There are enough mild thrills and chuckles to make ParaNorman a pleasant, enjoyable but very gentle children's movie. Released a little early for Halloween, this stop-motion tale begins as a well-realised look at high school alienation as Norman - he sees and speaks to 'dead people' - is isolated at both school and home for his unusual ability, but then his importance in relation to the town's witch-curse sets him and the story off on a predictable but effective journey. Design has a detailed and interestingly grimy and worn look - notice how Norman's facial features and even his locker door are a bit off-kilter - but the low-key colour palette means that the 3D does not always 'pop' as it could. There are plenty of nods to classic horror films old and new (even Norman's ringtone cannot help but raise a knowing smile), the supporting characters are endearingly silly, and there is sufficient craft and invention on show to keep all ages engaged. It was interesting to note that children in the audience were audibly scared when Norman creeps through a spooky house, yet they laughed out loud later in the same scene when a corpse was knocked about for comedic effect. Could there be a better way to introduce the young to the joys of the horror genre?
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