ParaNorman

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ParaNorman

PG

Released Aug 17, 2012

1h 36m

Kids & Family

Comedy

Fantasy

Adventure

Animation

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

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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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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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

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Kate S.

The best movie known to humans.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

07/22/25

Full Review

Audience Member

Laika’s absolute best movie.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

07/05/25

Full Review

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

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Chris Butler

Director

Sam Fell

Director

Kodi Smit-McPhee

Norman

Tucker Albrizzi

Neil

Anna Kendrick

Courtney

Casey Affleck

Mitch

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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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