Hotel Transylvania

Well, it's that time of year again for the Halloween spirit to take over the place. We'll be seeing decorations in stores, many costumes being made...but sadly, that charm among most has been growing dimmer and dimmer, due to some "parents" thinking Halloween should be safer and more friendly. But THAT'S not what I'm here about! This year, we'll be talking about the Halloween films of this year. What qualifies as a Halloween film? Well, it has to be A) The film takes place on Halloween the entire film; B) Have classic monsters in it, or have reference to them; or C) A horror film released during late September or during October. So without further ado, let's start with "Hotel Transylvania!"

"Hotel Transylvania" tells the story of Dracula, who creates a incredibly hidden castle, that is the sanctuary for all monsters, but was created to protect her daughter, Mavis, from the outside world. But when a mountain climber named Jonathan arrives at the hotel, Drac has to keep him hidden from the other monsters, all the while Jon and Mavis start to grow more attached to each other. Now, you might think this sounds simple, and it is for the most part, in a good way. It knows how to keep itself entertaining and still enjoyable for what it is.

The casting works in its own way. Adam Sandler plays the role of Dracula, and he gives it the typical Adam Sandler performance, in terms of voice acting that is. Being the second animated Sandler film (after "8 Crazy Nights" back in 2002), it's a big improvement. Not only that, but they give him a strong backstory to why he has a dislike for humans in the first place. I was really taken by that, so I give props. Mavis played by Selena Gomez was pretty good for what she did. Originally, Mavis was said to be played by Miley Cyrus, but she dropped the project. I'm glad they went with Gomez instead, since I think she's the better actress. And I'd be lying, if I didn't say Mavis was cute. Andy Samberg as Jonathan was also a joy to watch, being the man of the modern world, but not to a certain extent. I probably would have walked out, if he said anything that the typical high school idiot would say...oh god, just thinking about it makes me cringe. I also found the other characters to be enjoyable, like Kevin James as Frankenstein's monster, Steve Buscemi as the werewolf, David Spade as the invisible man, Cee Lo Green as the mummy, etc. All of them were enjoyable in their own right.

The animation in the film was just spectacular in several ways. Sony Animation has really shown to do great animation, just like with "Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs." It was well paced, it really had so much to look at, and it showcases many monsters in such creative ways. While knowing Adam Sandler and Andy Samberg were in the film was a good enough treat, what made me really enjoy the film was the director, Genndy Tartakovsky, the creator of "Dexter's Laboratory," "Symbiotic Titan," and "Samurai Jack," three of my all time favorite cartoons. I'm glad to see that he's still getting work, and I'm hoping that sooner or later he gets a studio to green-light him to do a "Samurai Jack" movie, after over a decade.

Overall, "Hotel Transylvania" is a film that is ripe for the Halloween season. It's fun, its humor is clever, its got fantastic animation, and it's one of my favorite movies of the year so far. If you're a fan of Adam Sandler, Andy Samberg, or Genndy Tartakovsky, you'll love this movie. However, if you're not into CG animation, Samberg, or Sandler, then you'll skip this.

Rating: 10/10


Next time: Frankenweenie