Hotel Transylvania (2012) User Reviews

Let the child in you enjoy this adventure

[jancr57 · 8/10 · 28 September 2012]

Cute movie. Has a couple of great messages -- especially one about prejudices. There are some adult jokes, some childish jokes, lots of laugh out loud moments but most importantly the following messages: Hatred against those we don't know is wrong; Let yourself get to know a person before deciding whether they are good or not; and go along for the ride and let yourself enjoy life.

I also love the fact that this is a Dad raising his child situation. There are really few movies that show a Dad can step up and do the right thing for their children if given the chance.

While I didn't particularly care for the fart joke or some of the childish parts the kids in the theater laughed and laughed.

Well done!

Count me among those who thought the movie was surprisingly good

[TheLittleSongbird · 8/10 · 27 October 2012]

After reading reviews that either disliked or were indifferent to Hotel Transylvania and being dubious because Adam Sandler(who has been in a lot of really bad movies recently) was in the lead role, I was unsure of whether to see the film. But my love for animation and the appetising trailer over-rode my doubts and I saw it anyway. And you know what, while The Pirates and ParaNorman were better animated movies from this year in my opinion I found Hotel Transylvania much better than expected. More could have been done with the relationship between Jonathan and Mavis, it is a romantic angle that has been used many times before and as well as feeling somewhat under-baked very little new was done with it. While a vast majority of the film is fast-paced with no real dull spots, some parts of the film did feel rushed. On the other point of view, the animation is excellent, the backgrounds are both beautiful and Gothic and that is the same with the colours. The characters are well-modelled. The soundtrack is catchy and upbeat, though some of the songs could have been more than just snippets. The writing is zany and often witty with a surprising amount of heart also.

The story is predictable, but not dull. It has a number of great moments, the genre references are not as inspired as they were in ParaNorman but they are fun to spot, and I loved a lot of the slapstick-in-style gags. Especially the zombie Beethoven, the scream cheese Hors-D'Oeuvres, the shrunken heads do not disturb tags and the digs at Twilight(much more fulfilling than any of the movies combined). But it does have a lot of heart. Is the over-protective father idea clichéd? Of course. But I did find it genuinely touching instead of overly-exaggerated as I have seen described. Dracula's past is also shown in a darkly emotional way. The characters are not the most memorable I have ever seen, but they do have their likability, my favourite here was Dracula. And the voice acting was surprisingly great, to me from a non-fan who has liked him in some movies(Punch Drunk Love, Reign Over Me, Spanglish and Happy Gilmore) and hated him in others(Jack and Jill, Going Overboard, Zookeeper and Mr Deeds) Adam Sandler gives one of his better performances of late in the role of Dracula, he is actually funny as well as emotive in alternative to irritating. Selena Gomez is endearing as daughter Mavis and Adam Samberg brings some heroism to Jonathan. Kevin James, David Spade, Jon Lovitz, Fran Drescher and especially Steve Buscemi give solid support. In conclusion, surprisingly good. 8/10 Bethany Cox

Far exceeded my expectations!

[cal-acadia · 8/10 · 19 October 2012]

I went into this movie really with no expectations. I had only seen a few fragments of commercials and got nothing at all interesting from them. So, WOW, was I surprised and impressed when I saw it!! The movie was a creative story, quick moving action, funny, heartwarming, visually interesting and sometimes surprising - this film had a lot of great things going on, and I found myself really engaged and far more interested in the characters than I would have guessed. Sure, there were a few "as if" moments, but for the most part I found it to be fun, funny, and a film I heartily recommend! Kudos to the writers, voice actors and animators.... With a youngster in my home, I'm sure we'll be seeing this again soon.

Solid Family Entertainment

[drew_atreides · 7/10 · 8 October 2012]

..took my family to see this one today, 6 year old son, 3 year old daughter..

Both of them really enjoyed the experience, though to be honest i think my daughter connected with the movie more because of the plight of Dracula's young daughter being the focal point of the story. That really surprised me!

Any horror fan with kids will get a real kick out of this one. And even non-horror fans should find the story cute. Sandler and company really pull it together for this one, after their last couple of films were less then stellar.

Definitely a pleasant surprise, and good fun for the whole family.

Some jokes are forced, but an overall enjoyable film!

