illustrious predecessors, such as the first Disney films or even the successful Harry Potter series where the elements that scare are very important for children, because they help them to grow stronger. The film produced by Laika Entertainment, the same production company as "Coraline", and distributed by Universal Picture, therefore, takes us into the "scary" and extravagant world of this kid with huge flapping ears and who is light years away from that. of those who, by traditional custom, are considered a true hero. Norman with courage, obstinacy and a fair dose of naivety will be able to live up to his task and succeed where, however, the "right" types have failed. This eleven-year-old also represents revenge for many kids who, like him, feel marginalized and out of place with their peers. In fact, as his original voice actor, the little Australian actor Kodi Smit-McPhee says: “He is a guy who is made fun of by everyone else, but he is the only one who really brings his city and his inhabitants. Very cool!".

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Original title: ParaNorman Country: USA Year: 2012 Genre: Animation Duration: 93 ' Directed by: Chris Butler and Sam Fell Official Website: http://paranorman.com/ Production: Laika Entertainment Distribution: Universal Pictures Italia Release date: October 11, 2012 (cinema)