Hotel Transylvania: Transformania (streaming on Amazon Prime)
My kids have been quarantined for the last week and we’ve all been staying up too late, but it’s also been fun just hanging out with the family at home, cooking together, and watching kids movies. Friday night, we took in the 4th installment of the “Hotel Transylvania” franchise- “Hotel Transylvania: Transformania.”
Honestly, I was pretty leery of this one going into it because I don’t like major character changes in the middle of a series. Case in point- the character of Clarice Starling going from Jodie Foster to Julianna Moore…I didn’t like it. And I love Julianna Moore. She just wasn’t Clarice Starling. In the world of “Hotel Transylvania,” we all know Adam Sandler (Happy Gilmore, Uncut Gems) as the voice of Drac. When I found out that he had bowed out of this sequel and someone else had stepped in, I was less than excited.
However, my kiddos LOVED it and they didn’t notice the change at all, and I guess that’s what matters as they are the target audience for the film. My wife and I enjoyed it too. It’s very funny. Brian Hull, a YouTuber from Texas who caught the attention of animation studios (including Disney) when his YouTube video, “Disney and Pixar sings Let It Go” went viral. He really did a great job voicing the role of Drac in this movie.
I was also disappointed that Kevin James (King of Queens, The Zookeeper) didn’t return as the voice of Frankenstein. Like Sandler, he was a part of all 3 previous films in the franchise. I’ve searched the innerwebs and have found no official word as to why the two stars did not reprise their roles in this 4th film.
Anyway, a number of other stars DID reprise their roles including Andy Samberg (Brooklyn 99, SNL) as Jonathan, Selena Gomez (Only Murders in the Building, Ramona & Beezus) as Mavis, Jim Gaffigan (Chappaquiddick, Troop Zero) as Van Helsing, David Spade (Tommy Boy, Joe Dirt) as Griffin, and Fran Drescher (The Nanny, Happily Divorced.
In this installment, When Van Helsing’s mysterious invention, the “Monsterfication Ray” goes haywire, Drac and his monster pals are all transformed into humans while Johnny becomes a monster. In their new mismatched bodies, Drac, stripped of his powers, and an exuberant Johnny, loving life as a monster, mist team up and race across the glove to find a cure before it’s too late, and before they drive each other crazy. With help from Mavis and the hilariously human Drac pack, the heat is on to find a way to switch themselves back before their transformations become permanent.
Now I’ll be the first to admit it’s probably the weakest of the 4 films, but that doesn’t stop it from being funny, and again, the kids are going to love it. My kids, three days later, are still talking about their favorite scene. All three of them agree that the scene where Griffin (The Invisible Man) becomes a human is their favorite, and it IS a really funny moment.
I think the writers and directors did a nice job with the script and the story, and even with the pacing of the movie. The art and animation are great. And as has been the case from the first movie, the actors did a great job with the voices. I think we’ll see/hear a lot more out of Brian Hull (the new Drac) in the coming years.
Pop some popcorn tonight and huddle up with the kiddos and check out “Hotel Transylvania: Transformania” I can almost guarantee the kids are going to love it.
This movie is rated PG for some action and rude humor including (funny) cartoon nudity. Watch This with Chris gives this one a 4/5.
Peacemaker (streaming on HBO Max)
I was first introduced to “Peacemaker” in last year’s “The Suicide Squad” movie, which I loved! Lately, there have been some great series based on Marvel and DC characters including “Wanda Vision,” “Hawkeye,” “Superman & Lois,” “The Boys,” “Raising Dion,” and “Batwoman.” Some or my favorites are also “The Flash,” “Jessica Jones,” and “Daredevil.” I recommend all of these for various reasons.
Let’s get back to the program at hand though. John Cena (The Suicide Squad, Playing with Fire) reprises his role as convict turned “superhero”- Peacemaker. The series focuses on the origin of the DC superhero that is so dedicated to world peace that he is prepared to use force of arms to achieve it.
Let’s get this out of the way off the top: If you’re looking for a serious series…move along. This is not “Batman” or “Captain America” or even “Spider-man.” This is more along the lines of the “Deadpool” of DC. My hats off to John Cena for taking on a silly, ridiculous role like this. It seems obvious that he’s able to not take himself too seriously.
I’m really enjoying the cast in this one. Obviously, there’s Cena, but you’ll also like Jennifer Holland (The Suicide Squad, Sun Records), Steve Agee (Superstore, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2), Danielle Brooks (Orange is the New Black, The Angry Birds Movie), and the great Robert Patrick (Terminator 2, Cop Land.) I really love Brooks’ performance in this as she was also one of my favorites from OITNB.
Three episodes have been released so far with more coming each Thursday. The series picks up after the events of “The Suicide Squad.” Peacemaker makes a miraculous recovery and returns home only to discover that his freedom comes at a price. He quickly joins up with the team, and they set out on a mission to assassinate “butterflies.”
So, I like it. But I like silly. I like over-the-top. And I like ridiculous. “Peacemaker” is all of this and more. Buckle up and definitely watch this one after the kids have gone to bed.
“Peacemaker” is rated PG-MA for adult language, violence, sex & nudity. Watch This with Chris gives this one a score of 4.1/5.
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