[Review] Hotel Transylvania 2 (2015)

cast: Adam Sandler, Selena Gomez, Andy Samberg, Kevin James, Steve Buscemi, David Spade, Fran Drescher, Mel Brooks, Molly Shannon

directed by: Genndy Tartakovsky

Murray: Please don’t kill me

Vlad: Talking toilet paper… well that’s a new one

The “Hotel Transylvania” franchise might as well go on for many years to come as long as there are decent scripts around and gifted actors brought for the ride. In the typical fashion of capitalizing over a success, this year we’re presented with a sequel to 2012’s autumn/Halloween hit.

It’s the right period to present this type of flicks. As soon as October rolls in we’re invaded by Starbucks Pumpkin Spice Lattes and horror pictures, direct to blu-ray or hitting a cinema near you. It pays off as the crowd is sold on the autumn wonderland and the promise of warm nights spent in the company of delicious sweet beverages and creepy movies. If it’s not broken don’t try to fix it.

“Hotel Transylvania 2” follows the pattern seen in other good old time movies. What happens after the kids marry? In this cartoon extravaganza, we’re greeted by Mavis and Jonathan who have a toddler, Denis, while Drac and his merry crew of misfits try to help the kid grow into a vampire worthy of Vlad Dracula’s name. If the babe won’t sprout fangs by the time his fifth birthday hits, he will remain a mortal and that doesn’t sit too well with the owner/manager of the Monsters Hotel.

This new tale isn’t too complicated but benefits from clever lines, atmosphere and genuine carefree attitude of the characters. The addition of Denis helps develop the coming of age plot for Mavis and offers enough material to delve further into Dracula’s past. With Mel Brooks as Vlad, the prior father/child dynamic from Hotel Transylvania 1 is explored on various generations and takes on the eternal conflict, affirmation and acceptance.

It’s a campy, fun ride offering a new chapter on the lives of the characters we’ve meet three years ago and explores possible plots for further installments – like Denis and Winnie for example, the friendship and potential love story between a mortal-vamp hybrid and a werewolf, as long as it doesn’t take a “Twilight” route all is good and knowing Genndy Tartakovsky, we can breath assured on that small matter.

Edge and Back: 7.5/10

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