Hotel Transylvania (2012) (Movie Review)

 There are Halloween specials that pique my interest before I even watch them, and there's the very special one's that sneak up on me and become a welcome surprise. The 2012 animated film “Hotel Transylvania” is one such movie that didn't interest me with its advertising, but through a series of events, I ended up watching it and found myself won over by a new holiday favorite. Honesty ... I fell in love with this film almost immediately. While I still prefer the scarier and darker style Halloween films aimed for kids in the vein of “ParaNorman” or “Coraline”, but “Hotel Transylvania” rekindled my childhood love and nostalgia for the season better than most did before.

  The premise goes like this … Count Dracula fears that all monsters are in danger from the looming threat of humankind. So, he builds a giant castle resort to keep all the classic monsters, and most importantly his doubter Mavis, safe from the pitch forks of humanity. She in turn has grown restless of her castle prison, wants to make a life for herself, and venture out into the larger world beyond Transylvania. On the eve of her birthday, a human boy discovers Dracula’s monster retreat, and through a series of events ... ends up winning the heart of the count's doubter. Dracula naturally is quiet displeased with his intrusion, but he also can’t deny that for once his doubter seems to be happy. So, he lets the boy stay under the disguise of a Frankenstein type monster named "Johnny-Stein". From there, it’s just a wild series of events with Johnny-Stein bringing modern age entertainment to the monsters, while Dracula just tries to keep peace in his castle. On paper this sounds like a very one-note premise, with lots of recycled ideas from other films, but the creative team behind this movie just put their all into it, resulting in one of the most well realized renditions of a familiar formula.

 I should note that I’ve never really been a fan of Adam Sandler. At worst, his stinkers tarnish what makes a good comedy, and even at his very best ... I could sit down, and have some laughs, but nothing would really stick with me either. 

I bring this up because, in my opinion, “Hotel Transylvania” is my favorite of his movies by a mile ... at least from the ones I've seen. Subsequently, his portrayal of Dracula is great, and honestly one of his best. Not only is Adam Sandler funny, he’s also very charming, and brings an honest sense of passion to the role. I actually have to remind myself that it’s Adam Sandler supplying the voice, because the character just comes to life on his own. Not only is the voice work great, but the performance in the animation is outstanding. Every single expression, whether it be over the top silly, cheerful or sentimental always clicked. It’s hard to describe, but it might just be one of my favorite “animation performances” I’ve ever seen. 

All the other classic movie monsters are present including Frankenstein, The Wolf Man, The Bride of Frankenstein, The Invisible Man, The Mummy, and tons of other popular monster alumni. All of them perfectly recognizable, just with enjoyably cartoonish makeovers, and all voiced by various talents (mostly from SNL), including Kevin James, Steve Buscemi, Ceelo Green, Molly Shannon, and David Spade. One minor nit-pick is that the Creature from the Black Lagoon is reduced to a small background character, which is ridiculous, because he should be a lead along with all the other classics featured in this film. While none of the other monsters are as lovable as the count, they are still very charming, and fun in their own respected ways. I actually found myself enjoying most of the smaller side characters, like this pair of cranky skeletons who are on a romantic retreat, or the Witch maids, the shrunken heads that make sure no-one is disturbed, the suits of armor who make the reports, the pumpkin headed coachman, and the old Gremlin lady who “didn’t do that”. The Wolf Man also has this massive litter of uncontrollable cubs, and has one girl pup among them named Wendy. Despite her small amount of screen time, she is one of the most lovable characters in the films roaster.

  Now, even with all that said, for me personally, the biggest break out character of the film is Dracula’s doubter Mavis, who I think belongs right up there with Jack Skellington as one of the great iconic animated Halloween characters. 

She’s voiced by Selena Gomez, and just like with Adam Sandler, I’ve never really been a fan, but she’s great in the role. Also, just like with Dracula, the performance through the animation is excellent. She conveys all the right emotions, and Mavis herself is just irresistibly cute. I’d go so far to say that she surpasses more than half of the Disney Princesses, both on the cute scale, and for just being an enduring character. This is a girl with a contagiously cheerful personality, but the character is also layered with personal conflicts, as well as subtle drama that make us sympathize with her in just the right amounts. Granted, her back story is nothing original. In fact, it almost feels like a cut and pace of “The Little Mermaid” half the time, especially with the overbearing parent refusing to let her child explore the larger world, and is forbidden to make contact with humans. Regardless, the familiar backstory works in this film, largely because she has absolute perfect chemistry with her father. The relationship between the two mixes charm, zany fun, and subtle touching humanity all in one excellent package. Speaking of family ties, Adam Sandler worked his real-life family into the movie in a couple ways. During the flashbacks, Dracula’s wife Martha is voiced by Sandler’s wife Jackie Sandler, and little girl Mavis is voiced by one of Sandler’s daughters Sadie Sandler.  

