Hey guys and welcome to a spooky new throwback review! This time I will be doing a brand new series of reviews where I will be taking a look at the Hotel Transylvania films. Why? Well the fourth and final entry did come out earlier this year and I just thought it would be fun to look back on these films and see how they have held up for me. Originating from the mind of Genndy Tartakovsky, who is very well known among animation fans for his work on such classic animated shows such as Dexter’s Lab and Samurai Jack, this is a series that is interesting in that it seems like there is no real clear consensus about among fans. In other words it seems like opinions and reactions vary per person as some say this one is their favorite or least favorite or they love this one or hate that one. It’s interesting hearing such wildly different takes on the movies, which is a huge reason why I wanted to do full on reviews for each of them. So without further ado let’s kick off by talking about the one that started it all and looking back, it was a solid start and one that find fun to re visit. Let’s check into this hotel and see what spooky treats came from it!
The basic premise here involves the one and only Count Dracula deciding to open a massive hotel for monsters only so that they may find a place to reside far away from any humans whom they see as threats to their way of living. He also does this to raise his daughter, Mavis, in a safer environment. However as we cut to the present day, Mavis is now turning 118 and wants to be free from the hotel and see the world on her own, something Drac is more than a little hesitant to allow. He gets a little bit more relieved after successfully hatching a plan to convince Mavis of the dangers the human world has to offer… relief that goes right out the window once a 21 year old human named Johnny finds his way inside the hotel grounds. Panicked, Drac decides to disguise Johnny as a Frankenstein monster (passed off as Frank’s cousin) and hope that things will blow over. Those hopes are also dashed once Mavis and Johnny start to form a connection leaving Drac now having to keep this secret and try to get rid of Johnny or it could spell doom for the hotel in his eyes.
Just from glancing on the simple idea this movie is based on, it is easy to see why this was such an appealing film. The simple concept of a hotel for monsters lends itself to all sorts of fun ideas and potential comedy and Tartakovsky and writers, Peter Baynham and Robert Smigel, take full advantage of it. The feature is jam packed with fun jokes and clever gags involving the Monsters’s different way of living which to them is their normal way of doing things, poking fun at several of the tropes one associates with these monsters. What’s most impressive is how the humor can range from light hearted at some points and more macabre in others and it all works quite well. Yes there are some jokes that haven’t quite aged well as those were attempts to be more hip at the time and there are some toilet humor jokes that didn’t quite land for me (although there were actually some that did). But for the most part, I found myself laughing consistently throughout. Many of my favorite jokes are the more character based ones (more on those later) and there were plenty of great one off gags throughout with a highlight being when Drac and Johnny are exploring the hotel and accidently run into the wrong areas. However the movie also makes sure to pack in a lot of heart at the same time. Yes the story of a disapproving dad wanting to protect his daughter from everything (and everyone in the case of Johnny) that is different is one that has been done before many times and this film does go through many of the expected plot beats that arise from it. However, I found it to be a well executed variation on the formula as I grew to be invested in these characters and understand where they came from and I thought the emotional moments such as when Drac explains what happened to his wife packed a surprising amount of weight to them. Plus the usual messages of accepting change and others for who they are done quite well and I like how it all pays off in the finale. Again how the movie goes about doing it’s story is arguably more important than the basic premise itself and in this case, I think Hotel Transylvania manages to balance heart and humor and it makes for a fun, satisfying time that doesn’t overstay it’s welcome.
If there is one thing that animation fans do appreciate about these movies, it has got to be the animation and it is not hard to see why. This is a premise that has so much visual potential and getting someone who is known for their distinct style such as Tartakovsky was a very smart choice. He is able to make the leap from the television to the big screen very well as he gives the proceedings an energetic feel with his direction, but just like the story he knows when to calm things down and not over do it to the point of exhaustion. The visual style of this movie also seems very much like something he would come up with as well and I really dig it all. Biggest highlights for me would have to be the characters themselves as one can tell that that animators must have had a fun time bringing them to life, especially the monsters. Each monster design is just brimming with creativity as the animators take a lot of recognizable monsters and exaggerate certain features to make them more cartoony. It works well as the designs are very memorable and it’s fun seeing iconic monsters like The Mummy, The Wolf-Man, the witches, etc. done in this style and every single one of them is very expressive showing a lot of fun facial expressions. I also love it when a lot of them are onscreen together as not one of them look the same in a single frame. Another highlight is easily the movements as each character has this fast paced way of moving that makes them fun to watch even if they aren’t saying a joke. One particular detail I noticed is how each character’s movements match their personality like with Drac having a very proper and still yet super fast way of moving and it’s just something extra that adds to the comedy of the feature. Naturally there are a lot of sequences that involve slapstick comedy and they are very entertaining to watch unfold thanks to the expressive visuals that give everything so much life. The backgrounds are also well done and detailed often capturing an appropriately spooky but also fun atmosphere with the Hotel feeling grand in scale with many fun areas to explore and it truly feels like a hotel monsters would stay at. Also adding to the general vibe of the film is Mark Mothersbaugh’s score which is similarly full of energy and fits the spooky but fun feel the film often has.
