The fourth and final installment of the "Hotel Transylvania" franchise, which began in 2012, comes to Amazon Prime minus Adam Sandler, but with the addition of some monstrously heartwarming messages for kids.
When the animated action begins, Count Dracula (once voiced by Sandler, now played by Brian Hull) is on the brink of retirement. His daughter Mavis (Selena Gomez) and her husband Johnny (Andy Samberg) are poised to inherit the hotel, but Johnny senses that Dracula doesn't want him, a human, running things. Prof. Abraham Van Helsing (Jim Gaffigan) and his "Monsterfication Ray" offers an answer. It turns Johnny into a winged monster, but when things go sideways, the ray also transforms Dracula and his monster friends into humans.
"Being a human is the worst," Drac complains of the movie's "Freaky Friday" twist.
"You don't recognize me?" asks Griffin (David Spade), the invisible man, after his human reveal.
"I have literally never seen you before," says Mavis.
Mavis, Johnny and the Drac Pack head to a place deep in the Amazon, the only place where the transformations can be reversed, in search of a cure for their situation. "If we don't fix you guys soon," says Mavis. "You'll be like this forever."
Like the other big screen entries in the "Hotel Transylvania" series, this movie is loud and frenetic. The goofy, colourful action feels like it could be from almost any other animated movie but the characters and the fun voice work (from actors like Steve Buscemi, Kathryn Hahn, Jim Gaffigan, Molly Shannon, Keegan-Michael Key and Fran Drescher) cut through the noise.
They are all unusual characters, but they've found their community. They accept one another, like family does. "Transformania" highlights the family feel by allowing the Drac Pack and Johnny, characters we've been watching for three other films, to learn what it is like to see the world through one another's eyes. It's a lesson in tolerance and acceptance that feels earned, no matter how outlandish the story may be.
The life lessons are wedged between a monster mash of laughs and action, some of which parents may find headache inducing, but, like Dracula, kids should be able to sink their teeth into it.
Like "Don’t Breathe," "Birdbox" and "A Quiet Place," "See for Me," a new thriller directed by Randall Okita, and now on VOD, finds its suspense in the loss of a sense. In this case Skyler Davenport plays Sophie, once an Olympic level alpine skier until an accident left her visually impaired, pitted against an enemy she can't see.
The house in question is a rambling mansion, located in the middle of nowhere, with a well-stocked wine cellar and more importantly, a secret safe filled with cash and jewels. Sophie landed the housesitting gig because she was the first one to answer the ad and despite not being able to see is able to do the job thanks to technology. An app called See for Me connects her with a remote set of eyes, in this case belonging to Kelly (Jessica Parker Kennedy), who guides here through the home. Sophie's tenacity coupled with Kelly’s experience as a war vet and gamer, are put to the test when three very bad people break in, looking for the home’s hidden treasures.
"There's people in the house," Sophie whispers into the app. "I heard their voices."
"See for Me" isn't so much a horror film, although there are some uneasy, violent moments, as it is a game of cat-and-mouse with elements that will keep you guessing throughout. Screenwriters Adam Yorke and Tommy Gushue keep the twists coming hard-and-fast, but also add in a dollop of moral ambiguity.
Sophie's situation is complicated, she's angry that retinitis pigmentosa took away her chance at Olympic glory, and, in need of money, isn't afraid to bend some rules to the point of breaking. That adds a psychological layer to the character and the story that gives the story — essentially the same kind of home invasion tale we've seen many times before — a fresh angle to explore.
The inclusive casting of visually impaired actor Davenport, brings authenticity to the role. Even when we see the twists coming — of course she has a low battery on her phone, the lifeline to Kelly — Davenport keeps the character and the story compelling.
"See for Me" is an effective thriller that builds tension as the psychological drama ramps up. We've seen several of these elements before, the sensory loss, the first-person shooter shtick and the home invasion angle, but director Randall Okita brings them together in a persuasive package.
Imagine a near future where androids co-exist with people. That's the way "Mother/Android," the new Netflix post-apocalyptic thriller starring Chloë Grace Moretz, begins.
Human in appearance — think "The Terminator" but without the muscles — the droids are mostly support staff, serving drinks at parties and working as household help. All is hunky dory until the robots blow a gasket and turn on their human counterparts.
"They're not supposed to be able to do that!" shrieks one victim. "They are programmed not to be able to do that."
We first meet Georgia (Moretz), a young pregnant woman, enjoying a Christmas party with her boyfriend Sam (Algee Smith) and some others when a robot waiter short circuits and attacks the partygoers. And the murderous bot isn't alone; he's part of an A.I. apocalypse happening across the country.
