Hotel Transylvania 3: A Monster Vacation

Hotel Transylvania 3: A Monster Vacation joins a lengthy list of computer-animated children’s films that aren’t especially concerned with being original or masterpieces. Cinema-goers could probably hazard an accurate guess at how this movie ends without ever seeing it. It’s yet another kids’ flick that concludes with a dance-off to cheesy pop music.

Featuring Adam Sandler, Selena Gomez, Mel Brooks, Andy Samberg, Steve Buscemi and others, A Monster Vacation is the third instalment in the Hotel Transylvania franchise, which has grossed over $700 million worldwide, and is directed by the legendary animator Genndy Tartakovsky, the man behind Dexter’s Laboratory, The Powerpuff Girls and Samurai Jack.

The feature delivers what is to be expected of it, namely in the way of zany antics, family friendly gags and inoffensive, colourful animations. The story sees Dracula joined by family and friends on a cruise ship vacation for monsters. The Count is lonely and looking for love all whilst being unwittingly pursued by monster hunters with a vendetta against him.

Hotel Transylvania 3 certainly isn’t original, but it is enjoyable. Dracula is a charming protagonist with enthusiastic voice-acting from Sandler. Scores of children who joined the press screening laughed throughout, which means this latest film has proven itself a worthwhile way to keep your little ones occupied for 97 minutes. Plus, it does have positive messages of transcending prejudice, forgiveness and finding love again. Yes, it’s cheesy and very predictable, but it doesn’t feel overbearing.

Anyone looking for a movie to bring their eight-year-old along to could do a lot worse. Children under 12 will like it and there are a few clever jokes to entertain adult viewers. The downside is, as stated earlier, Hotel Transylvania feels like literally every other children’s animation made since the early 2000s.

The shenanigans are tackled far better than, say, in the odious Emoji movie, but A Monster Vacation is nowhere near the quality of film that Pixar puts out, for instance. With predictable jokes and plot, despite being occasionally funny, it does veer into “just another kid’s movie” territory. Nothing is particularly terrible, but nothing ever comes close to being outstanding.

But judging from the reaction of the kids in the cinema, even if Hotel Transylvania 3: A Monster Vacation isn’t groundbreaking, Tartakovsky’s formula certainly works and has resulted in a solid, but not necessarily remarkable, entry in the series.

Mark Mukasa

Hotel Transylvania 3: A Monster Vacation is released nationwide on 27^th July 2018.

Watch the trailer for Hotel Transylvania 3: A Monster Vacation here: