My Guilty Pleasures: Animated Movie Edition

Written by Shae Rufe

Lately I have been on a kick of kids/animated movies. And I don’t know why. To this day, I could not tell you. I’ve watched a particular film three times this week, alone. And before you assume it’s Kingsman, you’re also right, but that’s not the point.
 
My first film of choice is Cat’s Don’t Dance. I have literally watched this almost every night. I couldn’t begin to tell you why, or what it is that drew me to watch this film, but it is fantastic. Okay, it’s corny in a lot of spots, but for the most part, the film has a great story arc that I enjoy even as an adult. We start with a world filled with anthropomorphic animals and humans both trying to make their way in Hollywood, the city of dreams. Danny is a cat from Nebraska who is new to town and he’s there to hit it big with his talent of singing and dancing, not to mention acting. Danny is met with troubles when he crosses the town’s most leading lady, Darla Dimple; a child actor with a bad attitude. Along the way to stardom Danny meets a slew of friends, including Sawyer, whom becomes his love interest in the very end. Of course, Danny and the gang win out, and everyone’s dreams come true!
 
The last two films of today’s choice are both related. Hotel Transylvania follows the story of Dracula in a whole different light. Seems the legendary Vampire really owns a Hotel for Monsters in Transylvania. He’s best friends with Frankenstein, the Werewolf, and so many more. But, different than most retellings is the fact that Drac has a daughter. Mavis. Mavis is just turning 118 years old and wanting to explore the world outside the Hotel she grew up in. It takes a human, Jonathan, stumbling onto the scene to change Mavis’ life forever. The two fall in love, much to Dracula’s disliking. The movie is filled with Drac trying to hide the fact that Jonny is a human. In the end, Mavis says that Jonny is her Zing… and that changes everything for Drac.
 
Similarly, Hotel Transylvania 2 sheds a new twist on the whole classic. This time, Jonny and Mavis are married, and they end up having some great news. Mavis is pregnant. The film shows her son, Dennis growing up in the Hotel, when Dennis is just about to turn 5, however, there’s a bit of an issue. Vampires have until they’re 5 to get their fangs. Mavis is convinced that Dennis isn’t going to become a vampire, instead he’s going to be human like his father. Drac on the other hand isn’t so sure. Jonny ends up taking Mavis to California to visit his family, and show her normal life, while Drac and the gang take Dennis out to teach him to be a vampire. It isn’t until the very end when Dennis and Winny (his werewolf best friend, and Zing) that Dennis gets his fangs... this is probably my favorite movie of the moment, due to… reasons.

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