Jump cut to nine months later. Georgia's baby is overdue and she and Sam, like so many others, were forced to flee from cities to the relative safety of rural military camps where electromagnetic transmitters provide protection from rampaging robots.
But it's a losing battle. "I'm fighting a war here against an enemy that literally never sleeps," says the camp leader.
In a last-ditch effort to find a safe place for their baby to grow up, Georgia and Sam plan to leave the United States for Korea, where the robots haven't taken over. First though, they must traverse the dangerous No Man's Land, the deadly wilderness between them and safe passage out of the country.
"Mother/Android" made me wonder whether a twist is still a twist if you can see it coming a mile away. No spoilers here, but as an audience we've seen a lot of post-apocalyptic movies in the last decade or so, and, I would guess, so has writer-director Mattson Tomlin. Much of the imagery and general idea of folks on the run from some sort of catastrophe are familiar, and feel borrowed from other movies. The twist will be predictable to fans of the genre, adding to the movie's generic feel.
Moretz is the best thing about "Mother/Android." She brings a steeliness and vulnerability to Georgia's story of resilience and survival as the movie plods around her. A third character, whose intentions are not immediately clear, appears midway (AGAIN, NO SPOILERS HERE) and spices things up a bit, but even that doesn't get the blood pumping.
"Mother/Android" feels like the love child of "Children of Men," "The Terminator" and "A Quiet Place" and, as such, commits the biggest sins of speculative fiction — it's short on originality and long on derivative ideas.
New York's highest court on Thursday overturned Harvey Weinstein's 2020 rape conviction, reversing a landmark ruling of the #MeToo era in determining the trial judge improperly allowed women to testify about allegations against the ex-movie mogul that weren't part of the case.
Honda is set to build an electric vehicle battery plant next to its Alliston, Ont., assembly plant, which it is retooling to produce fully electric vehicles, all part of a $15-billion project that is expected to include up to $5 billion in public money.
MPP Sarah Jama was asked to leave the Legislative Assembly of Ontario by House Speaker Ted Arnott on Thursday for wearing a keffiyeh, a garment that is banned at Queen’s Park.
Researchers are working to better understand if some Canadian military veterans may be suffering from Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy, also known as CTE -- a disorder previously found in the brains of professional football and hockey players after their death.
Residents of John D'Or Prairie, a community on the Little Red River Cree Nation in northern Alberta, were told to take shelter Thursday morning during a police operation.
During a special winner celebration near their hometown, Doug and Enid shared the story of how they discovered they were holding a Lotto Max ticket worth $70 million and how they kept this huge secret for so long.
A West Virginia father is getting some sense of closure after authorities found the remains of his young daughter and her mother following a deathbed confession from the man believed to have fatally shot them nearly two decades ago.
The first cargo ship passed through a newly opened deep-water channel in Baltimore on Thursday after being stuck in the harbor since the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapsed four weeks ago, halting most maritime traffic through the city's port.
A London man has become the first person in Canada to receive a robotic assisted surgery on his spine. Dave Myeh suffered from debilitating, chronic back pain that led to sciatica in his right now and extreme pain in his lower back.
MPP Sarah Jama was asked to leave the Legislative Assembly of Ontario by House Speaker Ted Arnott on Thursday for wearing a keffiyeh, a garment that is banned at Queen’s Park.
Researchers are working to better understand if some Canadian military veterans may be suffering from Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy, also known as CTE -- a disorder previously found in the brains of professional football and hockey players after their death.
Dozens of inmates were transported from a northern Alberta correctional centre earlier this week because of a wildfire.
Mounties on Vancouver Island have confirmed that two bodies recovered by United States authorities earlier this week are those of a pair of missing kayakers from British Columbia.
Residents of John D'Or Prairie, a community on the Little Red River Cree Nation in northern Alberta, were told to take shelter Thursday morning during a police operation.
Jury selection is set to start today for the trial of a Winnipeg man accused of killing four women.
Two military horses that bolted and ran miles through the streets of London after being spooked by construction noise and tossing their riders were in a serious condition and required operations, a British government official said Thursday.
A Sydney bishop who was stabbed repeatedly in an alleged extremist attack blamed on a teenager has backed X Corp. owner Elon Musk's legal bid to overturn an Australian ban on sharing graphic video of the attack on social media.
The first cargo ship passed through a newly opened deep-water channel in Baltimore on Thursday after being stuck in the harbor since the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapsed four weeks ago, halting most maritime traffic through the city's port.
