The House that Drac Built to Sing a Bit of Harmony - Renegade Animation #48
Tonight, on a SUCKY EPISODE... wait, that's not the right word -- on a NEW EPISODE of Renegade Animation, The Animation Guru and Captain Kaye sink their teeth into the fourth film in the Hotel Transylvania saga, as well as the animated Riverdance film, The House, and Sing a Bit of Harmony!
How’s it going, fellow Renegades? THE DIRECTOR is back to bring you the last animation podcast for the month, but it is conversely the end of the first month, so it’s not anything in terms of finality, but I thought it would be fun to create this sense of dread. Certainly it’s something to have, considering the Hotel Transylvania saga is STILL GOING.
Okay — I kid. I’ve always had a soft spot for the series, mostly due to my adoration for Genndy Tartakovsky. But this new film in the series seems to have all but been forgotten by almost everyone, even with it’s weird release date snafu earlier this year… I dunno. But what did our animation amigos think of this latest stay at the hotel with Sandler and co.? And what did they think of the other animated films this month? There’s a stop motion animated film amongst them!
Well, I’ll waste no time and kick it over to the Captain himself. Take it away!
RIVERDANCE: THE ANIMATED ADVENTURE (2021)
“I've always wondered why we don't often see animated adaptations of stage musical productions as often as we see live action movie musicals. Is it because animation is still caught in the age ghetto despite the numerous creative and technical innovations to the medium? Or is it because Disney simply has a monopoly over the genre, and anything that even attempts to compete with the Mouse can't hold a candle? Whatever the reason, it does not excuse the lackluster presentation of Riverdance: The Animated Adventure. And to be perfectly honest, the animation is really my one major complaint about the film, but it IS major nonetheless. The story itself I generally enjoyed, and the stunt casting of Pierce Brosnan as both Patrick and the Grandad is perfect. The narrative isn't necessarily groundbreaking, it's really just your average hero's journey. But that's the problem, if you're going to tell such a basic story, everything else needs to be elevated. There are a few 2D animated sequences that I really enjoyed, and it frustrates me that the whole film couldn't have utilized a more visually striking art style. The worst example of this is the character design of our main antagonist The Huntsman, voiced by the ever awesome Brendan Gleeson. He gives a great performance, but it's undercut by his rather underwhelming appearance. Despite my issues with the film, ultimately I can't muster up any real hatred for it. If nothing else, this is probably the best introduction to Riverdance for those who have never seen a live production, as well as the musical stylings of the Grammy award winning Irish composer Bill Whelan. Because this is streaming on Netflix, Riverdance: The Animated Adventure earns a soft recommendation.“ - Captain Kaye
HOTEL TRANSYLVANIA: TRANSFORMANIA (2022)
“Generally speaking, I've enjoyed these films as, if nothing else, a great vehicle for Tartakovsky and the wonderful talent at Sony Pictures Animation, honing their craft and doing what they can to push the medium forward. From a storytelling perspective, only the first and third I consider getting close to ‘great,’ so you probably recognize a pattern. I hate to be predictable, but one thing that really holds Transformania back is losing Tartakovsky at the helm. That's not to say his successors are bad, they're just a little too green for the material. Visually, it's right up there with the previous three, and the character designs are all still wildly expressive. Johnny's transformation is honestly one of my favorite moments, it's impressive how they pulled that off. As for the cast, for the most part everyone from the previous films reprise their respective roles, with two major exceptions. YouTube's Brian Hull takes over for Drac, and Brad Abrell is the new Frankenstein. Both did a wonderful job picking up where Adam Sandler and Kevin James left off, and I hope this sets a new precedent for a return to casting professional voice actors in major studio productions. The reason one might consider this the weakest in the Hotel Transylvania franchise is because of the inciting incident. It feels like too much of a regression for both Drac and Johnny to have this conflict. I get that this is just an excuse to set up a buddy road trip adventure, and the ending is genuinely moving, I just wish they found a better way to get there to make it feel more earned. If you've enjoyed the previous Hotel Transylvania films, then I can comfortably recommend Transformania as well.” - Captain Kaye
THE HOUSE (2022)
“Part I, titled And heard within, a lie is spun, does a great job of setting the tone for this twisted dark comedy. This one might be the most unsettling, since a majority of the short is presented from the point of view of the children. 9 year old Mabel and her infant sister Isobel are witnessing all of the changes to the house, while their parents are changing as well. We never really get an explanation, yet that's what makes this phenomenon so fascinating to witness. Out of the three shorts, I'd say this is the one that leans the closest to horror, specifically body horror with the parents metamorphosis. Part II, Then lost is truth that can't be won is probably my least favorite, but was still captivated by the craft of it all. Everything in this film feels hand made, from the characters themselves to the food, the furniture, and the water. What we have here is essentially Murphy's open house, where everything that could have possibly gone wrong unfolds. The ending to this short is actually quite mean spirited, but makes what came before funnier in hindsight. Finally, there's Part III, Listen again and seek the sun. I wasn't sure how I'd feel about this one until the end, and it's the only one that gets a happy ending. It's clear that Rosa's arc is learning to let go of the past and move forward, and it's handled really well. If The House is any indication, then Netflix is looking to have a pretty awesome year for their stop-motion animated projects. I don't know if I can call this perfect, but it's certainly unique in both its presentation and the atmosphere that each short establishes. The voice cast is stellar across the board, the score composed by Gustavo Santaolalla is terrific, and it's a great showcase for this group of directors each making their feature film debut. If you're into stop-motion animation and are looking for something off-kilter, then The House comes highly recommended.“ - Captain Kaye
SING A BIT OF HARMONY (2021)
“I don't know if people are ready for the wallop this movie packs, especially if you're dealing with any sort of depression. We've seen stories about A.I. learning what it means to be human plenty of times before, and there are even moments in the film that owe a debt of gratitude to Steven Spielberg in the third act. But there's something about this one that stands out from the rest. Maybe it's just my bias for musicals, or maybe there's an extra dose of sincerity that pushes it over the edge. I'm trying my best not to spoil a HUGE twist that took this from really good to GREAT, but let's just say Yoshiura makes one of the best uses of Chekhov's gun that I've seen in a while. If there was one thing this movie needed to get right, it's the main protagonists, a group of high school students whose lives are affected by Shion. The English voice cast is incredible, featuring some of my favorites including Ian Sinclair, Alexis Tipton and David Waid. But the one who impressed me the most was Megan Shipman, who provides the voice for Shion. Translating Japanese songs into English is no easy task, but Shipman seems to have pulled it off wonderfully. The score was composed by Ryō Takahashi, and it complements the film's gorgeous animation. If you have the opportunity to see Sing a Bit of Harmony on the big screen screen, I would take full advantage of it!“ - Captain Kaye
That’ll do it for this episode! Special thanks to Cameron for cutting and gutting this episode! Keep a watchful look over your shoulder, for a new podcast could be skulking around the corner very soon…
