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PARANORMANMovie Reviews
Animated family adventure about a misunderstood boy who can speak with the dead and takes on ghosts and zombies to save his town from an ancient curse. Cast:Kodi Smit-McPhee, Casey Affleck, Tucker Albrizzi, Jeff Garlin, John Goodman, Bernard Hill, Anna Kendrick, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, Leslie Mann, Tempestt Bledsoe, Elaine Stritch, Jodelle Ferland, Alex Borstein, Hannah NoyesDirector:Chris Butler, Sam FellRelease Date:August 17, 2012DVD Release:November 27, 2012From:Focus FeaturesRating:PGLength:1 hr 33 minIn 3D
ParaNorman played to good reviews. • MaryAnn Johanson wrote for Flick Filosopher, "...fresh and clever... all-around entertaining... it pokes us to examine how bigotries can change, and to recognize the blinders we may still have." • And Tom Long wrote in the Detroit News, "...so cool it's creepy.... most kids, and most adults, will find 'Paranorman' perfectly horrible in the best possible way." More Reviews Below...
Jake Coyle, Associated Press: MODERATE(cg) "...impressively crafted, the frequently wondrous and whimsical visuals far surpass the disappointingly slipshod story.... a tiresome and frantic trajectory..."(See all of Jake Coyle's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 581 words, 08/16/12
Lisa Schwarzbaum, Entertainment Weekly: VERY GOOD(cg) "The story may be thin, but the project is made with generous care by the same impressive LAIKA studio artists who conjured up the gorgeous 'Coraline.' "(See all of Lisa Schwarzbaum's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 94 words, 08/10/12
Peter Travers, Rolling Stone: VERY GOOD(cg) "...a small miracle in stop-motion 3D... screenwriter Chris Butler and his co-director, Sam Fell, lace the fun and fright with keen visual wit... There's magic in it."(See all of Peter Travers's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 120 words, 08/17/12
Claudia Puig, USA Today: VERY GOOD(cg) "...has more ambitious ideas than what appear on the surface. It explores the way people deal with the unknown, how we fear those who are different..."(See all of Claudia Puig's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 501 words, 08/17/12
Glenn Kenny, MSN Movies: OUTSTANDING(cg) "...every now and then I see a contemporary animated film that makes me believe that we just might be living in a new golden age of the genre.... an extrasensory delight..."(See all of Glenn Kenny's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 501 words, 08/13/12
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NEW YORK/LOS ANGELES/CHICAGO/TORONTO (13 Reviews)
Manohla Dargis, New York Times: VERY GOOD "...beautiful-looking, charmingly heartfelt... what pulls you in, quickening your pulse and widening your eyes, are the myriad visual enchantments..."(See all of Manohla Dargis's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 755 words, 08/17/12
Joe Neumaier, New York Daily News: WEAK(cg) "...the evocative visual details are indeed haunting. They might have been memorable with sharper pacing, a Burton-esque showmanship..."(See all of Joe Neumaier's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 293 words, 08/17/12
Betsy Sharkey, Los Angeles Times: GOOD "...sometimes gets a little out of hand, especially at the end. Even so, it may be the most fun you'll have with ghosts and zombies all year."(See all of Betsy Sharkey's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 694 words, 08/17/12
Lou Lumenick, New York Post: OUTSTANDING(cg) "...marries Pixar's formerly sophisticated storytelling style to the mordant wit of Tim Burton's animated projects.... visually dazzling... stunning..."(See all of Lou Lumenick's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 386 words, 08/17/12
Rafer Guzman, New York Newsday: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "...clever and creative.... never less than entertaining, but you'll have to follow it into a strange purgatory between two opposing genres."(See all of Rafer Guzman's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 296 words, 08/17/12
Bilge Ebiri, New York Magazine: VERY GOOD "...anybody who was once a lonely boy glued to creature features on TV may well find themselves quite moved by this ambling, charming film."(See all of Bilge Ebiri's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 507 words, 08/14/12
Richard Roeper, Chicago Sun-Times: VERY GOOD(cg) "For older kids and adults, this is an inventive, morbidly funny story with a sweet core and some lovely sentiments lurking beneath all the ghoulish 'gotcha' moments."(See all of Richard Roeper's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 362 words, 08/17/12
Jonathan Kiefer, Village Voice/LA Weekly: GOOD "...a handsome handcrafted charmer... Chris Butler and co-director Sam Fell have more vernacular command than tonal harmony... a steady pressure of avidity."(See all of Jonathan Kiefer's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 192 words, 08/15/12
Linda Barnard, Toronto Star: VERY GOOD(cg) "What makes 'ParaNorman' so entertaining is its full-on embrace of fantasy and ghoulish delights. There's no attempt at realism; this is pure imagination..."(See all of Linda Barnard's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 552 words, 08/17/12