[joe-is-sexy · 7/10 · 3 November 2012]

Hotel Transylvania stars: Adam Sandler, Andy Samberg, Selena Gomez, Kevin James and David Spade. It goes for approximately 90 minutes. It fails to deliver GREAT 3D moments although some could be classified as 'GOOD'.

The first half of the movie is what is called 'Jokes Are Failing' Syndrome. Although they do crack in a couple of good laughs in the first half, majority don't live up to expectations that animations nowadays do. Too many slapstick moments and unnecessary forced jokes... NOTE TO FILM-MAKERS: If jokes are forced... Don't even bother with the joke!

The movie has heart though, which kind of makes for it's first half. The second half however is fun, cool, funny and surprisingly a bit thrilling! It does have it's fun moments... I will admit. Although some of the 3D doesn't work I still found it to be a good animation... Is it the best animation of the year? NO WAY! But is it great as an animation? No, not really it is what I call 'A good animation if you just let your mind do nothing!' A B from me.

Classic characters lovingly re-imagined with rubbery animation.

[Pjtaylor-96-138044 · 6/10 · 20 March 2018]

The standard themes of familial acceptance, 'leaving the nest' and putting the needs of others above those of your own are told surprisingly well through suitably rubbery animation, ostensibly ham-fisted voice-work and lovably re-crafted classic characters. 'Hotel Transylvania (2012)' is generally generic but consistently pretty fun, and at times actually funny, to the point where I don't mind the fact I've essentially seen it all before. It's clearly Adam Sandler's best work for quite a bit. 6/10

Very enjoyable experience

[nightbiker-1 · 10/10 · 28 September 2012]

I gave this a complete 10 because both the wife and I (as well as the other movie-goers -going by their reactions) thoroughly enjoyed it from the beginning to the very end.

Was it predictable? Of course. Its an animation geared towards children (what would you expect?) -but like most of the animation movies of today, there were quite a few 'hidden humor' spots as well which would be completely missed by the younger audience (not unexpected since it is the adults, after all, who are forking over the bread and it doesn't hurt to keep THEM entertained as well). The movie is fairly fast-paced and the animation well done. I'm usually a little apprehensive when I've harbored good expectations from a movie based on clips/previews, but in this case I felt it truly delivered. This one will be added to our library when it (eventually) hits the shelves. Too many people look for a great amount of depth and unpredictability in animation movies -but THAT is a bit unrealistic (no pun intended) -think about it: These things USED to be called CARTOON MOVIES for a reason. They weren't intended to fit that kind of expectation. They ARE intended to be fun -and this movie is just that: FUN.

A very un-unique animation which is still surprisingly good in its own way

[illbebackreviews · 6/10 · 22 February 2013]

When 'Hotel Transylvania' first came out, I had absolutely no intention of seeing it for two reasons: Adam Sandler and vampires. I thought a comedy about Dracula would be boring. This movie isn't that bad but at the same time isn't that funny In this movie, we have Count Dracula who has organized a building called Hotel Transylvania to keep his fellow monsters safe from the evil humans. Now, doesn't that sound familiar? From a Pixar movie? MONSTERS INC! One day, a human accidentally ventures into the monster world...Hmm...Still familiar and meets Dracula's daughter, Mavis voiced by Selena Gomez and falls in love...Still remind me of the Sully and Boo relationship as well as segments of Twilight.

I'll start off by saying that voice acting is brilliant. Adam Sandler really was great as Count Dracula, Adam Samberg was great as Johnny and Kevin James was a great Frankenstein. Selena Gomez also did a great job. The story however isn't anything special by any means. Too much of the story is from Monsters Inc but there are parts of Twilight in this movie which I love as a lot of it is indirectly mocking that god-awful series. The characters are funny but by no means any memorable. The dialogue is actually the movie's greatest strength. It really is hilarious in so many ways. There are so many one liners and Johnny's line "Wow man! Your Dracula impression is way over the top!" is simply hilarious as is the woman with the annoying voice saying to the monster in the kitchen "Your voice is annoying" If it weren't for the dialogue, this movie could so easily be horrible. The visual animations in the movie are stunning with each scene being carefully visualised and is truly a treat for the eye.

