ParaNorman (2012)

The critic finds the film a beautiful-looking, charmingly heartfelt 3-D stop-motion animation about a boy who sees ghosts and zombies. She highlights its assortment of hair-raising frights alongside the emotional core and strong voice performances.

The critic praises the beautifully hand-crafted stop-motion animation and dazzling visuals from Laika, along with the ghoulish humor and brilliant gags, while noting the sophisticated plot involving a witchhunt curse drags a bit at times.

The film is an entertaining if unfocused stop-motion zombie comedy that mixes gross-out horror gags with coming-of-age themes. Newman singles out the ingenious and detailed animation for praise while noting it falls short of Coraline's focused storytelling.

The review highlights Laika's prime 3D stop-motion animation in this witty comedy thriller with a worthwhile message, noting impressive staging of horror action and a nicely melancholy mood leavened with dry humour, though it is sometimes thin dramatically.

ParaNorman boasts smooth stop-motion and visual detail but fails to commit to one tone, resulting in an overcrowded and preachy story. Only the ending horror sequence sticks the landing effectively.

The film is a likable scary story about a lonely boy who sees ghosts and must save his town from zombies and a witch's curse. It offers engaging entertainment with a solidly constructed storyline and hints of Tim Burton and Steven Spielberg.

ParaNorman is a charming if ambling film with a low-key, sensitively rendered portrait of an awkward child. It offers irreverent humor and some pathos but feels aimless at times.

ParaNorman is a stop-motion feast for the eyes but less so for the soul. It excels visually but falls short in emotional or thematic depth.

The film pays lip service to sociological issues and film styles rather than focusing on character or story development. It offers visual delights and a clever message about humanity but chooses easy laughs over depth.

This stop-motion animation from the Coraline studio features a boy who sees ghosts in a witch-hunt town overtaken by zombies. There is plenty for adults to enjoy, including great one-liners, while children will be just the tiniest bit scared.

The film is an amusing but only fitfully involving animated caper about a boy who communicates with the dead. It comes up short on story and character development despite technically assured stop-motion animation.

The critic calls ParaNorman one of the best films of the year for its visual wonder, emotional depth and assured blend of horror homage with genuine heart and character investment.

ParaNorman is a sharp, witty comedy with a ton of heart that puts a thoughtful twist on the zombie genre. The critic singles out the clever spin on the misunderstanding between humans and zombies, highlighting the film's message about fearing what we don't understand.

The critic praises the macabre humor, visual craft, and emotional ending of ParaNorman, noting its strong individual scenes and homage to classic horror, while finding the supporting characters somewhat bland.

The critic finds ParaNorman an affectionate and fun introduction to horror for kids, with strong voice work from the supporting cast and a retro vibe that works well in the first act.

The review highlights the film's visually rich animation and emotional core centered on childhood loneliness, commending the witty characters and poignant resolution despite some plot messiness.

The film is sweet and freaky fun for kids (and adults) with the right sensibility, delivering chills and thrills without traumatizing. It blends ghoulishness and hilarity in stop-motion animation while working in a moral about how fear causes people to lash out at others.

The review praises the technical ambition and stop-motion craft but finds the story convoluted, characters archetypal and the overall film lifeless despite its subject matter.