HOTEL TRANSYLVANIA
US, 2015, 91 minutes, Colour.
Voices of: Adam Sandler, Andy Samberg, Selena Gomez, Kevin James, Steve Buscemi, David Spade, Fran Drescher, Molly Shannon.
Directed by Genndy Tartakovsky.
A very pleasant surprise.
After the advertising: monsters, their own hotel, humans as the enemy – and the voices of Adam Sandler and Andy Samberg after the ugliness of That’s My Boy, it didn’t look so good. But, I would imagine adults taking their children will quite enjoy it, even get a kick out of it with its playing on the old horror conventions. But, almost immediately, as we are introduced to Dracula in 1895, the birth of his daughter and his planning of his hotel resort just for monsters to get away from it all, the thought comes: what will smaller children make of his this monster lore that they have not been exposed to yet (we hope)? They will enjoy it with all the shenanigans, the odd-looking characters and the comedy – maybe this is their introduction to Dracula and co.
The film is quite bright and breezy, with lots of incidental jokes and plenty of references to the movies for those who enjoy that kind of thing. There is Frankenstein (voiced by Kevin James), large but tending to fall to pieces (and not being put back together quite correctly). There is Wayne the Werewolf (voiced by an excellent Steve Buscemi) and his wife Wanda (Molly Shannon) and their crowd of obstreperous pups (except for the little girl who comes into her own with tracking skills for the climax). There are plenty of zombies, there is Quasimodo, and with his glasses, The Invisible Man (seen shaving his invisible face!).
Actually, this is a father-daughter film. The widowed Dracula (yes, he is voiced, and very effectively, by Adam Sandler) wants to protect his daughter and has arranged a special 118th birthday party with all the monsters invited, and accepting. She is a typical 21st century teenager (who assures her father that she is not 83 any more) and wants to see the world. Daddy does not want her to leave, even though he and his wife were married in Hawaii. Lots of father-daughter talk and arguments.
But, who should arrive at the hotel but a human, Johnny (Andy Samberg)? He is well traveled, and is a party organizer. He persuades Dracula to let him stay – and, sure enough, romance ensues. Dracula gets to like the human despite all the propaganda at the Hotel against them. There is a dramatic climax, including the real monsters encountering a monster festival in the town, a race to the airport to bring Johnny back, and Dracula (in his bat form) risking his life through sun exposure chasing the plane to bring Johnny back.
The parody of the monsters acting as themselves, but also acting like humans, has some very funny moments as well as some poignant ones. And this has to be the nicest Dracula who every trod the screen, the pleasantest Frankenstein monster and the funniest werewolf.
The character drawing is lively, the castle and other backgrounds vivid. I could have done without the rap song at the end – but, I suppose, it is the 21st century!
1. An entertaining comedy for all ages, its appeal, children, adults, monsters vampires? Dialogue, visual and verbal jokes, the voice cast?
2. Vigorous and lively animation, bright colours, design, action? The hotel and interiors? Transylvania? Countryside, mountains and travel? Colour, verve, the musical score and songs?
3. The variety of monsters, visual, voice cast? The tradition of vampires and Transylvania? Dracula and his figure, clothes, fangs? The other vampires, turning into bats, flying? The blubber monster, the invisible man, the Frankenstein monster, the werewolf, the many different large and small monsters, the wide range – and their wives?
4. Dracula, his history, the flashbacks to his wife, the death, the birth of his daughter, growing up? His relationship with the other monsters? His love for Mavis, the father and daughter relationship?
5. Mavis, the teenager, the equivalent of 18, preparations for her birthday?
6. The idea of the hotel, Dracula developing the hotel for monsters to come with the family – and the parallels with ordinary hotels? The monsters enjoying the facilities?
7. Johnny and forest, hiking, the encounter, with Mavis, the background of The Zing, sharing each other as company? The effect on Mavis, the zing, her hopes, the differences?
8. Dracula, disguising Johnny as a monster, at the party?
9. Father and daughter singing The Zing?
10. The range of jokes, Frankenstein falling apart, Warren the werewolf with the sheep, the invisible man shaving…?
11. Johnny going back home, to the airport, the monsters’ Festival, Dracula going out into the sun, risking himself? The plane, the pilot, altering his memory, his going back to refuel in Transylvania?
12. The happy ending, romance, – and the possibility for a sequel?
