Nine years ago we got to know a lovely, yet very much confused, Jack Skellington, the Pumpkin King, from Tim Burton’s famous “The Nightmare Before Christmas.” This year we have Norman, the brave 11-year-old from the new 3-D stop motion animation “ParaNorman,”produced by Laika. It’s an intriguing, heartwarming and touching Halloween flick with an engaging storyline and delicate scene settings.
What’s it about?
“ParaNorman” tells a story of how a weird boy is meant to save a whole village from being haunted by an old curse from a witch. Norman (voiced by Kodi Smit-McPhee), with his never flattened hairstyle, has a special ability of seeing dead people around and talking to them. Being different is difficult. Norman is not understood by others and is considered to be a weirdo at school. A big responsibility lies in his abnormal talent. Being able to speak to the ghosts leaves Norman to be the only one in town who can save the village from the zombies. Moral of the story: Freak becomes hero.
Ghosts, zombies, witches, darkness, curses…”ParaNorman” has got everything you would expect from a Halloween movie, but at the same time, brings joy. I don’t want to ruin your watching experience by spoiling it. But believe me, it’s funny. Halloween is supposed to be fun instead of not being able to sleep tight.
Trick or Treat?
“ParaNorman” is a treat for kids. Following the great success with “Coraline,” which is the first 3-D stop motion animation also produced by Laika, “ParaNorman” was at the top of the UK box office this week. You too can experience the magical world by wearing those geeky 3-D glasses.
Sam Fell, co-director of the movie, said in an interview with “The Guardian,” “They're such dark little things, children. It's the adults who tend to be the worriers.”
Kids are smarter than we have thought. They know things. There is never a lack of stories of weird kids turning out to be geniuses. Treat them well, they may save you one day as Norman does in the movie.
Other Halloween Movies for Kids?
If you plan on taking kids out for a treat this Halloween, there are a bunch of choices for you. Although “ParaNorman” is for sure still my first choice. Two other good choices are Tim Burton’s “Frankenweenie” and Genndy Tartakovsky’s “Hotel Transylvania.”
Watching Halloween movies at home is also a choice. Here is are Top 9 Halloween Kids Movies.
No matter what choice you make, enjoy it and make it a treat for the whole family!
