By: Kate Gruetter and Sarah Gouldrup

National/World and Humor Editors

If you find yourself cold and bored on one of those snowy California nights, a good ol’ childhood movie might be just the thing you need. And what better film than one from the holy trinity of franchises: Hotel Transylvania, Despicable Me, and How to Train Your Dragon? A trifecta full of family-friendly fun, adventure, and awesome accents, any movie from this group will surely entertain you. 

Hotel Transylvania is your classic Romeo and Juliet love story. Replace the Montagues with vampires and invisible men, and the Capulets with monster-hating humans, but the general premise is the same. Two individuals, Johnny and Mavis, from rival families, humans and monsters, find themselves zinging (slang for love). Despite suspicion and familial conflict, they watch sunrises and eat scream cheese together. Of course, Hotel Transylvania is slightly more kid-friendly than Shakespeare’s version; the movie ends with Johnny and Mavis completely unscathed and in love. Full of witty jokes, daddy issues, red hair, and monstrous happenings, Hotel Transylvania is a movie you are sure to zing. 

Despicable Me is yet another childhood movie staple. Full of cute kids, banana-loving fools, and a groutfit-wearing antihero, Despicable Me has something for everyone. Watching Gru attempt to steal the moon, but instead adopt three oddly different-looking sisters is not just for kids, but for everyone! It’s true. Gru’s grapple with feelings of inadequacy and his need for validation is relatable for a wide range of audiences, and the magical addition of stuffed-unicorns only broadens the film’s appeal.  

To fans of the How to Train Your Dragon franchise, a hiccup isn’t just an involuntary contraction of your diaphragm. No, a Hiccup is a small, scrawny underdog who single-handedly leads a revolution against dragon oppression in his traditional Viking community. With three movies in the series, the story follows Hiccup as he goes from the village outcast to Chief of Berk, all with the help of his faithful dragon, Toothless. Filled to the brim with epic fights, dry humor, and the classic “it’s not my dream, Dad. It’s yours” trope, How to Train Your Dragon will pick you up in the beginning and never put you back down. And if, after watching, you simply haven’t had enough (let’s be real, you can never have enough Hiccup), the saga continues in the limited animated series and in countless TikToks if you simply search “HTTYD edits”! Trust me. You are going to want to watch those edits. 

For the best viewing experience possible, we recommend a bowl of movie popcorn, preferably from the LG Cinelux, a candy of your choice, and an equally-excited friend. Happy watching!