ParaNorman - This film was made only for me... probably 

I just watched 'ParaNorman' - a film about a boy (called 'Norman' by the way) who can talk to ghosts - and wondered who it was aimed at? The cinema was filled with children (ranging from three years old to early teens) and I came out of the auditorium wondering whether I was the only person in there who TRULY enjoyed all aspects of it!

Don't think that just because this is a story about a boy who `sees dead people' that it's anything like 'The Sixth Sense.' It more than slightly cashes in on today's obsession with zombies. We've seen zombie movies for adults, zombie movies with `infected' people instead of walking corpses, romantic zombie movies, comedy zombie movies, zombie movies from the point of view of the undead themselves and now we have a kids' one. It had to happen (and, after watching 'ParaNorman,' I say no bad thing).

First of all, this is NOT 'Toy Story' or 'Shrek.' For a start it's made from `claymation' (think 'Wallace and Gromit') rather than all on computers. Plus, it might pass itself off as a childrens' movie, but it seemed more like a homage to cheesy B-movie horror films of days gone by. There are tonnes of in-joke references to horror films that, unless you show your five-year-old 'Halloween' and 'Return of the Living Dead' instead of 'In the Night Garden,' they will have no hope of ever picking up on.

In these days of `target audiences' where `Film A' is meant for women and `Film B' is meant for children and so on, watching 'ParaNorman' made me wonder whether the filmmakers just sat down, made a movie that they liked and never really gave much through to who it was meant for, hoping it would find an audience out there somewhere. A brave, if not that economical, decision.

Bottom line: 'ParaNorman' was awesome, but then I'm a man who has grown on up on horror and zombie films. It has loads more heart and character development than other recent `kids' movies, such as 'Brave,' it looks visually stunning, has a definite look and feel of its own and it's packed full of gags - I just wonder how many children will actually get?

Afterthought: I was so caught up in enjoying this movie, I obviously didn't get some concerns from parents. I've read some internet message boards where parents are annoyed at a kids' movie bringing in issues of child death and (takes a deep breath) sexuality. Maybe if you don't want Little Johnny asking you, "Daddy, why does HE have a `boyfriend?'" you really shouldn't take your child to see this.

Paranorman = possible future cult movie.

9/10 almost as perfect as The Godfather