Third eye binds

“ParaNorman” easily stands out in the contemporary cartoon crowd with its dark, discomfiting qualities, but it’s still an accessible and periodically hilarious spook-fest.

Psychic protagonist Norman (voiced by Kodi Smit-McPhee) sees dead people (and pets), making him quite the outcast at school. Very few people believe he has paranormal abilities, but he sees and converses with the departed quite clearly.

An embarrassment to his unaccepting father and targeted by bullies, Norman nonetheless tries to get by. He eventually receives a warning that his sleepy Massachusetts town is in danger of being attacked by the undead, as part of a restless entity’s revenge scheme.

Animated using the stop-motion technique, “ParaNorman” has a visually textured world. The subdued palette enhances the mood, and its character designs possess a sketchy, deliberately imperfect quality to them.

It has situations and dialogue that may appeal more to teens and older viewers. The dad’s disconcerting use of the word “limp-wristed,” and the idea that Norman’s teen sister keeps photos of shirtless guys clearly confirm early on that this isn’t a squeaky clean, exclusively kid-geared Disney project. Interestingly, there’s also a revelation that clarifies a character’s sexual preference later in the movie.

As for the movie’s villains, they’re a complicated bunch. The implication that someone similar to Norman suffered a grave injustice in the past is quite disturbing.

Despite its affecting darkness, though, “ParaNorman” still uplifts, tackling acceptance and forgiveness while the main character tries to survive third eye-related binds.