Norman looks like he’s made to see the dead; with his shocked-up hair and big blue eyes, it seems he’s only waiting to get the bejeezus scared out of him.  Funny thing though, he ain’t afraid o’ no ghosts.  In fact, he seems downright bored with the life-challenged among us.  But when a centuries-old curse comes back to wreak havoc on Norman’s little town 300 years after town elders put to death an infamous witch, who they gonna call?

I’ve seen the teaser trailers for ParaNorman, and they look like the most awesomly cool bad-acid trip ever in the history of ever.  So with that in mind, I headed to the local taqueria for a martarita (or two).  I’m a professional y’all.  I needn’t have bothered; ParaNorman is a wild, funny ride for kids and adults.  No really.  If you’re into spooky fun, or you have little ones that are, this film is gonna be a treat that’s right up their darky, shadowy alley.  Think of this as a bit of fun in the vein (see what I did there?) of R.L. Stine…but with an emphasis on fun rather than “gotcha”.  And for you stop-motion fans out there (and really, who isn’t?)  The film is an absolutely breathtaking example of the genre.

ParaNorman feels like a Halloween special, but one that’s an hour and a half rather than a half hour.  That’s cool with me; it has a great vibe that will make repeat viewings go down smooth.  A good bit of that is thanks to the fact that actors voicing the characters are becoming less “dubbed voices” and more honest-to-goodness performers, and with the groovy and game voice cast here that’s no wonder.  Kodi Smit-McPhee (The Road, Let Me In) voices Norman, and Tucker Albrizzi (Good Luck Charlie) plays his bff Neil.  Meanwhile, Anna Kendrick (Twilight) plays Norman’s teen sis Courtney, Casey Affleck (Gone Baby Gone) plays Neil’s big brother Mitch, Leslie Mann (Knocked Up) and Jeff Garlin (Curb Your Enthusiasm) play Norman’s parents, and the always fabulous John Goodman plays Norman’s uncle Mr. Prenderghast.  Plus, it’s fun to hear a grown-up Tempestt Bledsoe voice Sheriff Hooper.

But will kids be scared pantsless, you ask?  Well, it all depends; do you know your kids?  The children at the screening I attended ate this blend of creepy and comedy up with a spoon.  If you’ve got kids that scare easily…simple.  Don’t bring ‘em.  Expecting films to the parenting for folks is silly and downright lazy.  Does this film have scary moments?  Uh, it’s about a ghost witch bringing back the dead; what do you think?  But it also has a ghost dog that was hit by a car in life…and now sniffs his own butt in the afterlife.  It’s also the only zombie movie this year that’ll have you thinking “poor zombies!”  ParaNorman is all ultimately in fun — and about understanding those who are different from us — so kids can come away with a lesson learned the easy way.  However, if you have kids that frighten easily, or if you haven’t yet discussed the idea of “real” vs. “make believe”, perhaps you should sit down with your kids first.  It’s all part of the job, y’all.

To 3D or not to 3D?  With ParaNorman, if you can get to a theater that has 3D on offer, do so.  LAIKA studios put a lot of love and detail into the film’s stop-motion, and the same can be said of the use of 3D.  Like Coraline (also done by LAIKA), 3D adds to the feel of the stop-motion animation, giving it a living, breathing realism that is amazing to see.  Oh, and stop-motion fans will definitely want to stick around past the credits, as they’ll get to see a bit of “making of” that I’m hoping will get put into the DVD extras.

ParaNorman will definitely be a part of my yearly Halloween viewing, along with The Nightmare Before Christmas and Mad Mad Monster Party.  It’s the film my 8-year-old self wishes she could have seen.  But you don’t have to take my word for it.  As I left the screening, I got the thumbs-up from what could be this movie’s toughest focus-group category; the 4-year-old.  Her thoughts?  She loved it.  “My favorite part was when the zombie rode on the top of the car”, she said.  Anything else?  “I’m gonna come see Frankenweenie!”  Ah, a little lady after my own heart.  That’d make the best animated double-feature of 2012.  If you don’t believe me, believe that little girl.  They’re the toughest critics out there, after all.