Although it is strange for a Zombie themed kids movie to come out so far away from Halloween, this stop-motion film is funny, entertaining, and surprisingly stylistic. This film is filled with humor and action that references many classic horror movies, and as a result, almost seems ready made for a cult-following.
Norman is a strange kid. He can see ghosts, and as a result he is made fun of by his classmates, disowned by his teenage sister, and misunderstood by his parents. However he makes friends with Neil, who gets made of equally because he is fat. The town is celebrating it's 300th anniversary; however, the town has a dark past where an evil witch killed the men that put her to death. Norman's eccentric uncle tells the child that he must put the witch's ghost back to sleep or all hell will break loose. Of course Norman can't do it in time, and of course all hell breaks loose. The seven men that the witch killed come back from the dead in Zombie form, and Norman, along Neil, their older siblings, and the school bully, run through town trying to stop it all before anyone gets hurt.
The film has a stylized feel, much like the movie Gremlins did. The town looks like a Hollywood backlot, and the characters are all archetypes of the genre. The humor is often mature for children, and probably a little to 21st century for a lot of parents. However, this makes the movie even better, and there is still plenty to enjoy for everyone that sees it. Norman is very likable, and so are all the other characters, especially Norman's uncle, and the punk bully. Not to mention the zombies are actually hilarious and fun characters too, and they really flavor up the movie.
The character designs are all pretty grotesque. Norman is the most normal looking character in the movie. His face resembles the little kid from those old Kleenex commercials. The other characters, however, have either enormous bellys, lopsided faces, or reverse triangle shape bodies. The zombies too have elongated faces and body parts that repeatedly fall off. Many scenes from the movie pay homage to classic horror and monster flicks, which are all done in ways that are funny, enjoyable, and subtle.
ParaNorman may not end up being a financial success, but it is a funny, different, and very cool movie. The ending involving a final battle with the witch stretches on way too long, but the movie has merits that this reviewer was certainly not expecting, and the end of the movie makes up for the tiresome battle. Also, the 3D is good, but certainly not worth the price. This movie is a real unexpected treat to watch, and it almost creates a new genre with the horror film for kids. Some kids might not get it, and of course some may be too young, but the movie is, in the opinion of this reviewer, damn good.
thatguythatlikesmovies.blogspot.com
Norman is a strange kid. He can see ghosts, and as a result he is made fun of by his classmates, disowned by his teenage sister, and misunderstood by his parents. However he makes friends with Neil, who gets made of equally because he is fat. The town is celebrating it's 300th anniversary; however, the town has a dark past where an evil witch killed the men that put her to death. Norman's eccentric uncle tells the child that he must put the witch's ghost back to sleep or all hell will break loose. Of course Norman can't do it in time, and of course all hell breaks loose. The seven men that the witch killed come back from the dead in Zombie form, and Norman, along Neil, their older siblings, and the school bully, run through town trying to stop it all before anyone gets hurt.
The film has a stylized feel, much like the movie Gremlins did. The town looks like a Hollywood backlot, and the characters are all archetypes of the genre. The humor is often mature for children, and probably a little to 21st century for a lot of parents. However, this makes the movie even better, and there is still plenty to enjoy for everyone that sees it. Norman is very likable, and so are all the other characters, especially Norman's uncle, and the punk bully. Not to mention the zombies are actually hilarious and fun characters too, and they really flavor up the movie.
The character designs are all pretty grotesque. Norman is the most normal looking character in the movie. His face resembles the little kid from those old Kleenex commercials. The other characters, however, have either enormous bellys, lopsided faces, or reverse triangle shape bodies. The zombies too have elongated faces and body parts that repeatedly fall off. Many scenes from the movie pay homage to classic horror and monster flicks, which are all done in ways that are funny, enjoyable, and subtle.
ParaNorman may not end up being a financial success, but it is a funny, different, and very cool movie. The ending involving a final battle with the witch stretches on way too long, but the movie has merits that this reviewer was certainly not expecting, and the end of the movie makes up for the tiresome battle. Also, the 3D is good, but certainly not worth the price. This movie is a real unexpected treat to watch, and it almost creates a new genre with the horror film for kids. Some kids might not get it, and of course some may be too young, but the movie is, in the opinion of this reviewer, damn good.
thatguythatlikesmovies.blogspot.com