The film's main problem is its very close resemblance to Monsters Inc which makes the movie nothing unique. However, the mocking of Twilight is handled very well, the animations are superb, the characters and voice acting are done well and is well directed but a bit rushed at certain points during the film. The film could also have been a good ten minutes shorter and we wouldn't have missed anything funny or special. Overall, a good animation movie which isn't unique but funny

One of the best (funniest) animations I've seen in years!

[eshghefilm · 9/10 · 29 September 2012]

I went to see Hotel Transylvania last night in a small group of adults aged 24-30 and I LMAO as did the others. The theater was packed with little children who mostly laughed at not really funny parts and adults who laughed when the children were quite silent. The story is about Count Dracule trying to raise his only child safe and sound away from terrifying humans and invites all the monsters to his hotel to relax and celebrate his very young daughter's 118th birthday which is accompanied by a surprise visitor!

This is a really funny movie with a simple predictable story line and tons of characters that you will love. My favorites were the zombies who were the hotel staff and it took them forever to finish a task. I recommend this movie to anyone who like monsters ( so afraid of a little boy licking ice-cream)and want to have a good laugh and take a break from Disney.

Fresh family fun! - Pretty Good

[White_Prophet · 7/10 · 2 July 2018]

I did not know this movie was directed by Tartakovsky, which is probably why I liked it as much as I did. He is one of my favorite animation directors and he does a great job in directing this movie as well. The humor is a bit hit or miss, mostly kid-oriented but there were some creative jokes and I laughed out loud a couple times. The cast does a good job for the most part and the movie has some heart to it. Overall, a pretty pleasant surprise that could have benefited from some better writing.

Adorable Family Film

[anastasiyaxox · 8/10 · 8 October 2012]

The, I think, is a movie that is fun for the whole family. Youngsters will like the characters, the older children will enjoy the jokes and plot, and the adults will likely enjoy the movie as well, being able to catch on to the more "adult" funny references and a story about a father-daughter relationship that can be appreciated.

The movie is fairly fast paced, but most cartoons are, especially ones that are just 91 minutes long. If you're planning to take your 3 year old to appreciate the plot, connect with the characters, and understand the meaning of family and love... that's not happening... it is a children's movie but it's not Sesame Street.

My husband and I took our 2 1/2 year old because it seemed like a cute movie to watch. It was. Our son sat through the entire movie and danced with the music, etc. We enjoyed it as well.

Was it EXTRAORDINARY? No. Was it a good, fun family film? Yes.

I would recommend it. If you're unsure about paying for a ticket at the theater, you can always wait for the DVD to come out.

mostly a child movie

[hr-boege-546-170392 · 7/10 · 8 February 2013]

what can i say about this movie? first of all its made by Sony, not one of the major animation studio, which is interesting. as you could expect from a minor studio, the animations aren't that great compared with other animated movies. but it isn't the animation that makes the movie great, its the story. and the story actually gave me a hard time, to make my opinion about it. there is some humor in it that target both children and adults as well, and also stuff that both can relate to. the whole idea is also great, but did they pull it of in a good way? i would say no. there are simply too many clichés and overused plot points. its a typical "teenage daughter/protecting father" and "hidding some thats not supposed to be there" story. they also use one of my most beloved (ironic meant) clichés, the "guy screws up everybody hates him and mourn" cliché. its old and just makes movies look stupid. there is also kind of a running joke about a little old furry thing eating stuff. i really don't get why they included that, it makes no sense. so too conclude i will say that its mostly a movie for children. it appeals to them in a good way, and I'm sure that they will love it. for adults, as mentioned before there is also some stuff, but don't enough to appeal to an adult audience. the adult jokes makes it watchable for parents. so 7/10, because it works as a kids movie, but don't add something new.

BLEH BLEH BLEH! Thats what I have to say to this movie.

[michaelhirakida · 4/10 · 18 November 2013]

Somehow, Hotel Transylvania feels unfinished. This film is suppose to homage the classic Universial Horror Movie Monsters. But ends up being your typical 2000's and 2010's clichéd kids fest about having fun and stuff.

So, one of Adam Sandler's films foreshadowed him to play Dracula in a movie. Well, here he is playing Dracula who lives in 1895 (Not Bad Impersonator) as he has a daughter who he must protect because of the big bad humans. The monsters build a hotel/resort to protect her and the monsters from the Humans.

