ParaNorman 4K 2012

At first I didn't expect much from this cartoon: I thought it would be a typical story about a "different teenager," with lazy reverences to the "horror" genre and a predictable plot structure. The first forty minutes only confirmed these fears, but the weaker the expectations at the beginning, the stronger the cartoon gets at the very end.

If we could translate the same storyline to film with live-action actors, we would get a wonderfully dark story, and it is not the mystical attributes that make it dark, but rather the deep and oppressive morality. "The Paranorman" is much deeper than a primitive plot about the confrontation of good and evil, black and white, in the first place this cartoon reveals the theme of prejudice and the injustice that follows it, at least on three levels. The main plot intrigue is predictable enough, but still, when it is fully revealed and everything falls into its place, it shivers. I haven't had such an emotional response in a very long time, whether on the judging stage or during the final "acceptance". The direction of the dramatic scenes is superb, the accents are set correctly, and even the climax leaves behind an oppressive taste of ambiguity: everything seems to end well, and seems to be hopelessly sad.

It would be a mistake to say that this is a "children's" cartoon intended for adults. Rather, on the contrary, it is a children's cartoon, which treats children as adults. Of course, some of the reverence may seem out of line (especially the perfectly timed twist at the end, the moment "and let's go to the movies"), but this is the reality of life, the children will face. And it's better to talk to them about it in an honest, peer-to-peer way than to chew on infantile morals.