Review: Hotel Transylvania – Just Another Halloween Toon with a few Gags

Hotel Transylvania will find its way into syndication for the next several years during the Halloween season. There’s nothing original about the film, just fun gags about the trials and tribulations of being a monster. The playful animation brings to life this group of celebrity monsters, who visit Dracula’s (voiced by Adam Sandler) famed hotel every year to celebrate his daughter Mavis’ (voiced by Selena Gomez) birthday.

You’ll enjoy the film for its first half, where the movie pokes fun at different monster archetypes and their relationships. However, the introduction of Jonathan (voiced by Adam Samberg), a human, slowly begins to rip the fun out of this motley crew of undead-supernatural creatures. The film is inherently a love story between Jonathan and Dracula’s daughter, Mavis. All the clichés you can expect with a film designed for kids are present. Dracula is an over protective, single dad and Mavis has never had a boyfriend. She’s a monster. He’s a human. You can figure out what happens next, even the “when you wish upon a star” Disney ending.

There are still clever moments sprinkled throughout the film. Wayne (voiced by Boardwalk Empire’s Steve Buscemi) is the Al Bundy of werewolves. To say he’s Married with Children would be an understatement. His daughter grabs a few laughs, when his sons are acting live rabid wolf cubs.

This Halloween toon tale may not have the depth of Paranorman, but Hotel Transylvania is a more child friendly movie for younger children.