It sounds like the title of a classic karaoke song, but Hotel Transylvania is unlikely to be as long-lived.
By Annabelle Low
In this directorial debut by Dexter’s Laboratory’s Genndy Tartakovsky, Dracula (Adam Sandler with a bad accent) is a doting father who owns Hotel Transylvania, a reputable resort for monsters that is known for being “human-free”. One day, the human Jonathan (Saturday Night Live’s Adam Samberg) stumbles upon the resort. Hilarity ensues as Dracula attempts to keep his guests from finding out about a human being in the hotel, simultaneously trying to stop Jonathan from getting close to his daughter, Mavis (teen queen Selena Gomez).
With the overarching theme being the heartwarming relationship between Dracula and Mavis, the former is adorable as the over-protective father who is reluctant to let go; it’s refreshing to see Dracula not portrayed as the evil bloodsucker (or sparkly vampire) for once. Unfortunately, both the teenage protagonists are acquired tastes, with Jonathan bordering on downright annoying.
While it provides non-stop laughs, the plot is wafer-thin, lacking in the depth found in classics of the genre such as Up and Finding Nemo. What holds it together is the humor, the sassy dialogue and the wonderfully imaginative scenes. Watch if you just want to bring the kids out for a good time, but don’t expect this to be the DVD classic that you’ll reminisce over years later.