What seems to turn some people off regarding this series is that it stars Adam Sandler and his usual friends and well their productions under the Happy Madison banner aren’t the most well regarded pieces of cinema out there. However aside from the fact that this isn’t one of those movies produced under that brand, Sandler has more than proven he can play different kinds of roles and he is pretty great here as Drac. While the character himself is a familiar type (the stern father who only wants to protect his daughter), he works since the writers are able to make his love for his daughter clear and it is understandable why he would not want her to go to the human world. Thus it makes his development throughout the movie satisfying to watch as he realizes what is truly best for Mavis and comes to see that some humans may not be that bad after all, with the climactic scene at the monster festival being a clever way of showing that latter idea. Plus Sandler is able to give a surprisingly layered performance, capturing that strict no nonsense attitude and loving father personality perfectly. He also amusingly deliver many of the comedic lines with ease while even handling the more emotional scenes extremely well. It’s a really good voice performance and a perfect example of celebrity voice casting done well. As for Mavis herself, she makes for a sympathetic and likable character one whom the audience wants to see achieve the freedom she yearns and I think the bond she and Drac has is handled nicely. I also thought Selena Gomez did a solid job giving the character a cheerful yet headstrong personality. Rounding out our main trio is Johnny who on paper could easily have been an extremely annoying presence, and I will admit Andy Samberg’s performance does get some getting used to (he is essentially has this “chill surfer dude” way of speaking and it can get a little grating at times). However he gets better as the movie goes along and I like the relationship he forms with Drac and Mavis. He also isn’t a total airhead, and is able to teach Drac some meaningful lessons as well. Then there are the multitude of monsters, with Drac’s buddies, AKA the Drac Pack, getting the most screen time as it is rounded out by Murray (CeeLo Green), Frank (Kevin James), Wayne (Steve Buscemi), and Griffin (David Spade). Each of them are fun in their own way with Wayne being the stand out for me thanks to Buscemi’s deadpan delivery and the running gag of how exhausted he is of his many children. I also enjoyed the interactions between Frank and his wife, Eunice (Fran Drescher) and the whole idea of Griffin as the Invisible man leads to some really funny jokes. They all have a nice comraderie with one another that makes them feel like friends who’ve known each other for a long time and it easily becomes a highlight of the entire series. The other Monsters are mostly just there to be the subject of jokes and to fill out this world with only Chef Quasimodo (Jon Lovitz) getting much of anything else to do as he becomes suspicious as he senses a human residing in the hotel. He mostly just serves as an obstacle, one who just exists to add more stakes to the narrative, although, really fun action sequence involving him and the guards aside, I really don’t think the movie even really needed an antagonistic force like him to begin with.
In the end, the original Hotel Transylvania still holds up rather well in my eyes. It’s story definitely covers a lot of familiar ground, not all of the jokes land, and Johnny can get some getting used to, but I still found it to be a really fun ride with strong execution of it’s story, a solid balance of tone, very clever jokes, expressive and creative animation, and mostly charming characters who I found worth investing in. It’s a solid feature debut for Genndy Tartakovsky and he continues to show the limitless possibilities that could be done with animation and that not all of it has to have that photo realistic look that a good number of features have. I know many people who watch this one every Halloween and it’s not hard to see why. It’s a very enjoyable romp that works as intended. Welp, that’s about it for Hotel Transylvania, but we are only just beginning to look at this series. Join me next time as we take a look at it’s sequel, Hotel Transylvania 2!
Rating: B+
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