Review: Paranorman is sharp, scary, and just shy of spectacular

"AHHH!!! It's the Mystery Machine! We're so dead."

Grade: A-

There's a moment near the end of Chris Butler and Sam Fell's Paranorman where it is clear the movie was aiming squarely at adults.

It's a moment that I won't spoil, but it is one that got more audible gasps from the screening audience than any other scary scene in the movie. It is also a moment that cements the theme of Paranorman in such a delightfully subversive way that it will surely put a smile on the face of most of the adults in the audience.

Essentially, Paranorman is about the tried moral: "Don't judge a book by its cover." The second feature by the company behind stop-motion instant classic Coraline, Laika, Paranorman centers on a middle-schooler Norman Babcock (Kodi Smit-McPhee) who can see and talk to the ghosts hanging around his small Massachusetts town. Norman's ability is a source of consternation for his father (Jeff Garlin), concern for his mother (Leslie Mann), and annoyance for his boy-crazy teen sister (Anna Kendrick). his ability also guarantees daily abuse from his classmates, especially lunk headed bully Alvin (Christopher Mintz-Plasse, voicing way against type). Despite his rep and clear desire to shoulder his burden alone, Norman finds a friend in the relentlessly optimistic Neil (Tucker Albrizzi), who also deals with his fair share of abuse due to his chubbiness. Oddly, Norman's harassment seems at odds with his hometown's claim to fame. As the site of a colonial era witch trial, almost every business in town, plus a statue in the town center, is based around witches. What the town doesn't know is that the witch that fuels their livelihoods actually placed a curse on the town, and only a creepy malcontent (John Goodman) who can talk to ghosts has been able to keep the witches curse at bay for years. When the grumpy old ghost whisperer dies suddenly, it's up to Norman and his friends to find a way to satisfy the witch before her curse raises the dead.

As the first film by Laika after Coraline, Paranorman has pretty high expectations to live up to, and while it doesn't quite ascend to the heights or dig to the depths that Coraline did, it still works as a focused, charming, and sharp fable. In many ways, Paranorman is the descendant of the same 80's Speilbergian kid adventure flicks like Goonies and ET that inspired JJ Abrams' Super 8. The characters are broad but lovable archetypes, with Neil and his musclebound brother, Mitch (Casey Affleck), being the real standouts, that have enough pathos to be far more relatable than characters with more unique characteristics. The well-paced plot  centers around the kids interaction with an unnatural force, but its subtext is filled with a sharp, witty, and thematically consistent examination of a moral that is increasingly relevant to today's kids. Yet, Paranorman tackles its central theme with an honest, earnest tone that never speaks down to anybody in the audience, regardless of age. It is this approach that, unfortunately, leads to Paranorman's central weakness. 

As a "kids" movie, it may be too heady and scary for its target audience. Granted, animated features have never been squarely targeted a kids, but that's what the marketing teams would like moviegoers to think. This means that many parents are going to take their kids to Paranorman expecting something goofy and lightweight and finding something far heavier. To a degree Paranorman is a bit slight, especially as it is intensely focused on a theme that most older children may have already grasped and most parents certainly should have grasped, but it is that focus that enabled Butler and Fell to allow Paranorman to move so confidently, and effectively, between scares, laughs, and drama. The on-point voice performances also help Paranorman excel because the reticent scenery chewing and over-the-top antics are all grounded in character issues that draw back to the central theme. Speaking of character, Butler, Fell, and the Laika team have done an absolutely phenomenal job with the stop motion animation, especially the character designs, which are all charmingly unique and varied but in a way that makes the characters seem disturbingly human. All things considered, it's almost rare to see this kind of thematic and character focus in an animated feature outside of Pixar, but then again, looking at Laika's work so far, it should be expected.

Paranorman may not be anywhere near as bright, bubbly, and riotous as this summer's other animated entries, but its heart is in the right place and that heart has pumped out some talented meaningful work that kids, parents, and those without either to accompany them to the theater should not miss.

In-Between the Scenes Observations:

• If only one episode of Ghost Whisperer ended the way Paranorman did, I assure you it would have been even more popular.
• Guns, knives, and brass knucks are drawn at the mid point of the film; Mild ultraviolence ensues. parents beware.
• Sadly, there is at least one loud, angry Black woman stereotype; can't win'em all.
• The 3D enhancement was totally unnecessary and only makes the film even darker. But, hey, tickets!
•  There's no twist at the end, but after about an hour away from Paranorman, the impetus for the witch's curse will hit you pretty hard.

Review - The Change-Up

Grade: C+

Good: Reynolds and Bateman are solidly funny with Bateman doing a class-A impression of the old snarky Reynolds from the days of Van Wilder. Laughs are fast and furious in the opening and middle acts. Leslie Mann and Alan Arkin are great, as always.

Bad: Plot is predictable and trite, but who needs depth when you’ve got laughs; Falls off the rails and becomes a snore without the comedy to pull it through; Not enough screen time for Arkin and Mann;

Ugly: Baby poop+open mouth. ‘Nuff said.

