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			Highly age appropriate

			Somewhat age appropriate

			Probably not age appropriate


		ParaNorman Blu-Ray Combo Pack

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		On DVD Now Best For Tweens (10-12) Rated PG
		Animation \| Fantasy/Sci-Fi

		Eleven-year-old Norman, who has a gift for talking to the departed, is charged with stopping an old witch's curse before she raises the dead in a small New England town. Writer/director Chris Butler brings many of the same sensibilities to this beautifully-animated stop-motion film as he did to Coraline--which should give parents an idea of what kind of reaction to expect from their children. The movie is clever and irreverent but it is filled with zombies, corpses, ghosts, and witches and is too scary for younger kids. For tweens, it's a powerful story about being different from filmmakers who stunningly demonstrate their understanding of that concept.


	This movie is intended for older children.


	This movie is intended for older children.

Despite the humor, younger kids are likely to take what they see at face value--and there are many very scary faces here. Zombies, corpses and witches make up a large number of the characters but what may be most nightmare-inducing are the ghostly images of Norman's grandmother talking and watching TV with him even though she died a year ago, and his friend's beloved dog playing fetch after being killed by a car. Older kids will find the story fascinating and creepy, and will laugh when Norman's dad says his grandmother is in a better place now, and Norman points out, "No, she's not. She's in the living room."

Tweens will relate to Norman's desire to just fit in and be understood. They'll empathize when he says, "I didn't ask to be born this way," and cringe when his dad replies, "Neither did we." Kids in this age group will find food for thought in the idea that many of the bad things people do are done out of fear, and they'll see how a mob mentality can turn a situation chaotic. They'll think it's funny when a ghost asks Norman to make a promise, telling him to "swear" and Norman answers, "You mean like the F word?"

--Lois Alter Mark, the Flicks for Kids Expert



		The combo pack comes with Blu-ray, DVD and digital copies of the movie, as well as the UltraViolet feature, which allows viewers to download it to tablets, computers, TVs and smartphones. The DVD and the Blu-ray each include a behind-the-scenes feature, preliminary animatic sequences and seven short segments about Norman and his co-stars.



			Movie Pluses
		Empowers children Encourages imagination Focuses on the gift of being different

			Movie Minuses
		Cartoon violence and disturbing imagery Some suggestiveness Rude humor A couple of objectionable words Bullying