ParaNorman is kind of like the cartoon version of the Sixth Sense , except Norman doesn't conceal his ability, despite all the ridicule he receives. Norman Babcock is a special child who sees and talks to dead people in a town that's crawling with lingering souls that haven't passed on. His opportunity to become understood arises when the town is in danger and only Norman's unique ability can save them.
Highlights:
John Goodman and Tempest Bledsoe were some of the familiar voices that were fun
to hear and place during the film. There were a bunch of unexpected, quirky and funny twists in this film, giving the story line about an unappreciated kid in an overwhelmingly haunted town some upbeat interjections. One example is ParaNorman's spin on the classic scene where zombies, who are moving ridiculously slowly, still shockingly gain on and catch up to people who are running at full speed for their lives.
Appropriateness:
ParaNorman's ghosts and zombies were effectively watered down to be suitable for an audience of all ages. However, being the big chicken that I am, when it comes to horror flicks in general, there was that one time during the film that caught me off guard and made me unintentionally clench my bottled water. I found it a very well-suited film for youngsters. It's jam-packed with messages for kids and adults alike to learn from for almost every character in the movie. It tackles the subjects of unity, bullying, being judgmental and forgiving.
Overall:
I'm not normally one for scary movies at all, but ParaNorman was not too intimidating, even for me, and brought a creative twist to the idea about how even an abnormal quality can be a positive attribution. It also displayed the triumph anyone can acquire when facing their fears with the courage that is inside them.
However, in addition to it's inability to scare my pants off, which is not necessarily a bad thing, fear wasn't the only factor. Although it had clever humor in places, noteworthy animation and good moral messages, it still lacked captivating consistency. Norman's personality was rather indifferent and dull for a good part of the movie, the pace of this ghost story started off slowly and it never picked up enough to be thoroughly entertaining for adults and kids alike.
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