INSOMNIAC SONG
MOVIE AND TELEVISION REVIEWS
ANIMATION
Paranorman
Starring: Kodi Smit-McPhee, Anna Kendrick, Christopher Mintz-Plasse
Directed by: Chris Butler, Sam Fell
Rating: PG
Run time: 92 minutes
Synopsis: A misunderstood boy takes on ghosts, zombies and grown-ups to save his town from a centuries-old curse.
Stop motion animation doesn't get nearly as much love as it should get. The sheer amount of work that goes into crafting every detail of each scene is astonishing. LAIKA has worked magic with the medium whether it's their previous releases like Corpse Bride and Coraline, or here in Paranorman. This film is entirely about intolerance. Norman is ridiculed, bullied and treated poorly by nearly everyone around him. His own family seems afraid or embarrassed by him. He's an avid fan of horror movies and regularly converses with spirits. That doesn't make him a bad kid. He's really quite sweet whether it's to dead people or the living. He simply prefers to be alone because of how he's treated. Can he make friends and overcome all of hatred people spew at him to save the day? The film handles the issues fairly well given that it's meant for children. Intolerance and bullying should never be acceptable in any way or form.
Rating: 3.5/5
ANIMATION
The Lorax
Starring: Danny DeVito, Zac Efron, Taylor Swift
Directed by: Chris Renaud, Kyle Balda
Rating: PG
Run time: 86 minutes
Synopsis: A 12-year-old boy searches for the one thing that will enable him to win the affection of the girl of his dreams. To find it he must discover the story of the Lorax, the grumpy yet charming creature who fights to protect his world.
There are lots of cute things about The Lorax. The animals are particularly adorable. The bright colors and design will keep kids staring at the screen. However, there is just something about the film that looses the original whimsy of the Dr. Seuss book. The dialogue doesn't feel as if it's completely connected to the original story. Overall, the message gets a bit muddled along the way under all the singing and action.
Rating: 2.5/5
ANIMATION
The Croods
Starring: Nicolas Cage, Ryan Reynolds, Emma Stone
Directed by: Kirk De Micco, Chris Sanders
Rating: PG
Run time: 98 minutes
Synopsis: After their cave is destroyed, a caveman family must trek through an unfamiliar fantastical world with the help of an inventive boy.
Growing up on the Flintstones, I was surprised to see another prehistoric family join the animation word. The Croods goes further back to living in caves and experiencing things for the first time. This is ultimately a story of learning to let go and accept change as well as cherishing family in whatever shape or form it comes in. The characters are cute enough to keep the kids entertained. It was really the animals that seemed to steal the show. The children I watched with were making up creative names for what each animal reminded them of such as the Bear Owl and the Girelephant (an elephant with a giraffe pattern). This appears to be Dreamwork's new cash cow with a sequel and television series in the works.
Rating: 3/5