So, it's been a while since I've
posted. I'd say I was hoping that February would be less hectic in
terms of movie watching, but with Australia getting the rest of the
Best Picture nominees, and some of them looking really good, those
hopes are dashed. And I'm seeing another couple films tomorrow, so
I'd better get cracking on the movies I have seen.
So, 2013's film season kicks off with
ParaNorman (and yes, I know America had this film for a little while
before us, but I can't help it if they keep hogging all the good
movies, so it'll still count for my end of year fifty.)
Norman (Kodi Smit-McPhee) is an outcast
amongst his peers and even within his own family, because he talks to
the dead and no one will believe him. But that's all about to change
when the dead walk the Earth as a witch's curse over the town takes
hold.
I've heard some high praise for this
movie, and having seen it, I can see why some of it is justified.
Some of it. Overall, I think it's a very good movie, with some
aspects being more impressive than others, but a few things bothered
me, mostly with character conception.
Like with Norman's friend, Neil (Tucker
Albrizzi). He's an overweight, easily excitable kid with no friends
and says stupid things, usually trying to be comedic when the time
doesn't call for it. Gee, wherever did they pluck that idea from?
*Rolls eyes*
The character just bugs me. I'm not
sure if it's the design of the character, the dialogue, the voice
acting, or all of the above, but this is a stock character. He's not
all that funny, and as moral support for Norman, he kind of fails.
Norman doesn't really need him, and the story only throws him in
there so that his big brother, Mitch (Casey Affleck, fave performance
of the film, by the way) has a reason to provide transport for the
characters.
Another character I have an issue with:
Norman's father, Perry (Jeff Garlin). Now, I get that he may be
worried about his son, and thinking he's a little crazy, since Norman
is the only one who can see ghosts (barring his uncle, Mr.
Prenderghast, voiced by John Goodman, who dies early on. Not a
spoiler, either), but his dialogue and voice reading make him come
off as an abusive parent. I mean, seriously, if this were a darker
film, he WOULD be abusing Norman! He's never positive about his son
at all (until the end, naturally), he acts like he's a burden, he
shouts a lot, and quite frankly, it makes the movie uncomfortable.
Doesn't help that he dresses like a typical blue collar worker,
leading to all sorts of unfortunate implications.
In spite of those aspects, however, I
do recommend the film, because the good does outweigh the bad. The
stop-motion animation, for example, is some of the most impressive
ever committed to the big screen, particularly when it comes to the
set designs and skylines. Those skies are just beautiful, and the
effects for the witch only enhance its glory.
But what impresses me most is the
bait-and-switch villainy. I've talked about this before in my review
on Rock Of Ages, but this is a different kind (and there will be
spoilers here).
Throughout the film, we've been lead to
believe that the witch is the antagonist, and that she is the
personification of evil for this particular town. It is then revealed
that the undead currently roaming the town are the same people who
sentenced a little girl to death, over 300 years ago. So, naturally
you want to hate them for their heinous act. But upon speaking with
Judge Hopkins (Bernard Hill), Norman learns they regret their
actions, acting merely out of fear.
So, it looks like we're back to the
witch being pure evil right? Well, since she was the little girl
sentenced to an early death, she naturally feels vengeful and
malicious. Completely understandable. But Norman gets through to her,
and makes her feel like she's not alone because of her gifts, and she
becomes the sweet little girl she once was before departing.
What I like about it is, despite the
fact that we've been lead to believe this film has a villain with a
truly despicable nature, but in both cases, we uncover sympathy
within our antagonists, thus giving the movie a complexity that a lot
of other movies can't say they have.
So, not the strongest start to a film
season (though, when you begin a year with something like Black Swan,
that's not easily topped), but still well worth your time, and I will
definitely be grabbing this on DVD at some point later in the year.
3.5/5
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