RBR: Paranorman

Thanks to the success of Pixar, we are inundated these days with computer animated kids films, so it's refreshing to see someone take a more old school approach to animated films. Using stop-motion technology, Paranorman tells the story of a young boy who has the ability to see and talk to dead spirits, which makes him an outcast in his town. The animation here is superb, but it's the only thing notable about this rather thin tale of acceptance. The film can be rather slow at times and is awfully morose for supposedly being a kids film. I found myself bored or depressed rather than engaged while watching most of it. I give the film credit for getting its message across in a way that is organic to the story and doesn't feel like ham-fisted proselytizing. And yet, I felt no emotional connection to the story or the primary characters. Those who are fans of this style of animation should definitely give this a watch as the film looks great, but from an entertainment perspective the film lacks more body than the zombies it depicts on screen. Rating: *** 1/2