The studios don’t make comedies that aren’t rated R anymore, do they? Not that there’s a problem with adult-geared raunchfests with a touch of heart, but their popularity is evolving beyond niche and zooming past trend. Now, it seems, these comedies are becoming staples of the studios’ annual release schedules that are just shy of being considered tentpoles, which leads to experimentation—however light it may be. That leads the studios to greenlight something like Ryan Reynolds and Jason Bateman’s latest, The Change-Up.

Do audiences really need a raunchy remake of Freaky Friday centered on a bromance—it’s way past respectable to use that word, I know, but it applies here, honest—instead of a mother-daughter relationship? Probably not, but that doesn’t stop Reynolds, Bateman and Director David Dobkin from giving it a good ol’ college try.

The Change-Up follows in the storied tradition of body switch comedies like the aforementioned Freaky Friday (both the ’76 and the ’03 versions) and other similar attempts—including Big and 17 Again—that met with varying degrees of success. Change-Up centers mostly on Bateman’s overachieving, workaholic lawyer Dave who is failing to balance his work—where he's up for partner—with his wife, Jamie (Leslie Mann), and three kids, which includes two frighteningly accident prone infant twins, at home. Dave’s best friend is struggling actor and professional man-child Mitch (Ryan Reynolds), who is on the verge of a big break. After a night of drinking where the two casually wish they had each other’s lives, they take a leak in a seemingly mystical fountain. The next morning, Dave is Mitch and Mitch is Dave. Hijinks, hilarity and horn-dogging ensue. Mitch must now face responsibility as he tries to live Dave’s hectic life while Dave learns the simple pleasures of being Ryan Reynolds. As the two beleaguered chaps search for the fountain and a way to reverse the curse, they experience the requisite moments of clarity and personal growth. But, the question remains: will they become the men they need to be?

Despite a strong supporting cast that includes a harried and wonderfully vulgar Mann, a stunning and unexpectedly, but not overly, funny Olivia Wilde and a severely underused Alan Arkin as Mitch’s father, Reynolds and Bateman carry this flick like champs. Before the body-switch, both play slightly amped variations on characters they’ve always played: Bateman as the wry straight man and Reynolds as the smug, asinine jerk with a heart of gold. Their performances really kick into gear once they switch with Bateman coming out on top by doing a dead-on impression of Reynolds mania while Reynolds shifts from the jerky smartass Reynolds, circa Van Wilder, to the slightly more earnest leading man he is today. While Bateman delivers the lion’s share of laughs as both the neurotic Dave and the more unhinged Mitch, Reynolds still brings his characteristic motormouth antics and colorful, creative language to bear for some solid gags throughout. Mann and Wilde both do admirable jobs as Dave’s alienated and exhausted wife and Dave’s work crush, respectively. Mann, naturally, shines a little brighter than Wilde, especially with the comedic material, but Wilde does show some comedic skill when teamed with Reynolds that hits some good notes but is a bit hammy in the presence of stronger performers like Mann, Bateman and Arkin. Sadly, Alan Arkin’s just above cameo role as Mitch’s father is so scant that even when it’s punctuated by some of the best lines in the movie that it’s not enough to register the way it should.

Director David Dobkin, of Fred Claus and Wedding Crashers fame, is lucky to have such strong performances to work with because, outside of those performances, The Change-Up is pretty rote. Dobkin does very little to put a notable visual stamp or perspective on the material, preferring to let Dave and Mitch experience some terribly predictable character arcs. Working from a script by The Hangover writers Jon Lucas and Scott Moore—who are interestingly used as selling points in a curious strategy that touts writers instead of stars—Dobkin proves generally efficient in moving the story briskly in the earlier goings, stacking the opening acts with some consistently chortle-worthy gags, but lets the flick drag when it deals with anything resembling character development. Thankfully, Dobkin knows to keep the laughs coming as fast and furious as possible because without them The Change-Up would somehow fall flat on its face and still bore the audience to death. For as much control over the proceedings as Dobkin may have had, it’s a good bet that there was some significant ad-libbing and rewriting on set because the voices of the characters—particularly Dave and Mitch—seem so specific to the actors that it’s hard for anyone familiar with the cast’s other works to deny their influence.

Fans of Reynolds and Bateman will find much to enjoy with The Change-Up as both actors’ trademarks are all over the flick. Of course, there’s potential for some overexposure backlash due to both Reynolds and Bateman having movies that may still be in theaters. But, seeing as how Reynolds’ Green Lantern and Bateman’s Horrible Bosses both met with fairly tepid audiences—and that’s being generous when it comes to Green Lantern—maybe their fans were holding out for the Change-Up. If they were, they’ll be entertained by the rapid-fire, lowbrow humor that dominates the first act and second acts, but be a bit bored by the weak, predictable plot at the movie’s core. Also, for folks looking for raunch to rival The Hangover then The Change-Up will fall short. It’s not good, clean fun, but it’s not the dirtiest comedy ever committed to film either. For the audience who is willing to ignore the Disney-esque tripe that floats in between the solid comedy, The Change-Up is at least worth a matinee, just don’t expect it to be a life changing experience.

