Paranorman

It's a hard knock life for a loser elementary school kid, as he goes to class and continually gets beat up by zit-infested bullies.  As if getting pushed around by a bully who looks more like Sloth from the Goonies wasn't enough, Norman has the same gift Jennifer Love Hewitt has, which is the ability to see the dead!  According to the TV show Supernatural, this would be the coolest gift to have, but the problem is it brings his self-esteem down to the same level as the little girl in the parade from Princes Diaries 2, the one with the messed up grill.  When a centuries-old curse turns the town into a Zombie horror-fest, it is up to Norman to gird his loins, strengthen his nerd, and save the day!

The Good:
When the movie Coraline came out I knew that I found my one true love (other than my wife), so when I found out they were making another movie my bowls leaped for joy, and then I had to run to the bathroom because your bowls leaping in public indicates something else.  The animation is beautiful, the story is simple, the characters are sweet, and best of all it shows everyone that it's OK to like scary movies.  Now i'm not saying that the movie says it's OK to let your children experience Human Centipede 2 (which for the record it should not be seen by any man), but it's saying that children experiencing scary films helps them to discern between good and evil at an early age, and if you don't believe me take a look at Disney films, that crap is straight trippin!  Finally the think I liked the best about this film are all the shout outs to some of the classic Horror movies, such as: Night of the Living Dead, Halloween, and almost every other supernatural film out there.  When I saw some of these shout outs, my bowls began to leap again... and you know what happened next.

The Bad:
I thought this movie was fun, and even my wife dropped her Harry Potter stories to pay attention, but if i'm to find anything wrong with it, then I would have to make a comparison with Coraline.  What I liked about Coraline is it had B-E-A-Utiful music that makes me feel like a "straight" fairy, and I can listen to it all day.  With Paranorman I don't get that, instead I get the "I'm a bad-A mother Beep!" feeling, which isn't bad, it's just that I don't feel pretty at the end.  Other than that, this movie is the perfect Horror film that kids can enjoy.

The Ugly:
Besides the Bully's zitty face, this movie is very pleasant to watch, almost as pleasant as looking at a Country Home Living magazine during a restroom break.  Not only is it very good for kids, but adults are going to love the animation, the amount of scares, and all the references to other Horror films.  Now Have at this gem!!

4 1/2 out of 5