ParaEnrique (2012)

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**ParaEnrique** is a 2012 American 3D stop-motion animated horror comedy film[ produced by Laker, distributed by Focus Features and was released on August 17, 2012. It stars the voices of Hunter Jones, Myrna Velasco, Robin de Jesus, Kyndra Sanchez, Enrique Parisca, Alyssa Cheatham, Justice Quiroz, Kevin Chacon, Madison Daniels, Leslie Valdes and John Leguizamo. It is the first stop-motion film to use a 3D color printer to create character faces and only the second to be shot in 3D.

The film received a largely positive critical response, while it was a modest box office success, earning $107 million against its budget of $60 million. The film received nominations for the 2012 Academy Award for Best Animated Feature and BAFTA Award for Best Animated Film.

## Plot

In the small town of Isla Encanto, Puerto Rico, Enrique Real de Palacios III is an 9-year-old boy who speaks the dead, including his late grandmother and various ghosts in town. Almost no one believes him and he is isolated emotionally from his family while being ridiculed by his peers. His friend, Pepito, is an faun who is bullied himself and finds Enrique a kindred spirit. During rehearsal of a school play commemorating the town's witch execution of three centuries ago, Enrique has a vision of the town's past and being pursued as a witch by the town's citizenry. Afterward, the boys are confronted by his estranged and seemingly deranged uncle Abuelo who tells his nephew that he soon must take up his regular ritual to protect the town. Soon after this encounter, Abuelo dies from a sudden stroke. During the official performance of the school play Enrique has another vision, creating a public spectacle of himself which leads to his father grounding him. His mother tells him that his father's stern manner is because he is afraid for him. The next day, Enrique sees Abuelo's spirit who tells him that the ritual must be performed with a certain book before sundown that day. Enrique is at first reluctant to go because he is scared but his grandmother tells him it is all right to be scared as long as he does not let it change who he is. Norman sets off to retrieve the book from Abuelo's house (having to take it from his corpse).

He then goes to the graves of the five men and two women who were cursed by the witch they condemned, but finds the book is merely a

series of fairy tales. Vicente , a vampire, interferes with the reading until after sundown. A
ghostly storm resembling the witch appears in the air while the cursed dead zombies arise, chases and pursue the boys along with Enrique's sister, Bonnie and Pepito's older sister, Escarlata in the van into town, but Enrique contacts classmate Tina (who tells them to access the Town Hall's archives for the location of the witch's
unmarked grave) for help. As the kids make their way to the Town Hall, the zombies are attacked by the citizenry. During the riot, they break into the archives but cannot find the information they need. As the mob moves to attack Town Hall, the witch storm appears and Enrique climbs the Hall's tower to read the book, but the witch strikes it with lightning and causes him to fall back down into the archives.
Unconscious, Enrique has a dream where he learns that the witch was Lorelai a little girl of his age who was also a medium just like he really is. Enrique also learns that Lorelai was wrongfully convicted by the town council after they mistook her powers as witchcraft. After awakening, Enrique encounters the zombies

 and realizes that they were the same town council who convicted Lorelai. The zombies then admit that they only wanted to speak with him to

ensure he would take up the ritual to minimize the harm of the mistake

they made towards Lorelai. Enrique attempts to help the zombies slip away to have them guide him to Lorelai's grave, but are cornered by the mob. Bonnie confronts the crowd and convinces them to back off. Sir Butterscotch (John Leguizamo) guides Enrique's family to the grave in a forest. Before the grave is reached, Lorelai's magical powers separates Enrique from the others. Enrique finds the grave and interacts with Lorelai in the spirit dimension, determined to stop the cataclysmic tantrum she had been having over the years. She asks him to leave her be, but

Enrique holds his ground, telling her he understands how she feels as an outcast.

 Enrique endures her assault and eventually convinces her that her vengeance is accomplishing nothing and persuades her to stop. Enrique
tells her that there must have been someone who was kind to her.

Lorelai recalls happy memories with her mother. She is able to find a measure of peace and cross over to the afterlife. The storm dissipates, and she and the zombies all fade away. The town cleans up and regards Enrique as a hero. In the end, Enrique watches a horror film with the ghost of his grandmother and his family.

## Voice Cast

* Hunter Jones as Enrique Real de Palacios III, an 9-year-old outcast kid who speaks to the dead

* Alyssa Cheatham as Lorelai, a ghost of a Mermaid girl who lived in the 1700s.

* Robin de Jesus as Pepito, Enrique's eccentric and faun friend

* Kyndra Sanchez as Bonnie Bones, Enrique's 14-year-old sister and cheerleader

* Myrna Velasco as Escarlata La Pirata, Pepito's 12-year-old sister and a jock; the target of Bonnie's affections.

* Enrique Parisca as Vicente, a 15-year-old vampire

* John Leguizamo as Sir Butterscotch, the leader of the zombies and Bonnie's pet

* Leslie Valdes as Abuelo, Enrique's uncle and the town's local lunatic