Hotel Transylvania 2 (2015)

Hotel Transylvania 2 (2015)

When I first heard this movie was announced I did not know what to think. The first one was entertaining, witty and brought a new spin the old story of a dad not thinking the "slacker dude" is good enough for his daughter. There have been many occasions where sequels either aren't as good as the original or wear out the original concept too much. This movie thankfully does neither of those things. From start to finish this movie feels fresh and unrestricted by the expectations set by the first.

If you've seen any of the previews you already know the plot. Johnathan, the human from the first movie, and Mavis, Dracula's own daughter, get married and have a child which they are raising in Dracula's hotel. Count Dracula, proud of his own heritage as a monster, wishes for his grandson becoming a vampire like himself and is concerned when he does not show signs of being a monster. He also wishes to raise him the traditional monster way. This of coarse begins to clash with the human teachings from the other half of his family and cause the conflict of the entire movie. Said conflict is whether or not young Dennis should be raised in the hotel or in the monster-less safe human world. Though this plot sounds like the first one remixed, I feel it is more of a continuation as good sequels should be.

The animation is on par if you've seen the first movie, which is not bad. The animation of the first movie was active and full of life and that same attention drawing quality animation is here again. Everything in this movie flows to an unseen rhythm and nothing feels stiff or artificial. That's not saying there aren't a few scenes that are more dynamic then the first movie, because there is, but as a whole if you liked the animation from the first movie you will like it here as well.

As far as the characters go everyone is as kooky as they were in the first movie. Adam Sandler's brilliant comedic version of Dracula taking center stage, leading the still funny renditions of classic movie monsters. As Dracula, Sandler is just the right amount of hammy without it being off-putting. Such a performance makes it seem as if the over the top way movie monsters acted in our films was just the "old way" of acting for them.

The mood and colors used in the movie are a great mix of themes. The moody backdrops with dank dark colors fit the horror movie style the characters in the movie originate from perfectly. Then add some bright colors to mimic the happy comedic tone of the movie. Combining this together you have a brilliant mix of happy and spooky that made both the first movie and this one enjoyable for everyone.

When it comes down to it Hotel Transylvania 2 is a heartwarming family movie full of comedy that everyone, whether you're big or small, can enjoy.

Hotel Transylvania (2012)

Hotel Transylvania (2012)

Everyone remembers that special movie they saw or that one that was the best for your mind, that one which really stuck. For me that movie was "Hotel Transylvania". I think it was one of the best children's movie ever made. It conveys humor, creativity, action and freedom.

Set in Transylvania in modern time, Dracula (Adam Sandler) hosts all the legendary monsters at his hotel to celebrate his daughter's one hundred and eighteenth birthday. But he works overtime to keep Mavis (Selena Gomez) from falling for a human boy named Johnny (Andy Samberg), who miraculously stumbles upon the hotel. All Mavis has ever wanted is to leave home and see the real world and see if humans are as bad as her father says they are. The main characters are Selena Gomez as Mavis, Andy Samberg as Johnny and Adam Sandler as Dracula. It is a brilliant cast for this movie.

Selena Gomez was perfect for the part of Mavis and did a great job while Andy Samberg was good but wasn't perfect for Johnny. I think he could've done a much better job. Adam Sandler was born to play the part of Dracula. He did a magnificent job and was extremely humorous. The other characters were great and they matched their roles perfectly!

I liked that we got to know the characters and what their goal was. For example Mavis wanted freedom and wanted to leave home. What I didn't like is that it was a bit confusing. For example, "Why was Johnny hiking in Transylvania at night?" or "Why didn't Mavis just turn in to a bat and fly away to see the real world?" These questions make you wonder but I still think it was a wonderful movie even for my age group.

I think the moral of the story was trust your children to make the right decisions no matter what you think about them and from the child point of view the moral was to know your parents are always just trying to protect you. And both are true and if you look at them from both sides you will get the full story. I think that this is a movie for age groups above five and below fifteen. Reason being because Dracula does a fang up where his face goes a bit creepy but other wise I'm sure parents will love it and children between the ages of five and fifteen will love it to.

Dracula Untold (2014)

Dracula Untold (2014)

In an opening montage the son of Vlad the Impaler recounts the history surrounding the legendary character known as Dracula, and how the stories tell of a monster. Seeking to dispel the legend, Vlad the Impaler's son recounts the events around which the one known as Dracula came to be.