About 110 years later, his daughter Mavis (I think thats the wrong name of the daughter of Dracula. I think its suppose to be Mary Or Whatever) played by Selena Gomez always has wanted to go out in the world and explore. She is turning 118 years old (I think 18 years old in Vampire Years I guess) and her farther lets her out for like a few minutes but tricks her into thinking humans are evil by building this town and having zombies play humans. Anyways, this one human named Johnny played by The Lonely Island's Andy Samberg finds a way through and Dracula dresses him up like a monster and pretends he is the party planner.

But uh oh! Johnny and Mavis are getting a close relationship together! Trying to get him out of the place fails obviously and the "Chaos" he creates still goes on.

The animation is 50/50 on this picture. For The Positives, each Character has his/her own unique design. Frankenstien's Monster is blue instead of the regular Green and he wears a Hawaiian shirt. For The Negatives... Ill get to that right now.

I feel that there is too much stuff on screen for me to sink in. Yeah it looks good but it doesn't mean that I will care if a room is highly detailed.

The characters are sometimes amusing but not really funny. In one "Joke" Frankenstien's Monster's body comes in half and sneaks up behind the Mummy (Ceelo Green) and farts behind him. Oh. Yeah. Very Funny. VERY FUNNY.

Characters I feel don't emote enough. For Example, if there are 6-8 characters on screen and two are talking, and the other 4-6 are just standing there, they will have the same dumb expression on their face for the rest of the scene.

Also, if you are beginning to watch Monster Movies, don't start with this one. Go watch Horror Of Dracula or Bride Of Frankenstien first. Because if you watch this first, you don't know anything about the characters as they don't explain their traits. Why should we care about characters we don't know anything about? The actors (Most of them) are Adam Sandler's friends. David Spade and Kevin James are examples.

There is one plot hole that I must point out. The Invisible Man is well, invisible for most of the movie but he wears glasses so we can see him. In one scene, he wears shorts and then someone pulls them down and he is embarrassed. So was he naked all this time? Does he wear invisible clothes? If so, why is he wearing Visible clothes? Running gags are unfunny as its like Oh Dracula Gets Mad and Oh Johnny is having fun.

The Ending isn't Even an Ending. Its just a stupid music video with lyrics that don't make no sense. Its just ZING ZING ZING and whatever the lyrics are.

I liked it the first time I watched it which was a few months ago, but now I don't like it anymore. The acting is alright, the animation is OK, but the movie fails to do anything neat with these monsters in the situations they get into.

But there is one scene that I liked. Maybe two. The Wolfman (Steve Buscemi) eats a bunch of sheep that is in the road and one scene where There is this Female dressed as a mummy walking by and The Mummy is has the I WANT face.

Thats basically it. I don't want to overwrite to 1,100 words so Ill just leave at this. Hotel Transylvania is a unfinished movie with no ending, plot holes and characters we don't care about.

49/100 C-

Adequate

[neil-476 · 7/10 · 26 October 2012]

In order to escape from the constant depredations of hostile villagers (which resulted in the death of his wife), Count Dracula has opened a hotel catering only to assorted supernatural clientele (Frankenstein's monster, werewolves etc.). This is also convenient for protecting his daughter Mavis, despite her wish to explore farther afield now she has come of age (a rather arbitrary 118 - not sure why it should be an extra 100 years for a vampire, but never mind). Into this oasis of calm comes Jonathan, an inadvertent human tourist, and he and Mavis fall for each other.

This is a CGI animated movie with a good voice cast, headed up by Adam Sandler doing a creditable job as Dracula. It is essentially a kids' movie and should be judged as such. By that criterion it is effective: the characters are (mostly) sympathetic, there are some decent gags (though, for me, no belly laughs), constant action (though no great surprises), and the film works OK. For all that, though, it leaves no lasting impression - it is fair to regard it as adequate, it would be overstating the case to make it out to be much more than that.

I wasn't able to see the 3D version, and so cannot comment on the 3D.

Worth spending the night in

[pjveerman · 7/10 · 19 February 2013]

Every once in a while i'm in the mood for some animated fun. You don't have to expect a lot from most animation movies but a lot of 'em are solid fun. So is Hotel Transylvania. Kids like monsters. Especially overactive ones. That's exactly what this movie is. An overactive stay in a hotel for monsters. No humans allowed! The story is simple and predictable. Also the all-star cast isn't necessary. Mostly because the strength isn't the voice acting. It's the animations, the fun and kinda dumb characters and the tempo which makes the movie fun to watch. You won't get bored nor surprised by this movie. But whether you're 51 or 8, you'll definitely have a good laugh.

