ParaNorman (2012/ 2025)

This post is going to be a little different from the others for a multitude of reasons. For starters I have watched this film before numerous times and have loved it every single time. If LAIKA Studios has zero fans then I am dead and I am nothing if not loyal so when Coraline (one of my all time favourite films) got remastered and released in 3D I naturally had to go. Then a few months later when ParaNorman was announced of the same thing I was counting down the days. Therefore this review is going to be heavily biased but at least I can give you the newer review on the experience of watching it all again in 3D.

To begin I want to talk about the plot and characterisation. The whole motive of this film is to not judge a book by its cover and that is an appearance that shows repetitively in each of the characters. Main character Norman is seen as a freak because of his strange ability to see and talk with the dead, a power that everyone feels he is lying about and condemns him for. Everyone but his newly developed friend Neil who is also branded a social outcast despite being very loyal and having a heart of gold. The thing about Norman is he isn't lying about his ability and just wants to be treated like a normal child his age yet life has different ideas as he has to constantly prove himself through the course of the film. Not only does he have the extra pressure from those around him to conform but he also has to grapple with the information his uncle has passed upon him. An uncle who he has watched first hand be separated from his family for having the exact same ability he does so he knows in part what his future holds for people like him and now he has been thrusted into this position of power to read a book to calm the curse a witch put on the town. It places him in this uncertain situation where he is aware of how lonely the life of his uncle was and now he has to follow or he can listen to the criticism from everyone else by pretending to be someone he isn't. But in response he goes on his own journey and realises the only reason everyone is targeting him is because of their own problems in a way that parallels the original witches curse.

God I loved the witches curse! I love a story where the villain isn't the real bad guy and what I love more is having a child be the evil one and this had both! You don't understand how monumental that moment was for me the first time. But what makes this reveal so great is that the story can still be applied to current life. In ParaNorman the town is built around this history of a witch trial in which six witnesses testified to seeing witchcraft being committed and the judge sentenced the accused to be hanged. Upon which the witch places a curse on the town that they rise from the dead and live to regret sentencing her. This structure is something the town highlights, largely by celebrating the court rulers as heros for getting rid of the witch while the witch is naturally framed as an ugly long nosed green pest that they are glad was killed. The lore of this however is added to when Norman starts getting visions of something grand coming and things not always being what they seem which is then enhanced by his uncle passing along the mission to read a book at the witches grave to stop the curse for another year. However the biggest twist happens when Norman goes to read the book which he thinks is going to be some kind of spell and turns out to be a story book. The book also doesn't work because the grave was wrong because a witch is buried in an unmarked grave since they're considered not to be human. But the witch comes back in a cloud of smoke and Norman has a vision that finally reveals all the truth of what happened that day which is the witch that was convinced was nothing more than an 11 year old girl.

That moment was so powerful as well because for a while it was Norman in her place having to hear these criticisms and accusations of people condemning him which was a fear for the whole movie this far. He was not only being bullied in school but his own family was calling him crazy to the point he was complaining to his mom saying his dad shouldn't be afraid of his own son. That in itself was such a stab in the heart to watch and has been every single time. So having everyone surrounding and seemingly looking at him punishing him for his ability was so interesting and then he turns around and realises the witch was a little girl the same as him with the exact same abilities. It was so powerful. And of course it's a girl, the witch trials were genuinely so horrific murdering woman for any minor inconvenience and that did include children which is awful! And having her in an unmarked grave, this small and terrified child being treated as less than human. Delicious but horrible. Additionally having the zombies come back from the dead as monsters stalking the town when in actuality they are undead creatures trying to atone for their sins because they realise what they did was wrong they were just scared. The same way that everyone in the town is still scared about Norman's powers and is ostracizing him for it. And then the 'battle' with the witch was so great not just narratively but visually.

The final battle being Norman trying to break through to the person behind the fury was great. Again from a lover of spirits and the paranormal I loved that the character of the witch was only heightened because of the anger she felt from dying and being taken away from her family and it wasn't until Normal got through to her with his own experience that the real girl beneath broke out. A sentiment that was so beautiful from Norman realising that everyone else is the problem and you have a right to be upset but you can't let it control you and become the monster they said you would be because it is proving them right. And then having this moment where she says her name is Aggie. Her birth name was Agatha and everywhere in documents and stories name her as Agatha that again make her appear older than she is but in fact everyone called her Aggie which so much more of a young childish nickname. It shows how quickly they erased this image of a little girl they killed because yes she had powers they didn't understand but more than that they were scared. She posed no danger and yet they killed her anyway out of fear of what she could do and now they are showing just how strong they can be all because they let fear rule their minds. Ugh! So good! And isn't that so fucking present in life today.

Visually everything about this film is great, again I love everything LAIKA studios makes. So if you have a chance and have not yet seen ParaNorman I recommend you do so immediately. The animation and puppet work is insane they give so much attention to detail and the colours are amazing especially using this dark green and purple combination for the face the witch gives in the smoke cloud. It plays into this character of the evil fake witch coming to destroy the town even highlighted by the same long nosed witch face in the sky and then changing it to a more light greenish yellow electrical power showing the true figure behind the fog. Yellow is also seen as a usually warm and youthful colour which goes to show how they twisted her emotions but also that from electric comes smoke and then that smoke being manipulated is just beautiful. More specifically in terms of watching all of this in 3D makes it so much more immersive. Naturally with a film being in 3D it is going to feel more immersive because things are coming at you which makes the action more exciting when things are seemingly coming at your face but for me the best part was seeing it used on Norman's powers. Whenever a vision would take place it truly felt like your vision was being burned away and placing you in this new world, it allowed you to feel what Norman was feeling as he tried to make sense of what was happening.

For that same reason it made things so much more potent when the reveal of Agatha being a child happens as you are emersed fully in this scene in this moment in time where the judge and witnesses are towering over YOU accusing you of things so you feel first hand the pain of being in that hot seat. Before turning around and finally seeing this small helpless child. And then the fight scenes where Agatha is tearing apart the world while Norman keeps trying to show her she can't let anger control her she has to remember the greatness, there was someone who loved her once was so incredible. Again everything moved around you which placed you even further in the action and it gave me chills multiple times. I knew this film was going to be good and of course I knew what to expect and yet seeing it in 3D was such a different experience I am so glad I went to see it. I was even getting excited to see the final scene with Aggie and how it turned out that I sat for half the film needing to pee and god so help me I was determined that I would finish the entire film or piss in my seat trying. I wouldn't have changed a moment of it for the world. I would also like to say the short film at the start was just as incredible. I don't want to say too much as that is a completely different short film than the one I am talking about but The Thrifting was so good and the animation although different from the original was still so beautiful. I can't explain to you how emotional I get now when watching movies like this where I can see how much effort and love and detail goes into creating them in relation to how shitty and fucked up AI is and is trying to replace real art. So take this as your sign to support local artists and pay respect to real animators they are truly so talented, give them some praise by watching ParaNorman and then The Thrifting but in my opinion that was the better order than The Thrifting before ParaNorman.