Review - Rio

Grade: B-

The Good: Colorful and lively, with some catchy musical numbers and a few honest chuckles. Shows some degree of social awareness amidst the candy coated fun.

The Bad: Not a particularly revelatory addition to the modern animated canon. Voice performances aren’t terrible, but lack an identity outside of the actors’ pre-established quirks.

It’s a given that studio films, especially animated features of the 3D variety, are generally unoriginal, yet I still find the concept of dueling movies—or at least the kind that have extremely similar elements—fascinating. Now, Fox and Blue Sky Studios Rio has very little in common with the upcoming fourth Fast and the Furious sequel, save for the setting of Rio de Janiero, Brazil. But, with these two movies being released mere weeks apart, it’s likely that most perceptive moviegoers will surmise that—hyperbolic and obvious as it may seem—Brazil is hot.

It’s too early to tell if Fast Five’s exotic setting is just a backdrop or a vital character in its own right, but Rio makes the home of Carnaval equally as important as any of its main characters with a colorful palette and a lively samba beat at the heart of a not-so original tale about learning to fly outside of one’s comfort zone.

Rio follows aptly named Blue Macaw Blu (Jesse Eisenberg), a rare avian species born in the rainforests of South America, as he and his lifelong, yet overprotective, human owner, Linda (Leslie Mann), venture to Rio at the behest of geeky ornithologist Tulio (Rodrigo Santoro). Tulio hopes Blu, the last male of his kind, will be able to mate with female Blue Macaw Jewel, the always-energetic Anne Hathaway, and repopulate the species. Unfortunately, Blu has spent his life in domesticity with Linda, and, unfortunately, doesn’t know the first thing about interacting with his own kind nor the defining quality of birds: flying. Once in Rio, Blu and Jewel are swiped by exotic pet smugglers after a botched escape attempt from Tulio’s sanctuary. As the two try to escape their captors and return to their respective homes, they learn about each other and the courage it’ll take to do the impossible.

The best word to describe Rio is colorful. From the stunning multicolor visuals to the wacky cast of characters to the lively Samba-tinged soundtrack, Rio is not lacking for liveliness. The artists at Blue Sky studio have composed a dynamic visual feat for its target audience to ogle while they bounce up and down in their seats. Rio’s crowded beaches, clamoring street life, dazzling Carnaval floats and performers, even the cluttered slums are rendered beautifully in some of the most vibrant CG animation this side of a Pixar project. Thankfully, the pricy 3D only enhances the experience so parents needn’t worry—too much—about dishing out the extra bucks for a muddy 3D conversion. While the kaleidoscopic animation might not track with most members of the audience, the movie’s main musical numbers are sure to catch their attention. Rio delivers at least three samba-infused pop performances that are sure to pull some butts—young and not-so-young alike—out of their seats. At least two of the numbers are clearly influenced by the Black Eyed Peas will.i.am, who contributes his voice to one of the film’s many feathered characters. Aside from the performances, there are a few chuckle-worthy scenes, particularly a mildly epic clash between bird and monkeys that evokes notions of the Pirates vs. Ninja meme, but nothing as riotous as last month’s Rango.

The all-star voice cast deliver performances that mimic their live-action performances so closely that it lead to one of the simplest games of ‘guess that voice’ I’ve ever played. Jesse Eisenberg voices Blu with that same amount of stammering braininess with a slight edge that makes him a much more digestible version of Michael Cera. Anne Hathaway delivers her own patented edgy, manic energy as Jewel, who could just as easily have been the pet of Hathaway’s character in Love and Other Drugs. A bit trickier to identify is Flight of the Conchords Jermaine Clement as the erudite and villainous Nigel. Clement hams it up, somehow managing to chew through animated scenery as a vain, yet past his prime, cockatoo who relentlessly pursues Blu and Jewel for the eeevil smugglers. George Lopez lends his voice to Rafael, a family man toucan playing a variation on the mystical minority guide, and Jamie Foxx and the aforementioned will.i.am play a musical Rosencrantz and Guildenstern who provide snarky and occasionally slapstick comic relief when they aren’t kicking off the musical numbers.

All in all, Rio isn’t terrible, and it’s not particularly revelatory. It’s middle of the road fun for families with a tepid lesson tacked on at the end. The humor is hardly the funniest, with mostly retreads of fish-out-of-water jokes that are stale by the second act. Commendably, Rio only slightly shies away from the realities of Rio beyond Carnaval with one human character, Fernando (Wizards of Waverly Place’s Jake T. Austin), representing orphaned, homeless Brazilian children who engage in a life of petty crime. Still, this awareness isn’t significant enough to elevate Rio into the ranks of recent animated gems like Up, Rango and How to Train Your Dragon. If you keep your expectations relatively low, you’ll enjoy yourself, even if you forget most of what happened once you drop your popcorn in overflowing trashcan. If set your expectations to high you’re cruising for disappointment. But, don’t worry parents, the kids will enjoy themselves either way.