Movie rating: 3 Star

ParaNorman

ParaNorman

Blithe Hollow is a town that is oddly proud of its rich, witch-burning history, so much so that it's the town's primary tourist attraction, with witch-based casinos and restaurants aplenty. But when Norman (Kodi Smit-McPhee) claims to be able to see and speak to dead people, the townsfolk quickly brand him a loony, deciding not to believe a word he has to say about an impending magical storm. Said storm will not only bring the dead back to life, but also resurrect a witch with a vendetta against the descendants of those who burnt her at the stake all those centuries ago…

If this all sounds a bit dark for a kids movie, that’s because it is. While the film never gets too scary, it does get quite intense at times, perhaps too intense for the more sensitive of kiddie viewers. Made by LAIKA, who were also the folk behind the brilliant Coraline, and who are to stop-motion what Pixar are to computer animation, Paranorman is never less than beautiful to behold. There are some wonderfully imaginative scenes, and some fantastic references to The Sixth Sense, Friday The 13th, Silent Hill and countless other zombie movies. It’s just a shame that the story they’re tacked on to is so by-the-numbers.

The impressive, if not exactly A-list voice cast do their best with the clichéd checklist of movie characters, from the blonde-haired bimbo (Anna Kendrick) to the dumb jock (Casey Affleck) to the mean bully (Christopher Mintz-Plasse) to the confused-but-concerned mother (Leslie Mann), every last one is present and correct, with not a single surprise in store. The same goes for the plot itself, with only a few good laughs to be found along the way. There are a few gags thrown in for the parents, but mostly the entire thing flies by, happy to impress on visuals alone. All in all, Paranorman is a harmless way to keep the kids preoccupied for an hour and a half, but it pales in comparison with some of the better Horror-For-Kids movies among which Monster House, A Nightmare Before Christmas or even the aforementioned Coraline are included.

ParaNorman


 

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  • View Profile for JoJo

    Took my grandsons 9,5 and 3 to see Paranorman. This movie was PG...... I found the jest of the movie to be too dark and Lots of inappropriate dialogue for young children. I guess it was a movie about acceptance, but the gay comment in the end brought a movie theater to silence. I am sick and tired of Hollywood trying to shove their gay agenda down my throat, but when you target small children in a movie with a rating of PG, they have definitely crossed the line. They should be ashamed of themselves, but we all know they are not!!! I guess I will have to speak with my pocketbook. We spent over $100. at the theater this evening on a movie that was garbage. I will definitely discourage anyone with small children not to see this movie.

    Posted 04:24 | Sun 9th Sep 2012
  • View Profile for StephenBStephenB

    To be fair, PG is parental guidance, so you probably should've done some research on the movie as the PG cert suggests. 3 does seem a little young for a PG though, I mean Jurassic Park was PG. Also...gay agenda?!??!

    Posted 08:40 | Wed 12th Sep 2012
  • View Profile for SFBGSFBG

    I went with 6yr old, 9 yr old & 2 12yrs olds, all enjoyed it , the 6yr old was a little scared once o twice but she enjoyed it... there's nothing in this movie too rude or shocking or inappropriate . The Gay reference was very funny and none or my kids had any problems with it or anything else, there is a message in the movie about being different and how people deal with it, about anger and revenge, but over all a good flick, we enjoyed ourselves...

    Posted 12:27 | Mon 17th Sep 2012
  • View Profile for FilmBuff76FilmBuff76

    Interestingly, IFCO originally rated Paranorman 12A but Universal appealed this decision and got it reduced to a PG without cuts. As a horror fan myself, I loved it but it's not a film for younger children. A 12A sounds appropriate to me.

    Posted 10:24 | Sun 16th Sep 2012
  • View Profile for emerXDemerXD

    going to see it on saturday high expectations for it and it looks quite funny

    Posted 21:05 | Sun 30th Sep 2012
  • View Profile for emerXDemerXD

    going to see it on saturday high expectations for it and it looks quite funny

    Posted 21:05 | Sun 30th Sep 2012
  • View Profile for FozzFozz

    Enjoyable movie....1st half has lotsa funny moments while it gets darker and more serious in the 2nd half. Certainly not for young kids as there's some scary parts that are not made funny for the little ones and so they will likely find that upsetting. As for the 'gay agenda' of the 1st poster....mad comments really for a single joke. I hope your intolerance doesn't rub off on those three grand-kids.

    Posted 01:06 | Sat 1st Dec 2012
  • View Profile for RachelRachel

    Im pretty sure I need the "Gay agenda" comment on IMDB thread. Comes across as a bit of a troll. Anyway, loved the movie, really funny bit scary at times would recommend it but not for very young kids

    Posted 14:04 | Tue 9th Oct 2012
  • View Profile for CORK REBELCORK REBEL

    ok so its ok to bring two 15 year olds how could you have spent 100 dollars this is a irish site isnt it ?and nobody in their right mind brings three year olds to the cinema they wouldnt stay still long enough lol

    Posted 12:05 | Sun 25th Nov 2012
  • View Profile for OdditoriaOdditoria

    @Jo: This film was actually a lot better than I had anticipated! I really enjoyed the storyline, maybe it was a little dark for children.. I don't know? The film was about ghosts & so on & this is in the advertisements for the film. If you are going to spend that much in one trip to the cinema you should do your research before going, I would!! (Also, you should sneak the kids sweets in if you're wasting your money on that!) Sure the stuff that is rated 15's these days is rarely suitable for that age group either, like some of the gorey horror movies etc. What's the big deal over the gay comment? There are gay people in the world & if we are going to argue over something so silly I would like to say that it is good to actually have gay people in children's films because they will grow up feeling more familiar with gay people which will then create more acceptance. He said he had a "boyfriend", I don't see how this is a bad influence on children & you're reaction to it is ridiculous, you shouldn't be so offended. Also, I'm not gay!

    Posted 18:42 | Sun 25th Nov 2012
  • View Profile for OdditoriaOdditoria

    *My Boyfriend wanted me to add, don't watch X Factor because it's full of "gays". He's pretty sure you're kids are watching that every weekend!

    Posted 18:46 | Sun 25th Nov 2012

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