ParaNorman



"There's nothing wrong with being scared, Norman, so long as you don't let it change who you are."

- Grandma Babcock

ParaNorman is a stop-motion animated comic horror film from Laika Animation Studios -- better known for their success with Coraline -- and based on the book of the same name by Elizabeth Cody Kimmel, that was released in August 17, 2012. It was directed by Chris Butler (the main storyboard artist on Coraline) and Sam Fell (an Aardman alumni and director of Flushed Away), based off a script written by Butler.

The film follows the titular protagonist, Norman (voiced by Kodi Smit-McPhee), living in a small town in Massachusetts. With the "gift" of speaking to the dead, Norman is called an outcast by most of the town, most of which populated by childish adults and a nasty population of kids. When the town comes under siege by zombies, ghosts and witches, only he can actually save the town from these creatures, not to mention a centuries-old curse on the town.

"Neil: It's just because I'm fat and I have asthma and I sweat when I walk too fast and my lunchbox has a kitten on it, and I have irritable bowel syndrome."
 * Actor Allusion:
 * Once again, Anna Kendrick
 * The title of "Kid in danger with the unknown" seems to be the names of Kodi Smit-McPhee's characters.
 * Jodelle Ferland seems to get roles
 * Adorably Precocious Child: Norman.
 * Adults Are Useless: Most of the adults range from Too Dumb to Live to just plain crazy.
 * Adult Fear:
 * Aloof Big Sister: Courtney.
 * All of the Other Reindeer: Deconstructed hard.
 * An Aesop: "Revenge is wrong" types. This is one of the few cases where it's not the protagonist that needs to learn it, but the
 * Other Aesops are "don't let fear make you do bad things," "bullying of any kind is wrong," and "Don't judge others, just because they're strange," to name a few.
 * Annoying Younger Sibling: Courtney sees Norman as this.
 * Anti-Villain:
 * The Atoner:
 * Badass Pacifist: Norman takes the beatdown route that even
 * Barbie Doll Anatomy: Averted. When Mitch is shirtless he has nipples.
 * Bare Your Midriff: Courtney.
 * Big Bad: The ghost of the witch.
 * Big Ol' Eyebrows: Norman and Mr. Prenderghast.
 * Black Comedy
 * Book Dumb: Neil.
 * Bread, Eggs, Milk, Squick:

"Norman:"Sex and violence.""
 * Bring My Brown Pants: Alvin attempts to flee from the zombies, exclaiming "I think I peed my pants!"
 * The Bully: Alvin.
 * Casanova Wannabe: Alvin attempts to woo girls but isn't successful.
 * Chekhov's Gun: Norman's ability to speak to the dead becomes useful when the town comes under siege by supernatural forces.
 * Cool Loser: Norman happens to be able to speak to the dead, but is considered an outsider in the community. However, this is somewhat justified when you really consider from everyone else's perspective how this is a kid who is going around claiming he speaks with dead people.
 * Cool Old Lady: Grandma Babcock.
 * Cosmetic Horror: This happens to the school drama teacher; her makeup is awful, worst is her green facial mask that's so bad that only talking to her saves her from being mistaken for one of the zombies.
 * Crapsack World: Much of the trailer shows the rundown suburb that the protagonist lives in. And of course...
 * Creepy Child: According to most of the town, Norman is this and
 * Dark Is Not Evil: The town's ghosts, who are friendly.
 * Dumb Blonde: Courtney, though it looks like she dyes.
 * Dumb Jock: Mitch.
 * Dumb Muscle: Mitch and Alvin.
 * Earn Your Happy Ending: Norman has to fight a "witch" to protect a town that mostly scorns him, only to find that the townspeople -- better known for their success with Coraline --
 * Everything's Deader with Zombies: The first creature to invade Blithe Hollow. Oh, and it gets worse...
 * Evil is Petty: The witch cursed all of Blithe Hollow to be attacked by the zombies of those who tried her.
 * Executive Meddling: The aerobics instructor's butts aren't as...detailed as they appear in the teasers and trailers.
 * Exotic Eye Designs: Norman's irises and pupils are faceted. No other character has eyes like his, so it's not a result of the heavy stylization in the film.
 * Fat Best Friend: Neil.
 * Favoritism Flip Flop: At the ending of the film, Alvin explains to some girls that he and Norman have been very close for years. It's true in a sense, since Alvin was Norman's bully.
 * The Film of the Book
 * Fighting for Survival: When the townspeople encounter the zombies they do what every sane person does,
 * Five-Man Band:
 * The Chick: Courtney
 * The Big Guy: Mitch
 * The Lancer: Alvin
 * The Hero: Norman
 * The Smart Guy: Neil
 * Foot Focus: Briefly with Courtney when she paints her nails.
 * Foreshadowing: The practice session of the school play,
 * While watching the B-Movie's opening, Norman's Grandma
 * Freaky Is Cool: This trope is the reason why Neil befriends Norman.
 * From Nobody to Nightmare: The witch's ghost used to be Her other terrifying powers appeared after
 * Genre Savvy: The bar owner, once realizing the man asking for help isn't drunk or crazy and there's really zombies, she shouts, "KILL 'EM IN THE HEAD!"
 * George Lucas Throwback: Basically The Goonies meets Night of the Living Dead.
 * Getting Crap Past the Radar: It's really Up to Eleven. Which is a good thing for a movie pushing its PG rating.
 * When ghost Grandma asks what's going on.


