Thursday, September 13, 2012
Movie review: PharaNorman rated: PG
Adult review: Wait for the DVD
Dark and gloomy is the overtone for this animated 3D film. Kind of
like the cartoon version of the Sixth Sense kid but, 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.
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 storyline 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:
PharaNorman'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:
Not normally one for scary movies at all, 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.
I give it 2.5 out of 5 Skittles.
By Ambre A.
Children's Review: A little Scary!
If you like scary movies you'll like ParaNorman! No one understands
Norman until they all really need him. He's the only kid in the whole
town who can see and talk to dead people. Even his grandma's ghost
still talks to him! My favorite part was when the guy was waiting for
his snack to come out of the vending machine while he could see the
zombies coming! Funny! Funny! ParaNorman was a little bit scary but
I liked it.
By Little Lee
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