A monster trick or treat

Hotel Transylvania (2012)
Certified: PG
Duration: 91 minutes
Directed by: Genndy Tarakovsky
Voices of: Adam Sandler, Selena Gomez, Andy Samberg, Kevin James, Cee Lo Green, Steve Buscemi, Molly Shannon, David Spade, Fran Drescher, Jon Lovitz
KRS release

In Hotel Transylvania, Sony Pictures Animation has produced its first stake at top animated movie making.

This is a film about teenage rebellion, epitomised by an 118-year-old girl who can transform into a bat and has Dracula as her daddy

Its films like Surf’s Up (2007) and Open Season (2006) had been moderate hits but seemed to be still on the limited side in artistic terms. Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs (2009) was fun and a box-office hit.

What is immediately noticeable is that this film has the touch of Genndy Tartakovsky who is here making his cinematic debut. His past is in TV animated series including the infectiously funny Dexter’s Laboratory, the fun Samurai Jack, the epic Star Wars: Clone Wars and the underrated Sym-Bionic Titan.

Dracula (Adam Sandler) had once promised his wife that he will look after his daughter forever. So he has created Hotel Transylvania to cater for all kinds of monsters.

His daughter Mavis (Selena Gomez) has been locked away from the world, a world she wants to see. But her father is against this as he knows that humans are not very friendly towards monsters.

For her birthday, he gives her the chance to go out but she gets frightened when the village that she visits is populated by hostile villagers. In actual fact, these were zombies pretending to be villagers following Dracula’s instructions.

The hotel guests include werewolves Wayne and Wanda (Steve Buscemi and Molly Shannon) and the puppies, Frankenstein and Bride (Kevin James and Fran Drescher), Griffin the invisible man (David Spade) and the mummy Murray (Ceelo Green).

Problems occur when an American tourist called Jonathan (Andy Samberg) arrives. Dracula gets him to pose as a party planner but, when Jonathan meets Mavis, tingles of romance occur.

Meanwhile, Quasimodo (Jon Lovitz) the chef senses that there is a human in the hotel, a human who would be perfect for creating the perfect culinary delight!

Influenced by the likes of Monsters vs Aliens (2009) and Monsters Inc. (2001), Hotel Transylvania pushes all the right buttons and, while it has a horror setting, it emerges as a delightful humorous adventure that will please both the kids and accompanying adults.

The adults will probably enjoy it more, appreciating the traditional takes on some of the monsters twisted and turned upside down.

It’s interesting to compare this film with the recent ParaNorman with the two sending off different vibes. Still they share the same well for inspiration and both show a distinctive love for the genre which is not always to be taken for granted when Hollywood starts revisiting the classics.

After the recent grating turn that Sandler delivered in That’s My Boy, he redeems himself with Hotel Transylvania as he not only projects decent voicing but also produces the film.

A voicing highlight is Steve Buscemi as the wolfman who is saddled with a wife and a load of cubs. Hilarious!

This is a film about teenage rebellion, epitomised by an 118-year-old girl who can transform into a bat and has Dracula as her daddy.

It’s also fun seeing the film through the mixed perception of how monsters look at the world.

This time around it’s the monsters who are afraid of the real world and how it will treat them.

This can create some healthy discussion with the young ones after the laughs are over. Overall, it’s a very fun hotel to check into!