“ParaNorman” astounds the horror genre using the famous stop motion animated associated with Tim Burton with a new satiric twist.

“ParaNorman” is a PG-rated film about a misunderstood boy named Norman, who can see and talk to ghosts. His family is at a loss for what to do with Norman’s supposed ability, and this causes conflict and stress in the family dynamic.

The storyline itself is fairly straightforward, while other critics believe that it fell short. “I certainly wouldn’t go so far as to call it a bad movie, it’s just a movie that could have used a little improvement in the story department,” according to movie critic Jeff Beck.

Where the plot is weak, the tongue-in-cheek humor of the story redeems itself.

The movie makes itself known as a satire from scene one. There is a surprisingly refreshing blend of children and adult humor in the film, making it truly appealing to all audiences.

The movie makes multitudes of jokes about modern horror films. From the ludicrous blend of old technology and new, to the characters themselves and the humorous stereotypes they play out in the movie.

The only problem is because the characters are playing up stereotypes, they come off as two-dimensional and it soon becomes easy to predict their actions in the film. Alex Zane and Grant Rollings of The Sun said, “you don’t need a sixth sense to know what the characters will be like.”

On the bright side, the Claymation is smooth and seamless. At some points it’s even hard to tell if you are watching a computer animated sequence or one that used clay figurines. “The employment of 3D is exquisite, immersing the viewer in depth and highlighting details one wouldn’t notice in two dimensions,” according to movie critic Jason R. Lack.

Laika Entertainment, the same creators behind the hit film “Coraline,” created and produced the movie. Although the movie itself was very well done, it didn’t make a large monetary debut in the box office. Statistics from IMDB.com stated the entire movie’s estimated cost being $83 million. The movie only made up about half the cost, raking in $49 million.

Overall, this is a pretty solid movie. It captures a realistic side of childhood that is rarely seen in movies today and delivers an interesting lesson about understanding others, despite how they initially seem. “ParaNorman” is fun, quirky, and definitely worth seeing as the Halloween season rolls around the corner.