Monsters, vampires, and a luxury hotel are key elements in Sony’s “Hotel Transylvania.” Fans have been anxiously waiting over three months for the fourth movie of this series otherwise known as “Hotel Transylvania: Transformania.” After postponing its release multiple times, Sony Pictures—an American media and entertainment studio— released the film on Jan. 14, 2022, and it is now streaming on Amazon Prime.  

The movie is about Count Dracula, played by Brian Hull, deciding to retire and hand over his company to his daughter, Mavis, who is voiced by Selena Gomez. When the news of Dracula’s retirement reaches Johnny, Mavis’s husband who is played by Andy Samberg, he accidentally changes Dracula’s mind. To gain his father-in-law’s admiration, Johnny decides to turn himself into a monster. Dracula attempts to help Johnny but accidentally turns himself into a human during the process. In order to turn back into their original forms, the two must go on a long journey together to find a magical crystal, bonding along the way. 

“I have watched the first three ‘Hotel Transylvania’ movies, and I really enjoyed them; I love that Selena Gomez voices Mavis in all three. I think the fourth one is a must watch because I really enjoyed it,” Avery Martin, freshman said. 

The movie explains how negativity can cloud a person’s judgment, and it emphasizes having a positive attitude towards life, even though the outcomes are not always good. 

“If you only see the worst in things, you will miss the best part,” Johnny said in the movie. 

“Hotel Transylvania: Transformania” also teaches the importance of family and the consequences of looking down on others; however, it only gained a 52% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Viewers say that it is not as amusing or scary as the first three movies. Critics call it lousy and dull, claiming that Todd Durham, the creator of the four “Hotel Transylvania” movies, has run out of energy and ideas.  

“Moments of entertainment are fleeting—like a made-for-television afterthought—with the only real change coming at the film’s end before essentially going nowhere. The once-fun spooky adventure has been purged, leaving a continuous series of so-so silliness, and the unfulfilled characters appear just as disappointed by it,” Kevin A. Ranson said in a movie review. 

As this is the final movie, cast members say that they will miss the bonding during the creation of “Hotel Transylvania.” Despite what critics say, the cast asserts that the movie is fun and adventurous. Selena Gomez claims that it is tough to put an end to her character because she has grown fond of Mavis and embraces the role for herself. 

“It is so hard to say goodbye to Mavis, a character I have played for so long, but it feels right because the film really does bring the story full circle. It is a big, crazy adventure—the transformation idea is so much fun—and it takes all of our characters to a part of the world that we don’t usually get to see in movies,” Selena Gomez said in an interview.  

Grab some popcorn and tune in to watch Dracula and Johnny‘s exciting journey and figure out if they will accomplish their mission.