“Hotel Transylvania 2” Review

Halloween started early this year for the movie industry with the release of Hotel Translyvania 2. The movie was spectacularly spooky with humor that may only be slightly amusing to adults, but still garnered lots of laughs from the children in the audience. Familiar voices which include, Selena Gomez, Adam Sandler, Kevin James, and Mel Brooks add superb depth to the animated characters they voice.

The movie starts out in the monstrously huge hotel from the prequel that is now open to humans.Mavis(Gomez), Dracula’s daughter, is about to marry her human husband. The wedding, obviously Halloween themed, is upbeat with monsters and humans dancing together and actually getting along.

The movie then speeds up with Mavis becoming pregnant and having a baby boy. Dracula(Sandler) is over ecstatic to learn the gender of the baby because male offspring carry the gene for being a vampire even if they are half human. However, as his grandson, Dennis, gets closer to five Drac starts to worry since a vampire’s fangs come in at age five and in the boy’s mouth there is no sign of sharp choppers. In addition, Mavis is pondering moving to California so Dennis can live a normal life. Drac decides to send Mavis and Johnny to California so that he can spend time with his grandson and teach him the ways of a vampire without Mavis knowing.

After countless attempts to teach Dennis how to live like a vampire, the fangs still have not come in. Eventually, he turns five and a birthday party is held at the hotel. Everyone is happy and celebrating until Dracula’s father, Vlad(Brooks), crashes the party. He does not know Mavis has married a human and that his great-grandson might not be a vampire.

Accompanying Vlad is his demon sidekick who captures Dennis’s friend werewolf. By seeing his friend get hurt, Dennis becomes so enraged his fangs come out and he rescues his furry companion. More demons come and the rest of the gruesome gang rush to his aid and beat all the demons. Mavis, seeing Dennis’s fangs, decides the family should continue living at the hotel and not move to California.

Overall, the movie had its ups and downs. The plot was at some points predictable, but the humor and visually stunning animation helped move the movie forward.

Rating:B