Mixed marriages are tough. Couples in such situations have to join their disparate pasts into a life together that works for both of them. Their families and friends who are not used to being around the "other kind" may not know how to act in the couple's presence, even if everyone means well. Then there are all sorts of questions about how to raise their children. Should the kids be raised like the mother was raised or like the father? Should the family live closer to the father's family or the mother's? Should children be raised as alive or as the undead? Yup. Life can get pretty tricky when a human and a vampire marry. But watching these conflicts play out is a lot of fun in "Hotel Transylvania 2" (PG, 1:29).
Returning for the sequel to 2012's animated hit "Hotel Transylvania" are director Genndy Tartakovsky, writer Rob Smigel (although gone is writing partner Peter Baynham, replaced for the sequel by Adam Sandler), and most of the voice cast from the original, with the action in the sequel picking up shortly after its predecessor's story ends. Dracula (Adam Sandler), the titular hotel's owner, is glowing like the full moon at the wedding of his vampire daughter, Mavis (Selena Gomez) to her human love, Jonathan (Andy Samberg) and Drac's on Cloud 9 (or whichever cloud he was flying through) when he hears the news that Mavis is pregnant with his grandchild. Drac is convinced that the baby will be a vampire. It's impossible to tell whether the infant favors Mavis or Jonathan, but he seems like a fully human toddler.
Drac grows increasingly anxious as Dennis (Asher Blinkoff) approaches his fifth birthday (when little vampires' fangs appear), and when Drac learns that Mavis is considering moving out of the hotel and going to live with the humans. Jonathan actually wants to continue living at Hotel Transylvania, where he has started to help out with hotel operations (now that the hotel is accepting human guests), but he reluctantly agrees to take Mavis to visit his parents (Megan Mullally and Nick Offerman) in California. Drac gets them to leave Dennis in his care while they're away. As soon as mom and dad are out of sight, he packs Dennis into his car seat while, Frank (Kevin James), Wayne (Steve Buscemi), Griffin (David Spade), Murray (Keegan-Michael Key) and Blobby (Jonny Solomon) pile in to help with Drac's mission.
The vampire, Frankenstein's monster, the werewolf, the invisible man, the mummy and the blob have teamed up to help bring out Dennis' inner vampire-ness. The gang visits some of their old "haunts" to teach the kid the tricks of the monster trade, with some pretty funny results. Dennis is enjoying all of this, but Mavis is none too happy when she finds out what her father has been up to and she (literally) flies home to protect her son. As you'd probably guess, his little road trip doesn't exactly help Drac's chances of keeping Mavis, Jonathan and Dennis under his roof. Complicating the situation further is the attendance at Dennis' birthday party by his old-school human-hating great-grandpa Vlad (Mel Brooks).
"Hotel Transylvania 2" appeals to the eyes, the funny bone and the heart. The animation is so detailed that, at times, it almost felt like I was watching a live-action film – and I "only" saw it in 2-D! The script is clever, amusing, and sometimes laugh-out-loud funny. The voice actors are clearly having a good time, as was I, along with the kids and adults sitting around me if their laughter and smiles are any indication. The story's underlying lesson is the importance of accepting others (with your actions AND your attitudes), regardless of their differences. Mavis makes this point clearly when she admonishes Drac, saying, "Maybe you've let humans into your hotel, dad, but I don't think you've let them into your heart." Parts of this movie get a little dull, and some of the gags aren't as humorous as they're apparently meant to be, but most of the movie is fresh and fun. My advice is to head to the movies oh, and grab your kids to take them to "Hotel Transylvania 2". "B+"
Returning for the sequel to 2012's animated hit "Hotel Transylvania" are director Genndy Tartakovsky, writer Rob Smigel (although gone is writing partner Peter Baynham, replaced for the sequel by Adam Sandler), and most of the voice cast from the original, with the action in the sequel picking up shortly after its predecessor's story ends. Dracula (Adam Sandler), the titular hotel's owner, is glowing like the full moon at the wedding of his vampire daughter, Mavis (Selena Gomez) to her human love, Jonathan (Andy Samberg) and Drac's on Cloud 9 (or whichever cloud he was flying through) when he hears the news that Mavis is pregnant with his grandchild. Drac is convinced that the baby will be a vampire. It's impossible to tell whether the infant favors Mavis or Jonathan, but he seems like a fully human toddler.
Drac grows increasingly anxious as Dennis (Asher Blinkoff) approaches his fifth birthday (when little vampires' fangs appear), and when Drac learns that Mavis is considering moving out of the hotel and going to live with the humans. Jonathan actually wants to continue living at Hotel Transylvania, where he has started to help out with hotel operations (now that the hotel is accepting human guests), but he reluctantly agrees to take Mavis to visit his parents (Megan Mullally and Nick Offerman) in California. Drac gets them to leave Dennis in his care while they're away. As soon as mom and dad are out of sight, he packs Dennis into his car seat while, Frank (Kevin James), Wayne (Steve Buscemi), Griffin (David Spade), Murray (Keegan-Michael Key) and Blobby (Jonny Solomon) pile in to help with Drac's mission.
The vampire, Frankenstein's monster, the werewolf, the invisible man, the mummy and the blob have teamed up to help bring out Dennis' inner vampire-ness. The gang visits some of their old "haunts" to teach the kid the tricks of the monster trade, with some pretty funny results. Dennis is enjoying all of this, but Mavis is none too happy when she finds out what her father has been up to and she (literally) flies home to protect her son. As you'd probably guess, his little road trip doesn't exactly help Drac's chances of keeping Mavis, Jonathan and Dennis under his roof. Complicating the situation further is the attendance at Dennis' birthday party by his old-school human-hating great-grandpa Vlad (Mel Brooks).
"Hotel Transylvania 2" appeals to the eyes, the funny bone and the heart. The animation is so detailed that, at times, it almost felt like I was watching a live-action film – and I "only" saw it in 2-D! The script is clever, amusing, and sometimes laugh-out-loud funny. The voice actors are clearly having a good time, as was I, along with the kids and adults sitting around me if their laughter and smiles are any indication. The story's underlying lesson is the importance of accepting others (with your actions AND your attitudes), regardless of their differences. Mavis makes this point clearly when she admonishes Drac, saying, "Maybe you've let humans into your hotel, dad, but I don't think you've let them into your heart." Parts of this movie get a little dull, and some of the gags aren't as humorous as they're apparently meant to be, but most of the movie is fresh and fun. My advice is to head to the movies oh, and grab your kids to take them to "Hotel Transylvania 2". "B+"