What We Learned From Hotel Transylvania 3

I love a good kid’s movie.  By good, I mean great animation, humor for the kids as well as for the adults, and a conversation starter afterward. 

THE BEGINNING OF FAMILY MOVE DAY

I remember as soon as the boys were ready to experience movies in a theater setting.  We went to see a sequel of an animated film that they watched over and over (and over and over) at home, so we thought they would LOVE the second movie and the entire experience.

Aside from walking up and down the aisle stairs with my little one for about three-quarters of the actual movie, it was a huge success.

MOVIE DAY TURNS INTO MOVIE NIGHT

Fast forward a decade later, and we are all still super excited when a movie we like comes out.  Especially when it comes out on DVD, Blu-ray, or digital so we can watch it in the comfort of our family room, snuggled with blankets and pillows, and popcorn.

PREPPING FOR MOVIE NIGHT

MEMORY REFRESH

As with any other multi-part movies, we watch the previous versions to refresh our memories.  Prepping for Hotel Transylvania 3 was no different.  The first and the second movies were deemed favorites all around, so the third one had a lot to live up to!  If you haven’t seen Part One and Part Two, you need to.

The cast of actors portraying the characters is top notch:

• Adam Sandler as Drac
• Selena Gomez as Mavis
• Andy Samburg as Jonathan
• Kevin James as Frankenstein
• Fran Drescher as the Bride of Frankenstein
• Steve Buscemi as Wayne
• David Spade as Jack Griffin

FOOD AND FUN

Movie night isn’t a movie night without popcorn.  I will admit that there are times that the fact that we are going to have popcorn is the main driving force of me watching a movie.  Don’t forget a beverage of choice too! We then gather our blankets and pillows and secure our spots.

Our special package for the #HotelT3 movie included words for a cool karaoke night (which no one let me video LOL), as well as some fun Hotel Transylvania toys, a super cool Mavin costume and so much more!

CUDDLE TIME!

There is less and less cuddle time as my boys get older.  I have to vie for their time between sports, hanging out with friends, and video games.  Movie night is the perfect opportunity to cuddle, and after the movie, talk about our favorite parts as well as what we learned.

MOVIE TIME

Hotel Transylvania 3 did not disappoint.  It was equal parts funny and attention-grabbing.  I love listening to my boys laugh and was able to enjoy it quite a few times during the movie.

We agreed that the biggest takeaway from the entire movie was when Drac said:

You’ve got to be greater than the haters.

Both of my boys are in middle school and there are a lot of changes going on – both in school and outside.  Kids are starting to express themselves in different ways, sometimes positively and sometimes not.  There’s a lot of peer pressure and as a parent, it is my job to help guide them in making the right decisions.

Kids these days are growing up way too fast and sometimes feel that in order to be accepted, they have to conform to be like the “popular” crowd.  If they don’t, they get ridiculed, called out in school, even get into physical fights.

We’ve always taught our boys that the kids that are the haters are the ones that are not sure who they are just yet.  They are confused and are looking for a way to feel secure – to feel like they are part of the “in” crowd.  Those kids typically are the ones pushing or professing bad things (i.e. vaping, drugs – eek, fighting) to others.  When the others don’t conform, they are ridiculed.  It’s actually quite terrible.

My boys need to be “greater” than those “haters” – not succumb to whatever it is that those kids are pushing.  More than likely, those kids are just doing it for attention – they are the ones that have low self-esteem and are searching for inclusion.

We learned a lot during our post-movie conversation.  Movies like these are great because they touch on topics that are relevant and in such comfortable way to open up dialogue without the kids feeling awkward.

HOTEL TRANSYLVANIA 3

Hotel Transylvania 3 is available on Blu-ray, DVD & Digital Tuesday, October 9!

I received the Walmart Exclusive Blu-ray edition as well as a huge amount of Jazware gifts, and so much more!  The all-new, limited edition VR SKU of Hotel Transylvania 3 will have the Blu-ray, DVD and Digital versions of the film PLUS an activity book filled with AR and VR activities.  Just download the Hotel Transylvania 3 Virtual Reality Activity App, hold your phone over the cover and your favorite Monsters will leap off the page and into your heart!  Plus the included VR goggles will let you jump into their zany world with 3 brand new VR experiences.