 The only character I didn’t care for was the human boy Johnny, who’s silly quirks got kind of old. The hummer associated with all the monsters felt mostly timeless, whereas the hummer from Johnny feels like a dated 90’s product. Andy Samberg is at least committed to the role, and despite his many annoyances, the character himself at least has some redeeming qualities. Obviously, his relationship with Mavis is at the heart of the film, and while I think Mavis is far too good for this guy, they at least share some really good scenes together. I love the moment when Johnny cleverly shows Mavis a beautiful sun rise, which she never had the privilege of seeing before. That image of the sun’s glow reflected in her eyes is such a great visual, and it’s just those little details that really make me love this movie. 

 This movie is also a production of Sony Animation studios, and while I’ve never really loved this particular cartoon studio, I still must confess that the animation on display in “Hotel Transylvania” is right up there with the best of what either Pixar or DreamWorks have delivered. Seriously, everything about the animation in this film just pops on the screen. 

The details are absorbing, the colors are great, and I especially love the depth of field on display, as the characters can really move around in the environment. More than anything, I love the energy in this animation. The timing is amazing, and it’s some of the quickest movement I’ve ever seen in an animated production. One of my favorite scenes is when Dracula and Johnny are setting up tables in a dining room. These tables all have cute ghost face covers, and can fly or move on command. This leads into an especially fun, and cheerful scene where the two go from stressful party planning, to a fun game that allows both Dracula and Johnny to bond. The whole movie flows with this quick and energized pace, but again, there’s still enough time dedicated to the characters and their emotional moments. Count Dracula for example is given a surprisingly tragic backstory that stands as one of the films best emotional highlights. This one final image of Dracula holding his baby, while standing silhouetted against a burning caste is a thing of beauty to say the least. Usually in most movies, these different tones just can’t mesh, but I think this film paces the events so well, that we can transition from cartoony antics to softer character moments without it coming off as jarring.  

 

 Typically in animated Halloween films of this sort, there’s always a big climax with lots of mayhem and monster action, but that’s not the case with “Hotel Transylvania”. The ending is about as simple, yet satisfying as they get, with Dracula finding new faith in humankind, and our young couple get together. There isn’t even a villain that needs to be thwarted, it’s just a series of events with these great characters that reaches perfect finality, and I really respect that approach. The closest we get to a villain is the Hunchback of Notre dame, who’s voiced by John Lovitz, but even he comes off as just a mild nuisance more than anything else. The music in this film is also really good too, although it’s admittedly not the traditional spooky fun music I typically like to hear in Halloween specials. The songs in this film are more colorful and bouncy, but it works within the context of the film. The closing “Zing Song” is an especially upbeat, and catchy tune. There’s a song called “Problem (The Monster Remix)” performed by both Becky Gomez and Will.i.am, which typically isn’t my kind of music, but sense it’s connected with this film, I can’t help but enjoy it on some level, and even have it bouncing in my head after I’ve listened to it. 

  All in all, I think the first “Hotel Transylvania” can easily be regarded as one of the great new Halloween classics. The characters are lovable, the jokes can be very funny, the animation is top notch, the setting alone encompasses a perfect Halloween atmosphere and more than anything, there is a beating heart at the center of this film. 

Unfortunately, I’m not sure if this is a movie for everyone, as the loud and giddy tone might turn some adults away before they give it a chance. Yes, the film gets silly and over the top, but I never felt like it went too far. Personally, I think that the film is much smarter, and much sweeter then it’s cartoony look and attitude suggests. Sure, even the script is very basic, and it doesn’t have the same adult appeal as something like “Coraline”, but this still makes for a great alternative to watch. “Hotel Transylvania” is a terrific reminder that some of my favorite Halloween specials as a kid were more light-hearted and fun. “Hotel Transylvania” has become something that’s only gotten better for me on repeated viewings, and I just can’t imagine an October without viewing it at least once. If you haven’t seen it yet, maybe check it out this Halloween season, and get a pleasant surprise, like I did on my first viewing.

 In the end, I feel the series can finally stop, because there's only so much of a good thing that I can take. I still love the first "Hotel Transylvania", will gladly return to it for many Halloweens to come, and the sequels have been passable one-off experiences. If any of them look good to you, be sure to check them out for yourself.  

  

Thanks for reading my review of the animated 2012 picture “Hotel Transylvania” ... and continue to make every day in October feel like Halloween!