I Hate this Movie

I hate Hotel Transylvania II, even more than Hotel Transylvania I.  I can say this because I've seen it way more than any human should have to...ever.

Unfortunately, my son Paul loves both movies and today, sitting by his side as he called my attention to various points in the show, I understood for the first time, why.  Mind you, it's still a poorly written film with weird sensibilities, but I understood Paul's love for it. 

First, he loves slap stick.  So anything which has crashes and bumps and fake fights (like Batman the live action), Tom and Jerry Cartoons, you name it, it's good.  The film catches him right where he lives. He points out every prat fall, every silly movement by one of the monsters.

Additionally, Paul thinks he's the little boy who doesn't fit in either spot.  I didn't pick this...he did.  Paul dances to the music, he does all the moves.  He says "Blah blah blah." and pretends to be the vampire. He knows just enough to know, he's not where everyone else is in his own family.  He points to himself when the little boy Dennis becomes a vampire and suddenly has control over all of his life.   Right now, it doesn't hurt to be self aware about how he is and others aren't.

The problematic plot of the movie is the kid cannot stay with half his family because he is not a monster, and cannot go to the human world, because his family is peopled with monsters.   I know to the outside world, as Paul grows up, his disability will be more easily seen than his gifts. They will see him as not able.  He will be like the kid, unable to fully join a world he must live in. 

It's my job to help him hone his gifts so people can be "surprised by his ability," instead of presuming he can't.   Part of me thinks he thinks it will be rather like the character, suddenly gaining all the super powers to be able to fit in both worlds at ease.  Who wouldn't like a magic answer? He brings me a banana and draws a picture of his name and a few other letters I can't quite make out.

He wants a new movie, "Lego Batman." It's a day off and we've done all we're doing today and I have paperwork to finish so I allow it after a negotiation.  "Get changed for bed."  He goes to get his stuff on his own, comes back to my bathroom, knocks on the door to make sure no one is being interrupted and proceeds to change.   I'm surprised by his efficiency.  He also gets the remote and puts it on the movie. Again I'm surprised.  Maybe he knows more than I know. Maybe he sees me like the overprotective mother who won't let him be what he should be. Maybe he's showing me this movie over and over and over again to show me what he can be...maybe it's a message to me.

Oof.

Now I really hate this movie.