Snowman wants to be an intellectual experience for pre-teens. This movie unwinds intently for kids. A boy, a bit of a hypochondriac, fights bullies and his own sense of worth. In the end he decides to leave his mark by establishing a Guinness World Record for creating the most snowmen.

The little lad, convinced he’s going to die takes his stand against oppression and figures a world record will be what people remember about him. Adults like Christopher Lloyd and Ray Liotta pop up mainly for comic relief.

Themes of mortality may seem like a big gulp for children but the way it’s handled here lends credence for the maturity of, well, those who appear by nature immature.

One newscaster claims the kids have assembled 12,000 snowman but it sure looks like a couple of hundred to me.

- Michael Bergeron