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ParaNorman

Play trailer Poster for ParaNorman PG Released Aug 17, 2012 1h 36m Kids & Family Comedy Fantasy Adventure Animation Play Trailer Watchlist
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89% Tomatometer 190 Reviews 72% Popcornmeter 50,000+ Ratings
Young Norman Babcock (Kodi Smit-McPhee) has the ability to speak with the dead -- and he often prefers their company to that of the living. Norman receives word from his strange Uncle Prenderghast (John Goodman) that a centuries-old witch's curse on their town is real and about to come true -- and that only Norman can stop it. When zombies rise from their graves, Norman must summon all his courage and compassion and push his paranormal abilities to the limit to save his fellow townspeople.
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ParaNorman

ParaNorman

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Critics Consensus

Beautifully animated and solidly scripted, ParaNorman will entertain (and frighten) older children while providing surprisingly thoughtful fare for their parents.

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Critics Reviews

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Edward Porter The Times (UK) The movie has life in its veins and a good heart: the story becomes a delicate fairytale. Oct 31, 2022 Full Review Tara Brady Irish Times Anyone who's robust enough to enjoy Roald Dahl will surely appreciate ParaNorman's playfully PG undead action. Rated: 4/5 Sep 14, 2012 Full Review Chris Blohm Little White Lies There's no meat on the bone of this skeleton. Witty and fast-paced, sure, but the film lacks substance. Rated: 3/5 Sep 13, 2012 Full Review Jason Best Movie Talk Successfully balancing knockabout comedy and spooky chills, this stop-motion-animation fantasy... is a treat for kids and horror buffs alike and contains a heartening message: don’t mistreat misfits. Aug 9, 2024 Full Review Patrick Cavanaugh The Wolfman Cometh Not only an effective gateway-horror for kids, it has genuine laughs and genuine frights, making for a spooky enough adventure for audiences of all ages. Rated: 4/5 Sep 22, 2023 Full Review Rendy Jones them. It has deservedly become a go-to movie for horror fans of all ages to watch together during spooky season. Oct 27, 2022 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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K G My favourite movie out of Laika. The deceased may not always be nothing, especially when this boy was able to interact with/see them. People considered Norman to be wierd because of way he behaved (people could not see from his POV which is scarier than theres). Even Leslie Mann thinks to be wierd can be important (she is the voice of his mother, Sandra Babcock, & it seems to the best animated movie that she had starred in). *What I said about Leslie Mann is also about the casting, like it was crazy & amazing to haven Anna Kendrick playing the typical older sister, Courtney, so braggy. Sometimes, people have to believe in wierd people because it could be something about them like Norman being misunderstood & also managing to stop the witches curse so others close to him believed & stood up for him, working together, also leading to Perry noticing his grandmother. I even love the aesthetic, with Norman having zombie related things & items, the dark appearances & witch shops, etc. There is also humourous parts to it, like "you bunch of..." & about his Neil not claiming not to have boobs but says "MY BOOBS" when he got hit by Alvin & his massive. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 06/18/25 Full Review Stephen C LOL, funny and successful in 1 hour and 36 minutes. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 05/31/25 Full Review Jonathan F Paranorman is keenly aware of the Zombie genre. Laika is enormously talented but the film doesn't come off as clever, it merely comes off as a series of cliches. Too bad. Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars 05/11/25 Full Review Anna L I’m sorry but to add such a complex and deep storyline such as the witch trials, into a kids movie, while still taking care that the plot was both enjoyable and understandable for a kids movie. was and keeps being impressive Rated 5 out of 5 stars 04/11/25 Full Review Leon Y i think this film is pretty good in my opinion. it has it's flaws sure like the comedy can be weak sometimes and forced but despite it's imperfections, i found it enjoyable and my favourite part of the movie is Agatha because she is just a little girl who was wrongfully executed for "witchcraft" And i used to watch this film when i was a kid. so 8/10 Rated 4 out of 5 stars 02/27/25 Full Review Jorge R ParaNorman is scary and sometimes bizarre. But hey, I had really good laughs forms this. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 05/09/25 Full Review Read all reviews
ParaNorman

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Movie Info

Synopsis Young Norman Babcock (Kodi Smit-McPhee) has the ability to speak with the dead -- and he often prefers their company to that of the living. Norman receives word from his strange Uncle Prenderghast (John Goodman) that a centuries-old witch's curse on their town is real and about to come true -- and that only Norman can stop it. When zombies rise from their graves, Norman must summon all his courage and compassion and push his paranormal abilities to the limit to save his fellow townspeople.
Director
Chris Butler, Sam Fell
Producer
Arianne Sutner, Travis Knight
Screenwriter
Chris Butler
Distributor
Focus Features
Production Co
Laika
Rating
PG (Scary Action|Language|Scary Images|Some Rude Humor|Thematic Elements)
Genre
Kids & Family, Comedy, Fantasy, Adventure, Animation
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Aug 17, 2012, Wide
Release Date (Streaming)
Oct 19, 2015
Runtime
1h 36m
Sound Mix
DTS, Dolby Atmos, Dolby SR, Dolby Digital, Dolby SRD, SDDS
Aspect Ratio
Scope (2.35:1)
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