A reluctant Donald Trump returned to a New York City courtroom Thursday as his hush money trial resumed at the same time that the U.S. Supreme Court hears arguments in Washington over whether he should be immune from prosecution for actions he took during his time as president.
A ship travelling in the Gulf of Aden came under attack Thursday, officials said, the latest assault likely carried out by Yemen's Houthi rebels over Israel's ongoing war on Hamas in the Gaza Strip.
Iran's judiciary confirmed the death sentence of well-known Iranian rapper Toomaj Salehi but added that he is entitled to a sentence reduction, state media reported on Thursday.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is accusing Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre of welcoming 'the support of conspiracy theorists and extremists,' after the Conservative leader was photographed meeting with protesters, which his office has defended.
Honda is set to build an electric vehicle battery plant next to its Alliston, Ont., assembly plant, which it is retooling to produce fully electric vehicles, all part of a $15-billion project that is expected to include up to $5 billion in public money.
The Canadian Medical Association asserts the Liberals' proposed changes to capital gains taxation will put doctors' retirement savings in jeopardy, but some financial experts insist incorporated professionals are not as doomed as they say they are.
Researchers are working to better understand if some Canadian military veterans may be suffering from Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy, also known as CTE -- a disorder previously found in the brains of professional football and hockey players after their death.
A London man has become the first person in Canada to receive a robotic assisted surgery on his spine. Dave Myeh suffered from debilitating, chronic back pain that led to sciatica in his right now and extreme pain in his lower back.
Ontario is still playing catch up on routine vaccinations that many children missed during the pandemic and public health officials are warning that it could take years to solve the problem.
Researchers are working to better understand if some Canadian military veterans may be suffering from Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy, also known as CTE -- a disorder previously found in the brains of professional football and hockey players after their death.
China launched a three-member crew to its orbiting space station on Thursday as part of its ambitious program that aims to put astronauts on the moon by 2030.
U.S. President Joe Biden signed legislation Wednesday that could ban TikTok in the U.S. while his campaign has embraced the platform and tried to work with influencers.
New York's highest court on Thursday overturned Harvey Weinstein's 2020 rape conviction, reversing a landmark ruling of the #MeToo era in determining the trial judge improperly allowed women to testify about allegations against the ex-movie mogul that weren't part of the case.
In the last year, Tim Hortons has treated cottaging Canadians to a boat drivethru, revived its beloved Dutchie doughnut and launched flatbread pizzas. But perhaps its biggest surprise will come this summer.
The B.C. woman convicted of killing Reena Virk described the TV series dramatizing the notorious 1997 murder as disrespectful to the victim and her family.
The number of vacant jobs in Canada increased in February, while monthly payroll employment decreased in food services, manufacturing, and retail trade, among other sectors.
Boeing said Wednesday that it lost US$355 million on falling revenue in the first quarter, another sign of the crisis gripping the aircraft manufacturer as it faces increasing scrutiny over the safety of its planes and accusations of shoddy work from a growing number of whistleblowers.
New condo sales in the Toronto region dropped to the lowest quarterly total since the financial crisis in 2009 amid high interest rates and affordability issues, a new report has found.
During a special winner celebration near their hometown, Doug and Enid shared the story of how they discovered they were holding a Lotto Max ticket worth $70 million and how they kept this huge secret for so long.
A Polish pilot proposed to his flight attendant girlfriend during a flight from Warsaw to Krakow, and she said yes.
For centuries, people have wondered what, if anything, might be lurking beneath the surface of Loch Ness in Scotland. When Canadian couple Parry Malm and Shannon Wiseman visited the Scottish highlands earlier this month with their two children, they didn’t expect to become part of the mystery.
The oldest living former major leaguer, Art Schallock turns 100 on Thursday and is being celebrated in the Bay Area and beyond as the milestone approaches.
Brad Marchand scored twice, including the winner in the third period, and added an assist as the Boston Bruins downed the Toronto Maple Leafs 4-2 to take a 2-1 lead in their first-round playoff series Wednesday
We feel good about ourselves and we feel we can go in there and win a game," Bowness said.
Honda is set to build an electric vehicle battery plant next to its Alliston, Ont., assembly plant, which it is retooling to produce fully electric vehicles, all part of a $15-billion project that is expected to include up to $5 billion in public money.
A made-in-China electric vehicle will hit North American dealers this summer offering power and efficiency similar to the Tesla Model Y, the world's best-selling EV, but for about US$8,000 less.
Tesla's first-quarter net income plummeted 55 per cent as falling global sales and price cuts sliced into the electric vehicle maker's revenue and profit margins.
