I’ve been open about my love for the Hotel Transylvania movies since 2012, and even own the films on 3D blu-ray (still need a 3D TV though); unlike with Blue Sky and Illumination, Sony and Tartakovsky helped give the studio an identity, and bring out the best films that the studio has to offer. Both the first and second films came out at the right time, just before October to get kids into the Halloween spirit as the fall begins to set in; while the first one is better than the first one, the second one is still something I would comfortably recommend.
Going into the third one, I was still sore about the animated films Sony gave us last year, and how they gave the shaft to Tartakovsky when they chose The Emoji Movie over some of his projects, like Popeye. Luckily, HT3 is another enjoyable, creative, funny, and lively entry in the series that satisfies the kid in me.
Hotel Transylvania 3: Summer Vacation sees Mavis (Selena Gomez) taking her family and friends on a cruise, to help her dad cut back and relax; while there, Dracula (Adam Sandler) becomes smitten with the ship’s captain, Ericka (Kathryn Hahn), who is secretly the next in line of the Van Helsing clan, vowing to finish the job her great-grandfather started long ago.
Let’s start off with the animation, which is still just as strong as the previous two; this is the first installment that Tartakovsky co-wrote, and you can definitely get a feeling of that. There’s more emphasis on the way characters look and move, how they contrast with other interactions, and even slight small bits, all have so much energy and liveliness to it. While some may argue it feel a little too noodle-like, especially compared to it’s lower moments, it never once feels out of tune with the rest of the film; all except for Mavis, who after rewatching the first movie a while back with my newborn nephew, I realized has more realistic movements, compared to everyone’s dart like reflexes. Regardless, the colors and shading, accompanied by the proper and popping 3D effects, it makes the film twice as striking.
However, where I feel the film falls short is with the writing, something that has been a legitimate complaint about the series overall. Tartakovsky’s biggest strong point has always been visuals rather than dialogue, and there are some lines that do come off as a little on the nose about what’s happening. Other times, you'll have sequences that don't really add much to the story, but look so hypnotizing that it's hard to admire it. The premise also does feel a little sitcom-ish, when you put these characters on a cruise ship; that, and the ending felt predictable and a bit rehashed from the previous film. And the whole thing with Atlantis, sort of felt like Tartakosky still wanted to do that Popeye movie, but this was as close as he could get.
Where it makes up for some of that is with the performances and humor. I may not be as big into Adam Sandler as I used to, but I still get a kick out of them when I sit down to watch one. With the Hotel Transylvania films, being the most consistent role he’s played more than once, his vocal work never feels like he’s half-assing it, and you do feel for him, whether he’s making you laugh or a little down. And at this point, you do buy into the chemistry with the rest of the characters. Selena Gomez (Mavis), Kevin James (Frankenstein), Steve Buscemi (Wayne Werewolf), David Spade (Griffin the Invisible Man), Keegan-Michael Key (Murray the Mummy); I was a little disappointed that there wasn’t as much Andy Samberg (Jonathan) or Mel Brooks (Grandpa Vlad) this time around, but that’s more of a nitpick. Kathryn Hahn (Ericka Van Helsing) also gives a good vocal performance, delivering both sides of a bloodthirsty hunter and a conniving captain; even Jim Gaffigan as Abraham Van Helsing gets some laughs out of me.
The best way to put Hotel Transylvania 3 is that it’s a safe three-quel; it’s not trying to blow expectations, it isn’t offensive in anyway, but it may not be something to immediately go out and seek. As someone who is a fan of Tartakovsky and these films, I found it to be as enjoyable as I could want it to be. It may not have the strongest story of the three, but the animation and characters do make it an installment worth visiting. And with it now on blu-ray, this is a definite recommendation this Halloween if you have kids.
Rating: B+
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