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Three years ago, Adam Sandler’s animated monster movie, Hotel Transylvania, entertained audiences of all ages with its wacky, slapstick comedy set against a haunting backdrop. Now, in the sequel, Hotel Transylvania 2, Transylvania’s scariest monsters take on their most terrifying challenge yet: an energetic four-year-old.
This spooky sequel finds Dracula (voiced by Sandler) once again facing his greatest fear: losing his daughter. Mavis (Selena Gomez) is now happily married to human slacker Johnny (Andy Samberg)—and they live at Drac’s newly human-friendly hotel with their young son, Dennis (Asher Blinkoff). But Dennis is almost five now—and as Drac worries about his grandson’s lack of fangs, Mavis worries that he might not be growing up in the best environment. So, in order to keep Mavis from moving her family away, Drac enlists his friends to teach Dennis to be a monster.
Drac may be determined to stay scary—and to make his grandson scary, too—but there isn’t much about this monster-filled family comedy that’s truly terrifying. Just like the cake-munching monster on Dennis’s favorite TV show, Drac’s friends are more lovable and silly than frightening. They’ve gotten a little rusty in the scaring department—and, no matter how hard they may try, they can’t seem to hunt, haunt, or frighten tourists (or audience members, for that matter). In fact, it isn’t until the end—when Grandpa Vlad (Mel Brooks) makes an appearance—that things get a little scary. So, for the most part, it’s a safe (and relatively nightmare-free) choice for most younger viewers.
Most of the action here is of the comic variety. Drac and his friends get in all sorts of trouble in their quest to turn little Dennis into a real monster. It’s silly, good-natured fun—with some bodily-function humor thrown in for Sandler’s fans. And while most of the characters have their off moments (especially Johnny), they’re an amusing bunch of bumbling monster misfits.
Meanwhile, throughout their adventure, Drac learns that parenting today isn’t what it used to be. He struggles with car seat buckles, grumbles about child-proofing, and bemoans the over-coddling of today’s children. It’s a common issue among parents (and grandparents)—and the monster twist on the topic (which is especially funny when Drac takes the gang to his old vampire summer camp) offers a little comic nod to the grown-ups in the audience.
Of course, like the original, Hotel Transylvania 2 isn’t exactly a sophisticated comedy for kids. It’s goofy and slapstick, with a cast full of often hopelessly inept characters. But it’s still a fun (and not-so-scary) Halloween-themed adventure that the whole family can enjoy together.
Listen to the review on Reel Discovery:
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