ParaNorman

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My favourite scene of the stop motion film ParaNorman happens within the first five minutes.  The opening scene of the film is a full-on homage to grindhouse films of the 1970s, complete with an old-fashioned “Feature Presentation” title card, grainy and scratched images, and a synthesized score.  I definitely have to say that I liked the zombie “film within a film” better than the film itself

I’m not saying that ParaNorman is a bad film, however the film’s horror homages peaks with that opening scene.  Since the film is by and large a children’s film, you can’t really have a film that is all that scary.  What you get is a somewhat entertaining, and quite goofy, film about a boy who can speak to the dead that has to save his town from a zombie invasion.

It’s a cute film and I am sure the kids would love it (even though it might be too scary for kids under ten).  However, when it comes to stop motion animation, there have definitely been better films (many of which are also horror themed).

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Sean Patrick Kelly

Sean Patrick Kelly is a Toronto-based freelance film critic and blogger with a Bachelor of Arts in Cinema and Media Studies from York University. Since founding his site in 2004, Sean has shared his passion for cinema through insightful reviews and commentary. His work has also been featured in prominent outlets, including Toronto Film Scene, HuffPost Canada, Screen Anarchy, ScreenRant, and Rue Morgue Magazine.