It’s the weekend again, and that means Film Focus. Here’s Mike Laidman with what’s new in local theaters.

After the juggernaut that was Star Wars: The Force Awakens last week, this weekend is for the kids.

And what better time to be with your kids watching a movie they’ll love than over the holidays? Take a break from the busyness and take a load off for a couple hours in the theatre.


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Mike Laidman

Welcome to another edition of Film Focus. I’m Mike Laidman.

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Hotel Transylvania 2 (2015, Genndy Tartakovsky)
Dracula tries to bring out the monster in his grandson.

We start with Hotel Transylvania 2, a follow-up to the original from 2012.

After the chaotic events of the original, everything seems to be changing for the better at Hotel Transylvania. Dracula's rigid monster-only hotel policy has finally relaxed, opening up its doors to human guests. But Drac is worried that his adorable half-human, half-vampire grandson, Dennis, isn't showing signs of being a vampire. So Drac enlists his friends Frank, Murray, Wayne and Griffin to put Dennis through a "monster-in-training" boot camp. But little do they know that Drac's grumpy and very old school dad Vlad is about to pay a family visit to the hotel.

Like the original, this is very much a children's movie. But there’s still lots to enjoy here: fun animation, jokes everywhere, and slapstick silliness. It’s not going to change your life, but kids will enjoy it, and adults should find it tolerable enough to sit through.


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The Peanuts Movie (2015, Steve Martino)
Snoopy and Charlie Brown embark on their biggest adventure yet.

Millions and millions of people grew up with the Peanuts gang, and so it’s amazing that this is their first foray onto the big screen.

Charlie Brown, Snoopy, Lucy, Linus and the rest of the beloved "Peanuts" gang are back, like they've never been seen before, in 3D animation. Charlie Brown is embarking upon an epic and heroic quest, while his best pal, the lovable beagle Snoopy, takes to the skies to pursue his arch-nemesis, the Red Baron.

Everything is here to bring back those old childhood memories, and despite this being a kids’ movie, there’s no reason for adults to stay away. The animation is crisp and clean, and the gags are a throwback to the original comic. Everything is done is a loving style, and you just might leave the theatre wishing for things to be as simple as they were when you first picked up a Peanuts comic.