ParaNorman

Pixar may get most of the headlines, but fans of slightly more off-beat animation have always loved the movies released by Laika Studios. With a list of movies that includes Coraline, ParaNorman, and The Boxtrolls, Laika has a string of critical hits that focus on the supernatural and magic experience of growing up. And while Kubo and the Two Strings brings their movies to unprecedented heights — our own review called it the best Laika movie yet  —  a new interview with director and Laika CEO Travis Knight made it clear we shouldn’t expect to see any sequels anytime soon.

There’s a particular scene in ‘The Boxtrolls’ that truly exemplifies the bravado of Laika – an almost “I don’t give a f---” attitude toward focus groups and the societal norms of what an animated films should be. The problem is, this scene can’t be described in its full detail because it would be considered a spoiler. Let’s just say that, instead of redemption – a theme we see quite often in animated films – a character explodes. He literally explodes off this mortal coil with no chance of any kind of redemption ever again … or breathing, for that matter.

LAIKA, the studio that brought us the Oscar-nominated animated feature 'ParaNorman,' is reuniting with Focus Features for a new animated project called 'The Boxtrolls' and it sounds too cute. Are these guys the new Pixar?

The Annie Awards may not be as high profile as the Oscars, but they're always a fascinating look at a corner of the film and television world that is often overlooked during the awards season: animation. Considering the company's legacy, it feels appropriate that Disney dominated at the 40th Annual Annie Awards, with 'Wreck-it Ralph' and 'Paperman' going home as the big winners.

New on DVD, Blu-ray and streaming this week, summertime action, a horror-comedy for kids, some bootlegging with bruising action, and creepy scares. ...

Although they differ in style and tone in every way imaginable, 'The Expendables 2' and 'The Bourne Legacy' are both action movies and they share the same audience (people who like watching people beat up other people). The slick, modern 'The Bourne Legacy' was last week's box office champion, so everyone was wondering if its success would cut into the opening of the brawny, '80s throwback that is

From the opening synthesizer chords aping the soundtrack from VHS classics like John Carpenter's 'Prince of Darkness,' I knew 'Paranorman' was made with care. Visually electrifying, but still clearly handmade, 'Paranorman' is a striking marriage of form and content. Set in a New England hamlet with a witch trial-based tourist economy, it tells the story of a young boy who has the ability to see an

We're just a couple of days away from the release of what's being hailed as one of the best animated films of the year.We're referring to Laika's 'ParaNorman,' which we gave 8/10 in our review, and it just wowed us again with a final trailer that sets a surprising tone for such a family-friendly movie.

Since people are in the midst of the so-called zombie craze, it feels appropriate for 'ParaNorman' to be springing into theaters in the next couple of weeks. What better way to get into the Halloween spirit early than by watching this?

This is one of the best years in recent memory for animation nuts. We've gotten a new Pixar movie, we're getting a new Walt Disney Animation movie, and we've got four stop-motion animation films for 2012 (bonus points if you can name the other three). Now you can see some new TV for two upcoming animation movies -- 'ParaNorman' and 'Wreck-It Ralph.'