Entertainment : In Depth - ParaNorman

It may be the most fun you’ll have with ghosts and zombies all year. ~Betsey Sharkey, LA Times

The spirit of great stop-motion animators like George Pal and Ray Harryhausen lives on in ParaNorman, and not just as a ghost: It's so real you could almost reach out and touch it. ~Stephanie Zacharek, NPR

“ParaNorman” in 3D plays the Palace Friday, August 31 through Thursday, September 6 at 7 p.m. nightly and Monday, September 3 at 2 p.m.

I read a variety of reviews about “ParaNorman,” which garnered an 87% approval rating on www.rottentomatoes.com, and was pleasantly surprised. I thought the preview looked a little weird, but critics and regular folk all seem to like it!

In Blithe Hollow, Norman is a boy who can speak to the dead, but no one, other than his one friend, Neil, believes him. One day, Norman's crazy uncle explains that only he can protect the town from a centuries old curse, and Norman soon learns the real truth.

Rated PG for language and action violence, this movie is not for our youngest viewers. “ParaNorman” runs 93 minutes.

There's a sophistication to Laika's 3D stop-action films, and they're just edgy enough to engage even jaded teens who fancy themselves too old for animation. This is not a Disney princess musical; it's got an authenticity to its teenspeak (especially Courtney's hormone-fueled attempts to attract dim-bulb Mitch) and a deep understanding of the perils of early adolescence, when being different feels like it's the worst curse but can really be a blessing in disguise. ~www.commonsensemedia.org

Following “ParaNorman” the Palace Theatre will be closed for two weeks, from September 7 – 20.

Don’t lose hope! “Hope Springs” is now scheduled to open on September 21, making it the first film you’ll see in a new seat at the Palace!