In the middle ages the Sultan of Turkey sought to acquire and train boys in order to turn them into perfect soldiers who would hold no moral or ethical obligations. One such boy was Vlad, who became known as "the impaler" after his use of wooden stakes to display those whom he killed as a form of psychological warfare. Ultimately, Vlad was able to escape from his duty as a soldier, and was made the prince of Transylvania, a tribute territory to the Turkish Empire. While on a scouting mission in the woods Vlad and his team discover a Turkish helmet, and deduce that a scouting party of Turks have entered Transylvania territory. In their search for the party, Vlad and his men enter a cave in the mountains and encounter an ancient sorcerer and master vampire, who subsequently drives them out of his lair.

The following day, as Vlad and his subjects celebrate Easter, the Turkish party arrives unexpected. Anticipating that they have come for the tribute, Vlad offers the party silver coins, but the envoy demands that 1,000 boys be given over for service in the Turkish army. Vlad turns down the request, but lacks an effective armed force to compel the Turks to leave Transylvania in peace. After a failed attempt at diplomacy with the Turkish Sultan, Vlad skirmishes with a Turkish party that arrived to take his son for service in Turkish army. Realizing that he will need more power in order to defend his territory and his people, Vlad seeks out the vampire's cave and explains that he has need of the vampire's power. After listening to his story and cautioning him about the risks, the vampire offers Vlad some of his blood, which infuses Vlad with the powers of the night. The vampire explains that this power will last for three days, during which time Vlad will be tempted to drink human blood, but if he can withstand the urge for all three days he will be restored to his human form.

Upon his return from the cave Vlad observes a Turkish siege of Castle Dracula, and single-handedly takes on the besieging force, killing them all. Determined to protect his people at all costs, Vlad instructs the party to fall back to a mountain monastery whose geography will hinder any Turkish attempt to take the facility. During the second night, the Transylvanian party is ambushed by Turkish forces, and Vlad and his men engage them. Although victorious in the engagement Vlad's powers begin to attract attention from his closest advisers. The next day at the monastery, as Vlad attempts to rally his people ahead of the battle, his use of the demonic powers is exposed and the citizens at the monastery subsequently turn on Vlad. Angered over this perceived betrayal, Vlad chastises his people before taking his leave.

That night, a massive Turkish force marches on the monastery. Vlad employs bats to defend the territory, however the incoming Turkish army turns out to be a decoy force deployed to allow a handful of Turks to infiltrate the monastery and kill the citizens within. Mirena's attempt to defend her son from the Turks fails, and she ultimately falls to her death. Angered over the loss of his wife, Vlad embraces the darkness within himself and honors Mirena's last request to drink her blood, then returns to the monastery. Finding a handful of survivors Vlad offers each the chance for vengeance, and gives them his blood to drink.

At the primary Turkish Army camp the Sultan and his men are preparing for a massive invasion of Europe when Vlad and his small band of vampires arrive. A battle erupts between the two forces, however Vlad's vampires are vastly superior to the Turkish soldiers, and the battle degenerates into a massacre. While the vampires take their vengeance on the Turkish forces Vlad seeks out the Sultan, who has taken his son captive. Aware of the vampire's weakness to silver, the Sultan has lined the floors of his tent with silver coins, and engages in a battle with Vlad using a silver sword. Ultimately, the Sultan's attempt to kill Vlad fails, at which point Vlad and his son emerge from the Sultan's tent, whereupon they are surrounded by the other vampires Vlad brought. Vlad's vampires demand to drink the child's blood, but they are stopped by the unexpected presence of a monk, who keeps the vampires at bay with a christian cross. After consoling his son, Vlad instructs the monk to take him away, then uses his power to clear the cloud coverage. The absence of the clouds results in the death of the vampires as they are unable to withstand the effects of direct sun contact.

In the aftermath of the battle, Vlad is presumed dead and the Turkish army defeated, leaving Europe safe from invasion and occupation. Vlad's son is crowned the new prince of Transylvania, and the name Dracula is passed down to future generations as a legend. Finding him in his near death state, Renfield finds and revives Vlad, who then remains out of the public eye. In the present day, a woman who strikingly resembles Mirena is approached by a man who complements her flowers and recites her favorite piece of poetry, seemingly by coincidence. The man introduces himself as "Vlad", and the woman introduces herself as "Mina", and the two depart together. The master vampire, who has not aged also, watches the two pass by and closes the movie by saying "Let the games begin".