Directors: Sam Fell & Chris Butler
Starring: Kodi Smit-McPhee, Casey Affleck, Anna Kendrick, John Goodman, Leslie Mann, Jeff Garlin, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, Elaine Strich, Bernard Hill
Running Time: 93 minutes
Certificate: PG
Synopsis: Norman is a misunderstood schoolboy who can see and speak with the dead. When a terrible centuries-old curse is unleashed upon his hometown, Norman must overcome a horde of zombies, a vengeful witch, and the town’s grown-ups in order to save the day…
Kids aren’t scared easily enough nowadays. Now I’m not saying that you could sit a child down in front of THE EXORCIST and that he’ll simply giggle and fidget whilst Linda Blair vomits gunk and violently throws herself around a bed. But for example, when I was tiny, I remember cowering behind the sofa during the Forest scene from Disney’s SNOW WHITE & THE SEVEN DWARVES. Maybe I was just a wuss, or maybe kids are just made of much harder stuff nowadays. Which begs the question – can a horror film designed for children actually do what a horror film is meant to do and scare the crap out of them?! Well, judging by PARANORMAN, the kiddie horror-comedy from LAIKA (the studio behind 2009’s sublime CORALINE), the answer is…possibly!
Despite hilariously embracing the look and feel of an old B-Movie horror film for its opening moments, PARANORMAN chooses to do away with multiple references to other classic horror films quite early on, and instead chooses to focus on coming up with it’s own gags without resorting to aping other films for cheap fan boy titillation. However, despite this, what follows is quite hit and miss. Whilst the central plot line is enjoyable enough, PARANORMAN is very much a children’s film on autopilot – there’s not much in the way of invention or originality, and a vast majority of the gags fall flat. The action sequences are great, particularly the car/zombie chase that takes place midway through the film, but none of them give that edge-of-your-seat thrill. The real disappointing thing about the film though is that it isn’t scary. Don’t get me wrong, I know I’m a fully grown adult and the film isn’t meant to frighten me, but the press screening saw a fair few of the seats filled with kids, and sadly I didn’t hear them scream or jump once. Some children may get a tingle down their spine during a few moments, but it’s doubtful this one will have them throwing their popcorn up into the air in horror (unless the projectionist accidentally puts on TOP CAT THE MOVIE). The film feels like it wants to be scary, and creates a creepy atmosphere throughout, but seems to fall short of inflicting real terror into proceedings.
However, where the film does succeed is in its use of character and emotion. The friendship between Norman and his friend Neil is sweet and funny, and results in the best scene of the movie, which involves a touching reunion between Neil and his Dog. Likewise, the moments between Norman and his Grandma are equally touching, and the climax of the film bravely decides to forego convention and give us a more intimate and emotional denouement as opposed to an action-packed explosion-fest.
It’ll entertain the kid, that’s for sure. Whether it will scare the pants off them is another matter entirely. Which makes this film somewhat disappointing. It’s funny in places (yet not as funny as one would wish) and occasionally creepy (though never a 100% fear-inducing), and the emotional character moments are terrific. But overall PARANORMAN feels like a big missed opportunity. Best just sit your child down in front of THE EXORCIST if you really want to scare them.
PARANORMAN arrives in UK cinemas 14th September