Rick Groen, Toronto Globe & Mail: OUTSTANDING(cg) "...a ghoulishly delightful exercise in stop-motion animation... a very good children's tale indeed. But, beware, it's not for the faint of heart..."(See all of Rick Groen's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 684 words, 08/17/12
Norman Wilner, Toronto Now: OUTSTANDING(cg) "...a worthy successor to 'Coraline' in texture, animation and sheer emotional complexity.... A fantastic picture in every sense of the word."(See all of Norman Wilner's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 170 words, 08/16/12
KEY CITIES (12 Reviews)
Sean O'Connell, Washington Post: VERY GOOD(cg) "...colorfully macabre... belongs on the short list of animated fables that aim most of their messages at grown-ups rather than kids."(See all of Sean O'Connell's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 573 words, 08/17/12
Gary Thompson, Philadelphia Inquirer: VERY GOOD(cg) "...finds a way to make this night of the living dead play essentially as a comedy... but parents should know the movie gets fairly scary..."(See all of Gary Thompson's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 250 words, 08/17/12
Colin Covert, Minneapolis Star-Tribune: WEAK(cg) "Humor depends on character, context and continuity, none of which is in abundant supply... The whole thing lumbers worse than the zombies."(See all of Colin Covert's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 319 words, 08/17/12
Bill Goodykoontz, Arizona Republic: EXCELLENT(cg) "As creepy as it is fun, and it's plenty of both... What's so enjoyable about the movie is how it doesn't skimp on the scary-movie details."(See all of Bill Goodykoontz's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 586 words, 08/17/12
Ty Burr, Boston Globe: MODERATE(cg) "...the ghoulification of American family entertainment hits a dead end... has its moments of dark whimsy and cheeky wit, but most of what it has is body parts."(See all of Ty Burr's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 579 words, 08/17/12
Amy Biancolli, San Francisco Chronicle: VERY GOOD(cg) "...a visually breathtaking 3-D stop-motion fantasy from Laika, the studio that made 'Coraline.' It tells the tale of Blithe Hollow, a tiny New England town..."(See all of Amy Biancolli's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 467 words, 08/17/12
Moira Macdonald, Seattle Times: VERY GOOD(cg) "...filled with clever detail, both old-school and state-of-the-art... a fleeting moment of the imagination, meticulously brought to life."(See all of Moira Macdonald's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 326 words, 08/17/12
Shawn Levy, Portland Oregonian: EXCELLENT(cg) "...fabulous entertainment... a brisk, funny and engaging movie that does genuinely exciting things with little bits of string and wire and such."(See all of Shawn Levy's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 548 words, 08/17/12
Joe Williams, St. Louis Post-Dispatch: OUTSTANDING(cg) "...has plenty of rambunctious thrills to give the kiddies goosebumps.... The candy apple on top of this devil's food cake is a positive message about bullying..."(See all of Joe Williams's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 342 words, 08/17/12
Steve Persall, Tampa Bay Times: VERY GOOD(cg) "...an easier movie for children to relate to than the skeletal charm of 'The Nightmare Before Christmas,' or Laika's earlier works 'Coraline' and 'Corpse Bride'..."(See all of Steve Persall's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 452 words, 08/16/12
Tom Long, Detroit News: EXCELLENT(cg) "...so cool it's creepy.... most kids, and most adults, will find 'Paranorman' perfectly horrible in the best possible way."(See all of Tom Long's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 279 words, 08/17/12
Rene Rodriguez, Miami Herald: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "...the art design of the movie makes up for the slack story.... A lot of this stuff will sail over the heads of children... minor but memorable..."(See all of Rene Rodriguez's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 407 words, 08/17/12
ALTERNATIVE/INDIE PRESS (10 Reviews)
Jonathan Kiefer, Village Voice/LA Weekly: GOOD "...a handsome handcrafted charmer... Chris Butler and co-director Sam Fell have more vernacular command than tonal harmony... a steady pressure of avidity."(See all of Jonathan Kiefer's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 192 words, 08/15/12
Katey Rich, Cinema Blend: OUTSTANDING(cg) "With infinite warmth toward its characters, whip-smart humor and a plea for human compassion... it cast exactly the right kind of spell on me..."(See all of Katey Rich's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 641 words, 08/13/12
Brett Michel, Boston Phoenix: VERY GOOD(cg) "...a throwback to Amblin's live-action summer fare of the '80s, with a nod to John Carpenter... any misgivings about the plot are eased by the handcrafted visuals."(See all of Brett Michel's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 159 words, 08/16/12
Tasha Robinson, AV Club: GOOD(cg) "...doesn't live up to 'Coraline's' thematically consistent, propulsively nightmarish story. It plays with comedy and drama, but keeps failing to commit to one or the other."(See all of Tasha Robinson's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 572 words, 08/16/12