Mounties in Nanaimo, B.C., say two late-night revellers are lucky their allegedly drunken antics weren't reported to police after security cameras captured the men trying to steal a heavy sign from a downtown business.
A property tax bill is perplexing a small townhouse community in Fergus, Ont.
When identical twin sisters Kim and Michelle Krezonoski were invited to compete against some of the world’s most elite female runners at last week’s Boston Marathon, they were in disbelief.
The giant stone statues guarding the Lions Gate Bridge have been dressed in custom Vancouver Canucks jerseys as the NHL playoffs get underway.
A local Oilers fan is hoping to see his team cut through the postseason, so he can cut his hair.
A family from Laval, Que. is looking for answers... and their father's body. He died on vacation in Cuba and authorities sent someone else's body back to Canada.
A former educational assistant is calling attention to the rising violence in Alberta's classrooms.
The federal government says its plan to increase taxes on capital gains is aimed at wealthy Canadians to achieve “tax fairness.”
At 6'8" and 350 pounds, there is nothing typical about UBC offensive lineman Giovanni Manu, who was born in Tonga and went to high school in Pitt Meadows.
A man convicted of second-degree murder for a fatal stabbing in New Westminster has been handed a life sentence with no parole eligibility for 14 years, homicide investigators announced Thursday.
Wrexham AFC, co-owned by Canadian actor and Vancouver native Ryan Reynolds, is set to play Major League Soccer's Vancouver Whitecaps on July 27 at BC Place Stadium.
A West Kelowna woman is being ordered by B.C.'s small claims tribunal to pay more than $600 after her son's dog damaged the neighbour's pool.
Honda is set to build an electric vehicle battery plant next to its Alliston, Ont., assembly plant, which it is retooling to produce fully electric vehicles, all part of a $15-billion project that is expected to include up to $5 billion in public money.
MPP Sarah Jama was asked to leave the Legislative Assembly of Ontario by House Speaker Ted Arnott on Thursday for wearing a keffiyeh, a garment that is banned at Queen’s Park.
Toronto police say the homicide unit is investigating after a man was reportedly pushed to his death from a balcony downtown late Wednesday night.
Southern Alberta RCMP have charged a 44-year-old man in connection with an investigaton that saw 82 animals in distress seized from a home in Mountain View Country, north of Calgary.
A Calgary-based company is facing a $330,000 fine in connection with a workplace fatality from two years ago.
Dozens of inmates were transported from a northern Alberta correctional centre earlier this week because of a wildfire.
It's another headache for drivers who have a vehicle stolen, what to do if they want to sell after their stolen vehicle was damaged and then recovered.
Many thought they had seen the final curtain call at Troyes Cinema, located on Garrison Petawawa, when the movie theatre closed in 2022.
State and Main is getting ready to celebrate Mother’s Day through its third annual For Mom, For Women campaign this May.
A mother and daughter are speaking out after a Quebec man was sentenced to house arrest for years of domestic abuse. They were both physically assaulted by the mother's ex-partner and say the offender got off with another light sentence.
The trial of a West Island baseball coach accused of sexually abusing a minor will proceed after the case was almost thrown out due to unreasonable delays.
'We're not here to judge governments,' Quebec Premier Francois Legault said when asked about the opening of a Quebec office in Tel Aviv, Israel, as conflict rages in the Gaza Strip.
Dozens of inmates were transported from a northern Alberta correctional centre earlier this week because of a wildfire.
Some Alberta municipalities say the province has been slow to react to calls for more firefighting support and a long-term plan to better protect communities outside the Forest Protection Area (FPA).
Southern Alberta RCMP have charged a 44-year-old man in connection with an investigaton that saw 82 animals in distress seized from a home in Mountain View Country, north of Calgary.
New Brunswick RCMP says officers rescued three people from alleged human trafficking in Moncton, arresting an 18-year-old woman in the process.
Community members gathered at a Bedford, N.S., mosque for Ahmad Al Marrach — a 16-year-old murder victim — for his funeral on Wednesday.
Thirty new paramedics are coming to Nova Scotia from the land down under in the next year.
The Manitoba RCMP is set to make an announcement on Thursday regarding a double homicide in the province.
Jury selection is set to start today for the trial of a Winnipeg man accused of killing four women.
A new fight is gearing up at city hall over Lemay Forest.
The City of Regina has decided to not reduce speed limits in the Cathedral area for the time being.
Many Saskatchewan residents have been receiving unsolicited political text messages of the Sask. Party taking aim at the Saskatchewan NDP and their leader Carla Beck. Media experts say texting can be an effective campaign tool, but parties run the risk of annoying some voters.
