PARANORMAN

RYAN: You know I like family films and animated movies.

CAROLINE: I don’t.  But I have always appreciated your enthusiasm for them.

RYAN: And I’ve always been confident you’d like the ones that play to all ages.  The best kids movies are those that appeal to adults as well and ParaNorman is one of the best examples in recent history.  This is actually one of my favorite movies of the year!

CAROLINE: Seriously?

RYAN: Yeah I’d say it’s number three for me so far.

CAROLINE: Well we haven’t yet hit all the big Oscar contenders which come out around year’s end.

RYAN: True.  But I can all but guarantee this movie will make my top ten list this year.

CAROLINE: Wow alright.  Why did you love it so?

RYAN: It’s practically a perfect movie.  First of all it’s not typical animation.  It’s stop motion like Coraline and by the makers of that film.  I liked that one a lot and this is even better.

CAROLINE: I liked Coraline too when you dragged me to it.

RYAN: The characters’ design and the environments and all of the animation is phenomenal.  The effects are fantastic and all the effort just pays off so delightfully.  But what really makes it wonderful is the script, the story.

CAROLINE: It looks like it might be a little creepy for little kids.

RYAN: Some images are Halloweeny, but it’s appropriate for all ages.  And it’s comical but also really has some brilliant messages in it.  I love the theme about ghosts and witches.

CAROLINE: Oh I know you love witches.  How’s the casting?

RYAN: Well Anna Kendrick is one of my favorite actresses today.  She voices Norman’s sister.  Norman is voiced by Kodi Smit-McPhee who was the little boy in that vampire movie Let Me In.

CAROLINE: Oh that movie was crazy.  Who else is in this?

RYAN: Leslie Mann as the mom, Christopher Mintz-Plasse as the bully, Elaine Stritch as the grandma, Casey Affleck, John Goodman and more…

CAROLINE: Nice.

RYAN: This movie is actually funnier than many of the adult comedies that have come out this year.

CAROLINE: Wow.

RYAN: But it’s not just a comedy.  It’s a fantasy and there’s so much that the filmmakers accomplished in the articulation of the animation and effects in telling this story.

CAROLINE: Now if my little one was a little older, I’d happily take her to see it.

RYAN: It’s about a little boy who sees ghosts and I’m gonna say it… I liked it better than The Sixth Sense.  It’s a true achievement in entertainment and I highly recommend this film.