Not perfect, but not that bad

[BrinaFlautist · 7/10 · 18 July 2021]

I didn't have a lot of high hopes for this film. I'm not really an Adam Sandler fan, and the film didn't seem very unique to me. However, when I went to see it in the theater, I found myself pleasantly surprised.

The plot is very basic - After his wife is killed by humans, Dracula builds a hotel to serve as a human-free sanctuary for his monster friends and specifically his daughter Mavis. Mavis is about to turn 118 and desperately wants to see the world outside the hotel, but Drac is extremely over protective of her and firmly believes that all humans are cruel. As Drac is planning Mavis' birthday party, a human backpacker named Jonathan wanders into the hotel. Even worse for Drac, he and Mavis start to fall in love with each other. Eventually Drac overcomes his prejudice against humans and accepts Jonathan as well as the rest of humankind. Your typical coming-of-age narrative.

The one thing that really made me enjoy this film was the animation. It greatly reminded me of those old Chuck Jones Looney Toons (or is it Tunes?) cartoons, with the exaggerated movements and expressions. Drac is particularly expressive, and this was what primarily got a laugh out of me.

Is the film perfect? Of course not. It's still your typical kids film, with morals about family and toilet humor galore. But it's definitely not as bad as one might expect.

Fun movie for kids and adults

[manualsexdrive · 8/10 · 24 September 2012]

I'm a big Universal Horror and Hammer Horror fan, but my 5 year old son is obviously a bit young to experience Dracula, The Mummy, The Invisible Man and Frankenstein in their true form, so it's great that a lighthearted movie has finally been released that kids can check out. I was a bit worried that my 5 year old would be a bit scared by some of the scenes, but this movie is totally kid safe. The scariest thing that happens is a couple of loud screams and some glowing red eyes. No problem.

Adam Sandler does a great job as the voice of Dracula. Not too over the top and constantly delivering some great lines. Andy Samberg and Selina Gomez (surprisingly) both do a great job as Jonathan (nice touch) and Mavis respectively. I also loved Steve Buscemi as "Wayne". Unfortunately Fran Drescher who can usually deliver some sharp witty comedy isn't allowed to shine as her jokes throughout the film have been done to death and didn't bring much to the film at all.

There are some great hidden jokes/sight gags, and some beautiful animation and character designs that will please old school horror fans and adults, but the only part that I found utterly cringe worthy was the end scene with Dracula rapping (even after his joke about Twilight!) Hey, gotta please the kids somehow...

A new and interesting story, No real climax, needs more humour.

[Heffernan99 · 6/10 · 10 August 2013]

Throughout almost all our fairy tales we have always seen big, scary monsters and children hiding under their beds in fear that these monsters would come and eat them up. Ever heard of a story where things happen the other way around? Dracula (Sandler) has built a hotel called Hotel Transylvania where all monsters and beasts can come and feel safe. No scary humans to come and disturb them, only darkness and peace. But when Jonathan (Samberg) a young human bag packer arrives at the castle, Dracula is petrified. Dracula's young daughter Mavis (Gomez) is eager to explore the world outside but her father refuses to let her go into the destructive and dangerous human world. The movie explores a good storyline which is the exact opposite of the stories we usually hear. The movie is light and entertaining but the movie still lacks a lot of humour. Yes it would appeal to a 10-year-old but the movie still needs to give the audience some more reasons to laugh.

Monsters Going Wild

[billygoat1071 · 8/10 · 12 October 2012]

Hotel Transylvania has a simple concept: classic campy monsters staying in a hotel where humans are not allowed because they think we're evil. It doesn't sound too fresh but it looks fun. Behind this concept is a father-daughter-relationship that seems to follow the footsteps of other great recent animated films. The result is, it's not getting there yet but it's still as delightful as it's suppose to be. It's one of those films that it's so crazy, you'll instantly like it. Most of the gags are clever and ridiculous. Overall, it's an endless fun entertainment.