The number of vacant jobs in Canada increased in February, while monthly payroll employment decreased in food services, manufacturing, and retail trade, among other sectors.
Three dogs died in the blaze.
A Waterloo, Ont. teacher says she’s frustrated after learning the arthritis medication she depends on is no longer covered under her benefits plan and she'll have to switch pharmacies to avoid paying out of pocket.
A Waterloo man needed to be taken away by air ambulance following a crash on King Street.
A sentencing hearing has started for a former Saskatchewan Mountie who shot and killed his lover.
A Saskatchewan woman who was taken for an involuntary mental health assessment is entitled to find out who had her committed, a provincial court judge has ruled.
Many Saskatchewan residents have been receiving unsolicited political text messages of the Sask. Party taking aim at the Saskatchewan NDP and their leader Carla Beck. Media experts say texting can be an effective campaign tool, but parties run the risk of annoying some voters.
During a special winner celebration near their hometown, Doug and Enid shared the story of how they discovered they were holding a Lotto Max ticket worth $70 million and how they kept this huge secret for so long.
New York's highest court on Thursday overturned Harvey Weinstein's 2020 rape conviction, reversing a landmark ruling of the #MeToo era in determining the trial judge improperly allowed women to testify about allegations against the ex-movie mogul that weren't part of the case.
A serious crash involving two vehicles has left one person dead and Highway 101 closed in the Timmins area since 1 a.m., police say.
A London man has become the first person in Canada to receive a robotic assisted surgery on his spine. Dave Myeh suffered from debilitating, chronic back pain that led to sciatica in his right now and extreme pain in his lower back.
Damage is estimated at $50,000 after a trailer parked in a St. Thomas driveway caught fire. Around 8:30 a.m. Thursday, first responders received multiple 911 calls reporting a large plume of smoke and flames from a camping trailer.
A popular summer festival on the Barrie waterfront is returning for its 52nd year, with one of the most impressive lineups yet.
During a special winner celebration near their hometown, Doug and Enid shared the story of how they discovered they were holding a Lotto Max ticket worth $70 million and how they kept this huge secret for so long.
Barrie Police are seeking help identifying a cyclist who was allegedly aggressively chased by a vehicle.
A snake habitat on Pelee Island will be restored. Through a multi-partner collaboration, conservation work on Pelee Island will continue through 2026.
Chatham-Kent police are asking for the public’s help locating a 15-year-old girl, who has been missing over a week.
A 911 hang-up call has led to the arrest of two people in Chatham-Kent. Just after 6:30 a.m. on Wednesday, officers responded to an address on Bloomfield Road for the hang-up call.
Mounties on Vancouver Island have confirmed that two bodies recovered by United States authorities earlier this week are those of a pair of missing kayakers from British Columbia.
A West Kelowna woman is being ordered by B.C.'s small claims tribunal to pay more than $600 after her son's dog damaged the neighbour's pool.
Mounties in Nanaimo, B.C., say two late-night revellers are lucky their allegedly drunken antics weren't reported to police after security cameras captured the men trying to steal a heavy sign from a downtown business.
An emaciated dachshund is now recovering thanks to a Good Samaritan who found the pup near a biking trail in Kelowna, according to the BC SPCA.
Search and rescue crews have been called in after a vehicle belonging to a missing senior was located near a rural intersection outside of Kelowna Tuesday.
Major crime detectives in British Columbia are investigating a suspected homicide after a body was found in a remote area southeast Kelowna over the weekend.
It’s not even May 1 and the fire risk for southern Alberta is already alarming.
Whoop-Up Days is still four months away, but applications to be in this year’s parade are now open.
Lethbridge has added 28 physicians over the past year, according to a quarterly report published by the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Alberta.
Some members of the Garden River First Nation are demanding answers regarding the disbursement of the Robinson-Huron Treaty settlement funds.
The Ontario Provincial Police, in partnership with the Treaty Three Police Service, have charged a suspect with murder following a homicide in a remote northwestern Ontario community.
A 15-year-old in Sault Ste. Marie has been charged following an incident on Bay Street on Tuesday.
A Newfoundland-made vodka has been named one of the world’s best by judges at this year’s World Vodka Awards.
Uber Technologies Inc. says it has brought its ridesharing platform to Newfoundland and Labrador.
Newfoundlander Christian Sparkes has shot several films around his home province, but with his new psychological thriller 'The King Tide' he saw an opportunity to wander into one unique town that had eluded him over the years.
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