The movie kids everywhere have been anticipating for months on end released just last week and made its way to the top of the box office in no time, clocking in at a current 42.5 million dollars with Looper all too far behind at 20.8 million.
Focusing on a young vampire’s desire to see the world without her father to limit what she can and can’t do, Hotel Transylvania features the voices of Adam Sandler, Selena Gomez, Andy Samberg, Kevin James, and plenty other noteworthy celebrities.
Based on what the trailer displays, one might think that Hotel Transylvania merely centers on various mythical beings that all happen to annually migrate to an inn built by Dracula and chaos that ensues whenever this happens, but HT turned out to be much more than it was made out to seem.
Without revealing too much, I can say that the plot wasn’t all too intricate, though it was straight forward and original enough to make up for the lack of sophistication. The makers of the film did a good job of keeping the story interesting while leaving it basic enough for most of the audience – including small children – to understand what was going on for most of the movie. It could be considered predictable, but as a cartoon movie, this was expected, even though there were a few twist and turns that were used and kept the audience on their toes now and then.
Animation was absolutely fantastic. The colors used in the film were vivid and gorgeously done. Characters all lived up to their names in regards to appearances and animators went so far as to sneak in small details that could be found in paintings along the castle walls and certain accessories on a character’s wardrobe to further display authenticity. There’s even been some speculation that Slender Man makes an appearance somewhere in the trailer, which after some research, I think I was able to spot at 0:44 of the snippet unless it’s really just a tree, and even a cameo in the movie, but there’s been no confirmation of this and I noticed no such thing.
I especially loved the fact that the movie chose to stay true to the myths that surrounded the main characters, or more specifically, creatures. In our day and age, we’re bombarded by multiple forms of entertainment that all test the boundaries of mythical beings, changing qualities that have made up these specific figures for centuries on end. It was extremely refreshing to finally watch a film that doesn’t question the trademarks that make up a vampire, or any other being, for that matter.
Hotel Transylvania was generally fast-paced for a movie 91 minutes long. As mentioned before, the plots simplicity made it easier to pack basic information into the movie in an allotted time slot while being able to move the film along while supplying the viewers with all the facts they needed to know.
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There was hidden humor evident in two or three scenes in HT, and while this is great for the older crowd – after all, they are the ones who are paying up for the kids to watch the film in the first place – I felt it might have been a tad inappropriate for the younger audience, as some of the ‘hidden humor’ wasn’t actually that hidden. I can honestly say my ten year-old sister caught on to at least two of the hidden jokes, and that just made things uncomfortable for me. It was a bit mediocre, in my eyes.
My favorite characters in Hotel Transylvania were undoubtedly Dracula and Jonathon. Even though Adam Sandler’s character can be a bit overbearing, he has a secretive past of his own and has the capability to loosen up every now and then, making him relatable to most father’s. Alongside Sandler, Andy Samberg did a phenomenal job of creating a washed-up, care-free, adventurous 21 year-old. Dracula’s old-school personality beside Jonathon’s wild modernized persona make for inevitable clashing, and most of the humor in the film. While Mavis’ character wasn’t a favorite of mine, I really enjoyed her ambition and eagerness to travel the world and explore her freedom as an adult. If anything, I feel like her character is one anyone can relate to, as the urge to exhibit freedom and explore foreign territory is something almost everyone has experienced, especially when on the verge of adulthood.
All in all, Hotel Transylvania is a classically homey cartoon comedy with a fairytale simplicity that suits it just fine.
Final verdict: 8/10 ★★★★★★★★
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