"ParaNorman": Stopping- motion to accept the "abnormal"..dead or alive

This past weekend I watched two new films out in theaters now.  The first one is the latest animated film from Laika, creators of the beautiful stop-motion film Coraline (2009). "ParaNorman", also a stop- motion film, had been on my radar since the very early trailers in November last year. I must admit that i was very excited to watch this film from the beginning. The concept of a weird and bullied kid that can see ghosts,  and fights zombies, all of it in stop-motion was very appealing. The story revolves around Norman, a young boy who isn't like the rest and who has the "talent" to be i touch with the afterlife. As the curse of an old town witch unfolds, the real message in the film also is revealed. "ParaNorman" is about violence toward what we don't know, everything that is different and how throughout the ages this has been a crucial reason for people to not get along. The witch represents that, a person that didn't fit the mold of the time and was judge and even murdered for it. In my opinion very profound and out of the usual message in a "kid's film". Nevertheless, the film is extremely funny and unapologetic about its darkness. Some jokes perhaps are more directed for a more adult audience, but all in all the satire and mocking of the horror genre is great. It is a very cleverly written film, even in the heart warming moments the film does not become corny, it is honest about negative human emotions like seeking revenge or hate. If this is not enough to convince you, the technical and visual side of it, its top notch. The amount of detail and the facial expression makes it hard to believe that stop motion was used, but it never feels like a computer animated film like those of Pixar. "ParaNorman" has a very organic visual feel to it and a very original premise. If i had to note anything negative perhaps the fact that some characters and plot points were somehow stereotypical of small towns in the US, but then again some of the biggest strengths of the film also rely on how small towns treat the "abnormal" in the community. Overall I loved the film, and it is a better example of original animation in both content and form than "Brave" or other recent animated films. In my book the film gets an "abnormal" A+