ParaNorman

Arlaine and I saw ParaNorman at a rare Tuesday afternoon matineé showing, and we weren't disappointed. The stop-animation film is set in the fictional town of Blithe's Hollow where the hero Norman (Kodi Smit-McPhee) lives a lonely life because he can speak to ghosts and no one believes him. That is, no one except his new friend Neil (Tucker Albrizzi) who is happy Norman can see his beloved dog who is buried in the backyard.

The town of Blithe's Hollow is similar to that of Salem, Massachusetts where a young girl was accused of witchcraft centuries years ago. The town is celebrating the anniversary of the event when Norman begins to notice that there are some unusual things happening. Legend has it that the accused witch has placed a curse on the town and it is to be realized on the 300th anniversary of her death. Norman, his sister Courtney, the bully Alvin, Neil, and his brother Mitch, get caught up in events and we follow them through the night's events.

This movie, while marketed as a children's movie, has several elements for adults who are fans of (or even familiar with) the classic slasher/horror movies. I won't spoil any of the jokes but suffice it to say that Norman's ringtone is perfect. Speaking of ringtones, the entire story is firmly set in 2012 with students at Blithe's Hollow Middle School tweeting about relationships and I enjoyed the current-ness of that element.

Sometimes I'm afraid that movie makers today are so concerned with making a classic that they're shying away from the technology that might date it to future viewers. Sure, tweeting might not be the big thing for 11 year-olds in a few years but acknowledging the present isn't the worst thing to happen. Becoming a classic is more about the story and less about the time in which the story is set.

Overall, I'd recommend ParaNorman for families with older children because there are definitely some scary scenes. However, adults will enjoy this one as well and I can say that I enjoyed it very much. Not a must-see, but time well spent nevertheless.