In 2012, animator Genndy Tartakovsky (Dexter’s Laboratory, Samurai Jack) animated and directed Hotel Transylvania starring Adam Sandler as Dracula, who owns and operates a hotel for monsters featuring notable iconic monsters such as Frankenstein, The Wolf Man, The Mummy & The Invisible Man as his guests who are also his close friends. It came out worldwide which earned mixed review from critics and make money at the box office. Despite mixed reception, movie goers actually enjoyed Adam Sandler’s second animated movie. The first animated movie he ever partake was Adam Sandler’s Eight Crazy Nights. As a critic and movie goer myself, I actually enjoyed both Eight Crazy Nights & Hotel Transylvania. The latter film went on to spawn a sequel released in 2015. Like its predecessor, it earned mixed reviews and made more money than the original. In my opinion I actually enjoyed the sequel as I also liked the original.
Genndy had to delay Hotel Transylvania 3’s pre-production because he was busy working on Samurai Jack’s true series finale. After he finished each episode, Genndy finally began developing the third installment by rehiring The Cast & Crew.
Hotel Transylvania 3 is currently out in theaters. Like the last entries, the third film earned mixed reviews from critics and it is making money at the box office.
Today’s review doesn’t have any SPOILERS. If you haven’t seen the third movie, feel free to read this non-spoiler article.
Positive & Negative Elements
Positive: The Main Cast reprise their roles from the first two movies and they all did a great job for their laugh out loud performances.
Newcomers to the series such as Kathryn Hahn & Jim Gaffigan both did a good job for their performances. I guess Genndy couldn’t afford Jennifer Aniston as Dracula’s love interest.
Animation has slightly improved giving the characters organic movement, lighting has also earned an upgrade and brand new locations look beautiful.
Funny Moments contained visual gags, slapstick and a touch of Adam’s trademark humor (not too much) have successfully kept me laughin’ non-stop.
A Fart Scene made me laugh uncontrollably.
Dracula earns Character Development when he starts dating Ericka.
If you’re a huge Rick & Morty fan like me, Chris Parnell voices an entire crew of fish. I sense a subtle Rick & Morty easter egg related to the episode “Tiny Rick,” when Jerry clones of himself resulting in multiple clones of himself.
The cruise’s main destination centers around Atlantis. Aquaman’s upcoming solo film featuring his home, will also be released this year.
According to Genndy, he based the main plot of the third installment to a terrible family vacation and the National Lampoon’s Vacation films.
Ericka Van Helsing (great-granddaughter of Van Helsing) is the first main antagonist to play a major part related to the story, rather than a minor character who becomes evil without a real motivation.
The part when Dracula’s phone mistakenly looks up today’s date displays “Friday The 13th.” Hotel Transylvania 3 came out on the exact same day. Another meaningful date for Friday The 13th, is Dracula undergoing bad luck with his phone. Last meaningful reference is also the name of a film series involving Jason Voorhees. Talk about a three in one reference!
When Mavis tells Dracula to move on from his tragic past, this is a reference to Reign Over Me, when Don Cheadle’s character Alan tries to convince Adam Sandler’s character Charlie to move from his family’s tragic deaths from The September 11th Attacks.
Genndy Tartakovsky did a great job animating and directing the third installment.
The movie is self-aware of recycling the first two films premise. Dracula complained that the cruise is obviously similar to his hotel.
A Beach Boys song is played in one scene. This is a callback to 50 First Dates when Adam Sandler’s character Henry Roth sings a song while riding a boat.
Correct me if I’m wrong, this movie marks the eighth time Adam goes on a vacation. If you count Going Overboard, (his film debut) Punch Drunk Love, 50 First Dates, Just Go With It, Jack & Jill, Blended & The Do Over.
Without giving anything away, several failed attempts to assassinate Dracula pays tribute to Wile E. Coyote unsuccessful attempts to kill Road Runner.
Tara Strong (A.K.A. Bubbles, Timmy Turner, Raven, Harley Quinn & Dil Pickles) has a voice over cameo as a relative of Frankenstein.
If you’re confused why Dennis owns a giant pet, look up a short film titled, “Puppy!”
Tinkles’s alias as a passenger who wears nothing put a trench coat, a hat and his name is “Bob.” This is perhaps a shout-out to Kevin Smith’s character Silent Bob.
Negative: If you remember watching a preview or commercial, Dracula’s grandson Dennis, disguises his giant-sized dog Tinkles, to go on the cruise without anybody noticing. If I were in the film as a monster, the disguise would never trick me. Mavis and Johnny didn’t recognize their son’s pet, literally wearing a trench coat and hat resembling Superman’s alter ego Clark Kent. Let me get this straight, Dracula’s daughter Mavis, and his son-in-law Johnny, we’re fooled by Tinkles’ conspicuous costume. I would assume that Mavis inherited his dad’s stupidity. Johnny on the other hand is just a lovable doofus like most of Andy Samberg’s characters.
A scene from the previews is missing when Dracula and his buddies witnessed their friend Blobby puking out a miniature duplicate of himself. Why did Sony remove this scene it was funny?
The Final Verdict: B, FOR BIG BUNDLE OF LAUGHS!
Hotel Transylvania 3 is without a doubt, another successful entry to the Hotel Transylvania franchise. To this day, I really don’t understand why other critics don’t like the Hotel Transylvania films, maybe it’s because they had it with Adam Sandler’s filmography. Come on fellow critics, Adam still has a few decent films from the past as well as some dramatic performances.
If you have nothing else to do other than seeing Ant-Man & The Wasp or planning on seeing Mission Impossible: Fallout, I recommend the first two Hotel Transylvania films before you see the third installment if you want to refresh your memory.
Nickthemoviecritic.com 