ParaNorman, Wreck It Ralph and The Guardians... if Big Brother is really checking what movie tickets I buy, he will by now have realised it's summer school holidays here in New Zealand and that I've given up on entertaining my kids in quality educational ways like making our own soap.
And so, off to the movies we went. Three times. None of the three movies were hidden gems like Kung Fu Panda, but they were all immensely watchable.
Wreck It Ralph will appeal to most parents because of its arcade-game look. Its story line is sound, the plot twists believable... if only it didn't have so many Pahntom-Menace-like races around the track!
The Guardians is prettier, if a little less original. If I had to go into stereotypes, I'd say this one is more of a girl movie than Wreck It Ralph.
ParaNorman... not for little kids. Some 8-year olds may be ok with it, some 10-year olds might cry over the ghost of the pet dog. I hesitated for a long time before taking my son to see it, read all the reviews, went yuck to the zombies. In the end, I had fun. The scary bits are all delivered with a wink and a pinch of salt, but you have to appreciate black humour to enjoy them.
Can't wait to see The Croods!
