"A
delightful Halloween treat for kids and easy-to-please adults.”
Following the success of the first film in 2012, Count Drac
and his monster squad are back in Hotel
Transylvania 2 with returning
director Genndy Tartakovsky. This time around, a pint-sized addition to the
family will further attest and convince Papa Drac that the world is indeed
changing.
Drac (voiced by Adam Sandler), owner-manager of Hotel
Transylvania, is busy once again. Abolishing his exclusively-monster guest
policy, Drac has opened his hotel to humans also. With that, the big wedding of
his feisty 125-year-old daughter, Mavis (Selena Gomez), to her slacker
red-headed human beau, Jonathan (Andy Samberg), is underway. The celebration
thus unites the human and monster worlds. Soon, Mavis gives birth to her
adorable red-curled son, Dennis (Asher Blinkoff), which thrilled Drac to the
bones.
Fast forward and Dennis’ fifth birthday is approaching. Drac
is worried that his grandson has not yet developed fangs or grown wings. Though
he constantly putters that he is fine with what Dennis becomes, he has trouble accepting
the possibility that the child will never be a vampire. Meanwhile,
overprotective mom Mavis feels uncertain of the child-friendliness and security
of the hotel. Entrusting the child’s care to Drac for a while, Mavis and
Jonathan travel to Santa Cruz, visit Jon’s parents (Megan Mullaly and Nick Offerman), and check out if the place is the best environment to raise Dennis.
Meanwhile, Drac and his ghastly team: Frank (Kevin James), werewolf Wayne
(Steve Buscemi), Murray the mummy (Keegan-Michael Key) and the Invisible Man
(David Spade), embark on a road trip to teach Dennis on the basics of being a
monster, hoping that his inner vampire will finally be awakened.
Compared to the original film, Hotel Transylvania 2 has bigger story and deeper character
development. While the first film explores the relationship of dad-and-daughter
vampires in the face of changing world, the sequel complicates this dynamics
with the arrival of half-human, half-vamp child. In some way, Drac’s viewpoint
of accepting Dennis no matter what he is (even as a unicorn!) yet secretly
harboring a different wish strikes social metaphor relating to gender, race or
even class when it comes to matters on love and life. In essence, both films in
the franchise are about tolerance and open-mindedness.
Similar to the first film, the present feature elaborates
how the world has moved on while Drac remains bounded by his ancient beliefs
and ideals. Such details are described in vivid and bouncy frames. Gone is the creepiness
of the dark forest where Drac used to haunt as it is now crowded with busy
tourists. Gone is the old vampire training camp; instead, it is replaced with a child-friendly
facility where the fanged kiddoes play badminton, sing jolly campfire songs,
and catch their first meek mice. Best of all, gone is the towering wobbly platform
for practicing bat-turning; instead, there is a playground slide equipped with
nets. Drac’s squad is even more in tuned with modernity, evident with Frank’s comfy thrill taking
selfies with humans, Invisible Man starring in a best-selling workout video, and even
Murray the Mummy knowing how to use a mobile navigation app.
The movie has a breakneck pace that matches its snappy
comedic formula. Slapstick gags and physical humor are abundant such as Mavis’
efforts to childproof the hotel and everything in it, Drac’s difficulty using
touchscreen with his long fingernails, vampire’s version of yoga, and Jonathan’s
parents’ attempt to make Mavis feel at home by adorning her room with Halloween
decorations. They are mostly funny but gags of such nature only generate the
briefest of laughter. The arrival of Drac’s human-hating dad (Mel Brooks) is
also a welcome surprise; wish he came earlier though. Lastly, like most animated
films, the flick ends with a groovy musical number courtesy of Fifth Harmony’s “I’m
In Love with a Monster.” That and their other hit “Worth It” add extra great
vibe to the movie.
Hotel Transylvania 2
is certainly a kid-pleasing entertainment which may solicit good nods from the adults.
It is not a bad sequel but not exceptional as well; it is just alright. For Sandler
who recently has a streak of bad comedy, particularly his latest Pixel, the
movie is a surprising delight.
Production
companies: Columbia Pictures, Sony Pictures Animation, LStar Capital
Cast: Adam Sandler, Andy
Samberg, Selena Gomez, Kevin James, Steve Buscemi, Mel Brooks, Keegan-Michael
Key, David Spade, Molly Shannon, Fran Drescher, Megan Mullaly, Nick Offerman,
Dana Carvey, Rob Riggle
Director: Genndy
Tartakovsky
Screenwriters: Robert
Smigel, Adam Sandler
Producer: Michelle
Murdocca
Executive producers: Adam
Sandler, Allen Covert, Robert Smigel, Ben Waisbren
Production designer:
Michael Kurinsky
Editor: Catherine Apple
Composer: Mark
Mothersbaugh
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