Though, the film sometimes feels like a mediocre animated kids film. Generic family film elements are there but they are used in a different way. There is often slapstick and toilet humor but the gags are best when it's outrageously absurd. Every set pieces are swift, quirky, and exciting. The voices of the characters sound silly at glance but the actors made them pretty likable.

When the craziness slows down, there's a sweet bit of Dracula's relationship between Mavis and Jonathan, and some brooding. The drama is a little effective. It's not as strong as most recent animated films. It's more focused at being fun and hilarious. It's great when it stays to the roots of a cartoon like showing peculiar looking characters acting like lunatics. The best laughs are when the monsters are expressing their misanthropy in a ludicrously paranoid way, and when they're just making fun of each other. Mainstream pop culture song numbers kind of tone things down, but the song number at the end didn't affect the breathtaking and emotional climax.

Hotel Transylvania is good enough for the whole family even though it's raucous. Fans of the animation genre would enjoy this a lot more. Since it's directed by a cartoon expert, it contains a lot of absurd and exciting scenes that is similar to his shows. Although, some might expect something more since many animated films these days are deeper and powerful, leaving the old habits behind. Hotel Transylvania still has the heart but it's just not as compelling as the others. If you're in for the joys then this will give you a good time. My rating may be too high, but this my thing. I always enjoy this kind of animation.

Obnoxious dude-isms

[chaos-rampant · 15 January 2013]

I don't know if Sandler helped sink this by mere association or what. The humor is broad. The message against prejudice is as heavyhanded as in Brave, but simply blurted out to us. The computer animation is typical, nothing to see—both horror-themed stop motion films of this year trump it with ease. The horror sketchbook feel is much better captured in Frankenweenie, by a filmmaker who actually loves the stuff. ParaNorman has the fancy characters and dazzle for the kids, but offers us a richer, more visual experience on the same subject.

By contrast to those other films that show creators immersed in at least some aspect of their work, this gives the feel of a mass-marketed product—never more obvious than in the songs performed, ranging from punk rock to club music.

The logic here is something for everyone.

A Traditional Father/Daughter Story, Only Their Vampires!

[HollywoodJunket · 7/10 · 27 September 2012]

Every father of a daughter has wished at some point in his life to keep his little girl well protected from the world and the wrong guys in a remote castle in the middle of nowhere for 118 years. "Hotel Transylvania" is an animated feature about a father, who happens to be Dracula, voiced by Adam Sandler, who does exactly that to his daughter Mavis, voiced by Selena Gomez.

The story begins in the year 1895 where Dracula is unexpectedly forced to be a single father and raise his baby girl Mavis after a tragedy takes his wife's life. He builds a huge castle for Mavis and turns it into a hotel for monsters. His intentions is to make it a refuge for monsters (insects included) where no humans are allowed. Flash forward to the current year, it is the eve of Mavis 118th birthday. It seems to be the equivalent to a human teenager's 18th birthday. Mavis quickly reminds Dracula that his promise to her on her 118th birthday is that she would get to finally explore the world outside of the castle and even travel to a different country.

Not wanting to disappoint his little girl, he allows her to visit a small village just outside of the castle that same night. However, it turns out that the village is not real. It is made of multiple facades with Dracula's zombie workers disguised as humans who scare Mavis away by using fire and threatening to kill her.

Her curiosity of humans is put to rest by the experience. But, when she meets a mystery young male drifter named Jonathan who stumbles into the hotel claiming the identity of a party planner for her birthday who is Frankenstein's cousin – John Stein, Mavis feels a certain "zing" with him that she just can't shake. At the end, his true identity is revealed in the worst way – under the scrutiny of the hotel's monster guests as well as Mavis who is hurt by her Father's betrayal but is fascinated even more by Jonathan. However, upon Dracula's wishes Jonathan exits the hotel to continue his travels. Dracula says, "I want to kill him. But it would set monsters back hundreds of years".

"Hotel Transylvania" is a movie that parents will genuinely enjoy with their children. Though having some plot holes, such as even though Dracula stated early in the movie that he too has kept himself from the outside world away from humans for over 100 years, yet he knows what the word "nerd" means and recognizes the movie "Twilight" when he sees it. Dracula clears up a few misconceptions about vampires – MORE: http://hllywdjnkt.co/QtQNfL

HollywoodJunket.com

This one took me by surprise...and in a very good way.

