ParaNorman activity...
DIRECTOR: Sam Fell & Chris Butler
CAST: Viggo Mortensen's son, Some little fat ginger kid who is incidentally fat and ginger in real life, Scott Pilgrim's sister, McLovin, The Coward Robert Ford, Judd Apatow's piece, The fat man from Roseanne (not John Goodman), The fat man from Roseanne (John Goodman)
PLOT: Norman, a kid from a small, sleepy town in the US, is bullied by fellow children, and adults alike, for being the weirdo who can see and speak to dead people. But he's the only person who can save the day when a witch raises the dead to feed on the brainless townspeople's brains.
Many would argue that zombie films/TV/pop-culture are all finally becoming a bit stale, it's overdone. They might be right. After all, there's only so many times you can see stereotypical characters being munched on as conventions are mercilessly squeezed of their last drops of originality...
But I'm a zombie fan. A fan who will never get tired of seeing the old conventions and stereotypes which were etched onto metaphorical concrete plaques in the 80s and being played out over and over again. But I will admit, it is gloriously refreshing to see a twist on the classic horror genre, even if it does sometimes feel like trying to find a needle in the haystack when compared to the average crop being unleashed on bargain bins nation-wide every year. Whether it's a group of hapless Britons taking shelter in a pub and beating the shit out of a zombie barman with snooker cues to the tune of 'Don't Stop Me Now'. Whether it's an amazingly well-made TV programme which focuses on the human relationships and conflicts during an apocalypse rather than how many different ways you can dismember a 'walker'. Or whether it's Woody Harrelson fighting through hordes of the living dead to uncharacteristically find twinkies rather than pot. I will maintain that zombies still have years of life left in them yet.
So a zombie film for kids, the first of its kind if I'm not mistaken, is definitely a different take on the genre if I've ever seen one. And it doesn't stop there, no. The zombies aren't even the bad guys, the living people are! The parents, the bullies, authority - really all the brainless people in life that have somehow gained power over the open-minded and intelligent, no matter what the age. And just like in real life, there's an awful lot of them.
The great thing about this though, despite the fact that you'll probably be sat in your local cinema surrounded by small children and their young parents (most probably teenage parents if you live in the Midlands) feeling like a creep, ParaNorman is fun for both the young and the old - despite that old marketing trick being advertised on every animated film that comes out of Hollywood. This however, deserves the title. The kids will get some frights, but don't worry, not so frightening that they'll end up literally shitting themselves. They'll also get some laughs from the occassional moment of slapstick. And some will be able to relate to Norman, not becasue their name is Cole Sear and are constantly being haunted by the dead, but because Norman is shunned, bullied and weird; and quite frankly, every young child is strange in his or her own way.
And for the adults out there - if you simply like animation (because men and women can enjoy animation damn it!) or if you're parents to youngsters being dragged to the cinema against your own will, I plead for you not to struggle. There are jokes specifically for the old'uns, a stand-out moment showing the zombie puritans being terrified by a gigantic billboard advertising gambling and showing a hot witch dressed in a skimpy outfit whilst surrounded by cash and alcohol.
The mature viewers who remember the brilliance from zombie legend Sam Raimi and are also familiar with video nasties, 'Cannibal Apocalypse' springing to mind, will love the nods and references. The wonderful opening will be a stop-motion blast from the past for all of the 70s and 80s teenagers as a black and white video of a woman made from plasticine gets tired of waiting for a zombie to eat her.
Unfortunately, not all of the jokes hit the mark, barely being able to force a snigger out of its audience. The same goes for the dialogue as well. Some of it is exceptional, satirical even: "You can't shoot civillians! Only the police can shoot civillians!" But then some lines will fall flat, which even children will question: "That is the sound of not-awesome things." Erm... what?
Something that never falters though is the beautiful effects and animation. However, the use of 3D doesn't add much to the film, but luckily it doesn't detract from the beauty, as 3D so often does with animations by making the visuals darker and lifeless. Still, every character is given their own identifiable features, with their rigid and sharp facial expressions. Although, ParaNorman never reaches the heights of the best of the charming Aardman Studios or even Laika's predecessor, 'Coraline', which is both scarier and stronger when it comes to narrative and structure. And with Tim Burton's remake of his own original short 'Frankenweenie' only weeks away and the popular 'The Pirates! In an Adventure with Scientists!' released in spring, it's already bound to have some stiff competition for best stop-motion animation of the year.
Most of the characters are well-rounded, three-dimensional and very charismatic. They steer clear of stereotypes: Mintz-Plasses' bully isn't popular (even though somebody with a voice like McLovin's couldn't possibly bully anyone. Ever.), Albrizzi's fat loser is the happiest character in cinematic history and the least obvious person turns out to be the first openly gay character to feature in a children's film. However, the same can't be said for our protagonist, Norman, who features in almost every shot. He is bland, doesn't do anything but complain and doesn't make us laugh once. Luckily for us though, his best friend steals the show and is the exact opposite of him.
Of course adults who have been alive long enough know this, and even teenagers who have ever been bullied (so 99% then) at secondary/high school. But children may enjoy the moral of the story, perhaps fill them with bravery almost, even if it is slightly misanthropic if looked into a little bit too deeply. Teaching them that it isn't the dead that should be feared, it is however the living that should be feared.
OVERVIEW: It's not perfect, but sometimes that's what makes stop-motion so lovable. Norman lacks charisma and likability, but his supporters and bullies make up for it, rounding off a stellar voice cast. I predict that 'Frankenweenie' will steal the show this year, but the gorgeously crafted 'ParaNorman' is fun for all the family. An overused tagline that it certainly deserves.
***
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