 * Neil looking at his mom's exercise video and pausing it, the frame shows a woman bending over away from the camera.
 * A scene showing the real sentencing of the Witch,
 * Alvin trying to "dance" and a part where he's humping the floor, while looking at one of the girls he's trying to impress.
 * turns out to be gay.
 * Gypsy Curse:
 * Hartman Hips: Courtney and her mom.
 * Taken to extremes with the aerobics instructor Neil likes to freeze-frame on.
 * Hero with Bad Publicity: Norman is not exactly Mr. Popular in town, for reasons mentioned above in Cool Loser.
 * Heroic BSOD: This happens to Norman after he learns that the witch and  was the reason why she's accused of witchcraft.
 * Hollywood History: An In-Universe example from the school play about the curse is admitted to be historically inaccurate.
 * Homage: To Scooby Doo. The sheriff mutters "Meddling Kids" and later "Jinkies" (a line that Velma frequently uses), when she almost crashes her car.
 * One of the Para Norman movie posters does this:
 * Incompatible Orientation:
 * Improbable Hairstyle: No matter what Norman does to his hair, even if he combs it or gets it mussed up, his hair will pop back to its original stance.
 * Insufferable Genius: Salma. Norman eventually calls her for advice.
 * Invisible Parents: We know Neil and Mitch has them, it's because of the exercise DVDs, yet their parents are never seen.
 * I See Dead People: Guess who.
 * Large Ham: The drama teacher, not just chews the scenery every time she speaks, but insists that her students do the same.
 * Same with Old Man Prenderghast.
 * Loners Are Freaks: Justified with Norman. Since everyone in Blithe Hollow, including his own father scorns him for being able to talk to the dead, mainly because no one believes it. This is primarly a defense mechanism.
 * Lovable Jock: Mitch. He's not bright, though he's not mean to anyone.
 * Meaningful Name: Prenderghast means "ghost catcher" or "ghost holder."
 * The Merch: The witch's curse legend has "inspired" businesses which has witch themes, including a casino and a booth selling "Witch Wienies."
 * Misunderstood Loner with a Heart of Gold: Norman
 * Motion Blur: They really sculpted smear frames. Click here
 * Not Evil, Just Misunderstood:
 * Not Using the Z Word: Subverted. Courtney uses it, but her little brother advices her to not use "the z-word."
 * Now What?: "So what's happening now?" This is also part of Leaning on the Fourth Wall and Meaningful Echo.
 * Oblivious to Love: No matter what Courtney does, Mitch is clueless about her trying to flirt with him.
 * Odd Friendship: With the ghosts. One of them is a town loon voiced by John Goodman.
 * One of the Kids: Mitch.
 * Only Sane Man: Grandma Bobcock.
 * Our Zombies Are Different:
 * Playing a Tree: Neil's part in a school play.
 * Playing Against Type: Christopher Mintz-Plasse, who is best known in movies, like Superbad and Role Models, for portraying outcast nerds.
 * Poor Man's Porn: The aerobics instruction tapes are this to Neil.
 * Poor Man's Substitute: In-Universe. Word of God likened the town to a B-list version of Salem, Massachusetts.
 * Popular Is Dumb: Courtney is a cheerleader and Mitch is a jock.
 * The Reveal:
 * Sassy Black Woman: The motorcycle cop.
 * Scenery Porn: Well, it is made by the creators of Coraline, but this one seems to take it Up to Eleven in a multitude of ways.
 * Sealed Evil in A Can: Once Norman realizes what his uncle wanted him to do to suppress the menace is currently not enough and looks for a solution that's permanent.
 * Shaming the Mob: Courtney does this
 * Shock and Awe:
 * Shout-Out:
 * To most of the bad '70s B-grade horror flicks. Those are also the ones that Norman likes to watch.
 * Norman's ringtone is the Halloween theme tune.
 * Blithe Hollow's name is a mashup of two ghost stories, Blithe Spirit and Sleepy Hollow.
 * Shout-Out/To Shakespeare: "Cry "Havoc" and "Let slip the dogs of war!"
 * Sins of Our Fathers: Played straight with Agatha, since the memory of her has continued into the present time as an insulting caricature.
 * Sliding Scale of Idealism Versus Cynicism: The Power of Friendship versus the three hundred years of festering hatred and anger over an unjustified death.
 * Stop Motion
 * Stealth Insult:"Alvin: They're going to eat our brains!"
 * Stealth Insult:"Alvin: They're going to eat our brains!"

"Norman: I think you'll be safe."


 * The Stinger: The credits show
 * Strange Boy: Norman basically since he deals with the supernatural.
 * Strong Family Resemblance: Both Norman Babcock and
 * Stylistic Suck: The zombie movie that Norman watches in the beginning. The props are seemingly rubber, the acting is unconvincing, and the actress has to shove the boom mic out of frame...
 * Talking to the Dead: Primarily this is Mr. Prenderghast and Norman's abilities. It runs in the family.
 * Then Let Me Be Evil: Norman deals with crap as a result of his gift. Ultimately,
 * Torches and Pitchforks: The mob outside of Town Hall.
 * Town with a Dark Secret:
 * Unfortunate Names: The last name of Babcock.
 * Überwald
 * When Trees Attack: Kinda.
 * Played straight. Before the final confrontation.
 * White and Grey Morality:
 * Witch Hunt: This trope cause the whole trouble and plot in the first place.
 * Witch Species: It's hinted that some of the Prenderghast descendants are this.
 * Woobie, Destroyer of Worlds:
 * Would Hurt A Child:
 * This is taken to Complete Monster level, when we realize this means it would involve
 * Your Brain Won't Be Much of a Meal: See the Stealth Insult above.
 * Zombie Advocate:
 * Zombie Apocalypse:Subverted. The zombies' appearance freaks the townspeople out, the latter quickly gathers weapons, attack them, and the zombies lost, since they're not the Resident Evil types.
 * Zombie Apocalypse:Subverted. The zombies' appearance freaks the townspeople out, the latter quickly gathers weapons, attack them, and the zombies lost, since they're not the Resident Evil types.