Jesse Hassenger, Pop Matters: VERY GOOD(cg) "...a lot of fun, a visual marvel and witty in an offhand way.... the detailed effects of stop-motion inform the generous, heartfelt spirit of the characters and story."(See all of Jesse Hassenger's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 841 words, 08/21/12
Chris Cabin, Slant: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "...an engaging entertainment with an ample amount of visual delights... there's the familiar strain to be universally relevant while also being somewhat unique."(See all of Chris Cabin's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 721 words, 08/12/12
Norman Wilner, Toronto Now: OUTSTANDING(cg) "...a worthy successor to 'Coraline' in texture, animation and sheer emotional complexity.... A fantastic picture in every sense of the word."(See all of Norman Wilner's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 170 words, 08/16/12
Curt Holman, Atlanta Creative Loafing: WEAK(cg) "With overly familiar characters but some cool set pieces, it operates at much the same amusingly mediocre level as 'Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs.' "(See all of Curt Holman's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 602 words, 08/17/12
MaryAnn Johanson, Flick Filosopher: OUTSTANDING(cg) "...fresh and clever... all-around entertaining... it pokes us to examine how bigotries can change, and to recognize the blinders we may still have."(See all of MaryAnn Johanson's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 726 words, 09/27/12
HIGHBROW PRESS (3 Reviews)
Manohla Dargis, New York Times: VERY GOOD "...beautiful-looking, charmingly heartfelt... what pulls you in, quickening your pulse and widening your eyes, are the myriad visual enchantments..."(See all of Manohla Dargis's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 755 words, 08/17/12
Stephanie Zacharek, NPR: GOOD "...in terms of its overall design and execution, 'ParaNorman' doesn't disappoint: Even when the story goes all noodly, there's always something to look at..."(See all of Stephanie Zacharek's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 596 words, 08/16/12
Betsy Sharkey, Los Angeles Times: GOOD "...sometimes gets a little out of hand, especially at the end. Even so, it may be the most fun you'll have with ghosts and zombies all year."(See all of Betsy Sharkey's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 694 words, 08/17/12
MOVIE INDUSTRY (5 Reviews)
Justin Chang, Daily Variety: VERY GOOD "...spooky, snarky fun.... classic adolescent-misfit stuff... insists on the importance of weirdness, idiosyncrasy and personal distinction..."(See all of Justin Chang's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 809 words, 08/02/12
Michael Rechtshaffen, Hollywood Reporter: GOOD (NOT GREAT) "...amusing but only fitfully involving... the film had the makings of something more substantial, but it ultimately comes up short on story and character development."(See all of Michael Rechtshaffen's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 368 words, 08/02/12
Betsy Sharkey, Los Angeles Times: GOOD "...sometimes gets a little out of hand, especially at the end. Even so, it may be the most fun you'll have with ghosts and zombies all year."(See all of Betsy Sharkey's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 694 words, 08/17/12
Emanuel Levy, Cinema 24/7: VERY GOOD(cg) "...benefits from an original concept, which is not fully developed into a satisfying narrative, but the stop-motion animation is effective.... impressive..."(See all of Emanuel Levy's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 479 words, 08/16/12
Manohla Dargis, New York Times: VERY GOOD "...beautiful-looking, charmingly heartfelt... what pulls you in, quickening your pulse and widening your eyes, are the myriad visual enchantments..."(See all of Manohla Dargis's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 755 words, 08/17/12
15.0 Percentage Points Average Difference Between Reviews (Norm is 18.4pp; <18.4pp = More Consistent; >18.4pp = More Mixed)
ParaNorman's reviews are separated by an average 15.0 percentage points. The norm for this measure is 18.4 percentage points. Less than 18.4 indicates more consistent reviews; greater than 18.4 indicates more mixed reviews. In the chart below, each dot represents a review, with the dots at the top more positive than the dots at the bottom. From left to right, the dots represent reviews in big, bigger and biggest publications. Roll over each dot for more detail.
ParaNorman (43 reviews) Roll over dots for each review
Coverage:ParaNorman's reviews cover 75.0% of potential readers (average is 67.9%). Volume:The film's reviews total 19,316 words involume (average is 20,194 words). Length:The film's reviews average 449 words in length (the norm is 517 words).
Reviews Broke 31.4 Hours Before Release (Norm is 1.2 Release)
ParaNorman's reviews on average broke 31.4 hours before opening. Norm for this measure is 1.2 hours before. The chart below shows reviews on opening day and the days before and after opening; the left side is earlier and the right side is later. The red bars extending above the horizontal mid-line represent more positive reviews, and the red bars extending below represent more negative reviews. The white space/red bar in the middle is ParaNorman's opening day. Click on any bar for a list of the reviews for that day.
ParaNorman (43 reviews, click on bars for reviews)
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