ParaNorman

Here is a stop-animation movie that isn’t afraid to be creepy. Norman (the voice of Kodi Smit-McPhee) can see dead people and has premonitions; as a result, he gets picked on at school and yelled at by his parents. As it turns out, he’s the only person who can save the town from a curse involving zombies and witches. Directors Chris Butler and Sam Fell have put together a great-looking movie, and Butler’s script actually pushes the PG rating to the point where adults might be surprised by what they have taken their kids to see. As for this being too scary for kids, let me tell you that the kids were screaming—with delight—at my screening. The film also features the voices of John Goodman, Leslie Mann, Casey Affleck and Christopher Mintz-Plasse. One of the year’s best animated films.