DIRECTOR Chris Butler; Sam Fell WRITER Chris Butler STARS Kodi Smit-McPhee; Anna Kendrick; Christopher Mintz-Plasse CINEMA 14 September

ParaNormanSporting a good balance of comic and melancholy, ParaNorman is a hoot for children. Naturally, it’s not a horror film per se, but the attention to detail supporting this element is pleasing, with several references to please parents.

The film’s strength lies in its impressive puppetry. This complements the story nicely, the characters feeling that bit more organic — the ghosts and zombies are a feast for the eyes — particularly when it’s clear these, and their surrounds, have been lavished with care. The stop-motion is fluid, adding to this naturalness, the film nicely immersive as result — but it must be noted that the 3D plays little in this.

Some sequences go on a little too long for very young children, while there are moments that will certainly frighten them, but overall, ParaNorman is a family film that can appeal to each generation, with much fun to be had.

First pub­lished in movi­e­Scope 30

 

 

Posted by Naila Scargill

Naila is the founder and editor of Exquisite Terror. Holding a broad editorial background, she has worked with an eclectic variety of content, 
ranging from film and the counterculture, to political news and finance. She is the Culture Editor at Trebuchet, and generally gets around.

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