[planktonrules · 8/10 · 2 June 2013]

These days, CGI films have become very, very common--so common that they seem to zip in and out of theaters with little notice. There are, of course, some exceptions (such as the Pixar films), but when "Hotel Transylvania" came to theaters, it came and went without a huge amount of notice. Now that I finally saw it, I really wish the film had received much more attention, as it's far superior to most CGI family films.

This film is a funny look at monsters from their point of view. To them, the humans are the enemy and see them as blood-thirsty beasts. The monsters are afraid of them and are actually amazingly gentle and likable. The main character, Dracula (Adam Sandler) is a very overprotective father and won't let his daughter (Selena Gomez) leave their prison-like castle--afraid that those horrible humans will kill her! However, accidentally, a human shows up when Dracula is throwing a HUGE birthday celebration for his daughter! In order to prevent widespread panic, Drac convinces the young man (Andy Samberg) to dress like a monster and blend in...but the plan works too well, and Drac's daughter falls in love with this horrible human!

"Hotel Transylvania" is directed by Genndy Tartakovsky--a newcomer to CGI, but a veteran of lots of excellent Cartoon Network shows, such as "The Powerpuff Girls" and "Dexter's Lab". I think he did an excellent job and think this, along with great writing, made this film fun for all ages--with lots of laughs for adults and kids alike--just like his TV shows. In fact, this is the strength of the film. It had wonderful characters, terrific dialog and a nice sense of humor. The CGI ranges from fantastic (particularly the backgrounds) to average.

So why, if I liked the film so much, did I give the film an 8 and not a higher score? Well, the movie had one area where it was deficient--the songs. Each time a song occurred, it slowed down the film tremendously. On top of that, the ending (which was one HUGE song and dance number) was really weak. It's a shame, but a problem you can easily overlook. Overall, a fine family film that will interest adults just as much as it will appeal to kids--and that is something all too rare.

Quite Funny

[gavin6942 · 7/10 · 25 April 2016]

Dracula, who operates a high-end resort away from the human world, goes into overprotective mode when a boy discovers the resort and falls for the count's teen-aged daughter.

As far as plots go, this one is pretty simple and not all that deep or clever. The characters are also not that deep. Often, this will take away from a film (or completely ruin it, like it did for "The Good Dinosaur"). But this was also a very funny movie, and that more than made up for it.

I confess that I was hesitant about it being a film coming out of the "Adam Sandler camp". It seems Sandler has more misses than hits these days, but this was clearly a hit. Funny for both adults and children, great use of characters to drive the humor home. I wasn't super-crazy about Andy Samberg's character (who sounded like Steve Zahn), but it wasn't a deal-breaker.

It looked like a winner

[Mr-Fusion · 5/10 · 29 September 2015]

It was the recent ad campaign for the sequel that brought "Hotel Transylvania" to my attention (much to the delight of my five-year-old), but the movie never really gets above "eh". It has the usual stale kids' movie humor of recent years, complete with de rigeur auto-tuned musical numbers. For this level of spastic comedy, I was hoping for more laughs, and it's a fairly blah selection of voice talent for the cast. Mostly, it's short on laughs and feels long at just 90 minutes. On the bright side, there's an upward-surge when they finally venture outside the hotel walls (finally giving Buscemi some much-needed spotlight).

My kid liked it, so the movie's got that going for it. But for entertainment that offers multi-generational appeal, I'll have to look elsewhere.

5/10

Adam Sandler was a good choice.

[mat-mcnaughton-254-33257 · 7/10 · 23 September 2012]

Cee-Lo Green wasn't though. This movie got more and more silly and ridiculous as it went, much like a snowball made of humor. But then it fell and landed on me, which wasn't that fun. All the main casting was excellent, although the shrunken heads weren't Whoopi Goldberg like I thought, but an impostor. Sandler was great, casting Selena Gomez was pretty smart, and Andy Samberg was goofy. This makes the second movie in a row Samberg and Sandler have worked on together, but I like to ignore the first one.

As to why I didn't like this movie... Cee Lo sings with auto-tune, and Sandler raps. Yes, he raps. The two real-world songs they used were by LMFAO, and that's not how I want this generation to be remembered by. But I saw it in a theater filled with kids, and they say more about than I can. It's a good movie, and I'm glad the 3D wasn't too annoying. (There are plenty of good adult jokes too.) You should go see it.