A common thread running through these two feature films is transformation. In the case of Undine, it’s couched in a dramatic vehicle, while Hotel Transylvania: Transformania is fun for the kids.
Undine (Video on Demand) - Here’s a film that reaped a lot of attention and awards during the 70th Berlin Film Festival. It even meant a Best Actress win for lead actress Paula Beer during the festival. A fantasy drama-romance, one way to describe this film is to say it flirts to be a companion piece to The Shape of Water, as it updates the Undine myth of a sea creature who turns human. Set in present day Berlin, I’ll give kudos to the director, Christian Petzold, and to the screenplay, for finding ways to make the myth contemporary in an organic manner that fuses the fantasy with everyday drama. And that this is coming from Petzold, known for his historical period dramas, only makes the film such a refreshing outing, worthy of our attention.
Be forewarned though that this is a European film, so expect languid and measured pacing. The narrative unfolds in increments, never in a hurry. Paula Beer plays Undine, who we first meet breaking up with a married man, then heading back to work in a museum, where as a historian, she sidelines giving talks about Berlin’s urban development. When she meets an industrial diver under very bizarre circumstances, a strange love story is set in motion, and we follow the two - plus a giant catfish who the diver encounters when working in a reservoir lake. The suggestion is made that the catfish is Undine; and it’s obviously the suspension of disbelief that will help us get immersed in this story. What’s nice to note is the understated acting of the cast, and how it helps us follow the film with interest. Slight story, but well executed.
Hotel Transylvania: Transformania (Amazon Prime) - There’s always something to be said about a film franchise that embarks on its fourth installment, the most obvious being that it’s an IP that has found its audience, and has succeeded in monetizing this appeal. In the case of Hotel Transylvania, there’s always been an updated Addams Family vibe, and a broad sense of humor that made the adults bringing their children, have enough reasons for enjoying their time in the theater as well. Having said all that, it’s with a note of regret that I have to admit that Transformania may have had some nifty ideas, monsters transforming to humans, but that it’s not enough to keep the narrative moving in a satisfactory manner. There’s a lot of stretching going on here, and the obligatory moral lessons, when they come, are so expected, there’s no element of surprise or revelation left.
It doesn’t help that Adam Sandler isn’t along for the ride this time - that he signed up for an exclusive deal with Netflix precludes his participation in this Sony, Amazon Prime feature. The rest of the cast are present, and Brian Hull basically apes Sandler’s Dracula delivery in the hope that we won’t miss Adam - but there’s definitely something missing, and it’s telling on the overall impact of the film. To help offset this, the sidekicks of Drac are given more exposure in the film - but even here, there’s the obvious effort to let all four have equal time, and that doesn’t really help the narrative. To stay relevant to the youth market, references to TikTok trends and dance routines are made; but even that’s scary, as given how these trends change so rapidly, it only dates the film. Kids will still enjoy this, but that’s about it.
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