Hotel Transylvania

I didn't know Genndy Tartakovsky directed this film until it was over and I am thankful for that. Otherwise, I may have compared it too much to shows on Cartoon Network such as "Dexter's Laboratory" or "The Powerpuff Girls". "Hotel Transylvania" is Tartakovsky's first directorial feature film but he has worked on feature films before like "The Powerpuff Girls Movie" as an animation director and on "Iron Man 2" as a storyboard artist. I am glad the movie had good characters and a good story but Tartakovsky's most well known characteristic in his animation is also his weakness. His fast paced animation provides fun but can be distracting. The story felt a little rushed consequently. I can definitely tell that this film came from the same studio that made "Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs". Some good news is that "Hotel Transylvania" is still funny and enjoyable if you see it again and that can't be said for every animated film.

Tartakovsky's sense of speed seems to have been checked in the past because of 2D animation but computer animation and 3D provide even less limitations. The story was relatable and seems to have been an important part of production but because of how fast the animation was in the movie, the story by extension took on a similar pace. The animation was in high gear much like "Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs" (and that is saying something). Pushing reality was a little too much for me in this case because I like to relate to what I am watching. Because real people don't move that fast, it was difficult but not impossible to invest in the emotion. I did enjoy seeing the tribute to "Nosferatu" at the very start of the movie. I am also happy that Mavis is 118 years old in "Hotel Transylvania" as opposed to 115 if you catch what I am saying. Some movies these days have teenagers falling in love too early in their lives such as at age 14 or 15. The choice to have Mavis resemble an 18 year old is good by me. The story pattern at the beginning of the movie is one that works very well when executed right. The protagonist is passionate about something but they have a flaw that stems from that passion. As the story moves forward, there are storm clouds on the horizon. The inciting incident then happens and the nature of it adds insult to injury. The protagonist then faces a choice on how to achieve resolution and they choose the juvenile path (otherwise, there would be no character growth and the story wouldn't be worth telling). In the case of "Hotel Transylvania", Dracula will do anything to protect his daughter. But just like Marlin the clown fish, his obsession to protect Mavis and his controlling nature actually doesn't help his relationship with Mavis. She wants to see the world now that she is older and this forces Dracula to trick her in order to keep her from leaving. I like how it is Dracula's fault that Johnny found the hotel. It shows that the storywriters were thinking things through. The story establishes how the hotel is hidden and how if Dracula had not tried to fool Mavis, Johnny wouldn't have found the hotel. Not only is a human in the hotel but he is liked by the other monsters and quite the opposite of Dracula in terms of personality. Dracula could have come clean privately to Mavis about the crisis and the two of them could have worked together to fix the problem but Dracula's protect nature force him to keep lying and this makes Mavis curious. However, the "zing" between Mavis and Johnny is the true source of her curiosity. One funny part I like is when Johnny finds out from Mavis that the guy dressed like a vampire really is Dracula. Subsequently, it is pretty funny when Dracula explains all the Vampire cliches such as the fact that anyone would die by having a steak stabbed through their heart and that vampires are really allergic to garlic. I also laughed when Johnny thinks it is "kind of racist" that the monsters won't kill him if they think he is a monster. The story had plenty of set ups and payoffs, mostly having to do with Martha. One example is her present to Mavis on the occasion of her 118th birthday. Martha's present to Mavis was the perfect way to change Dracula's mind. He was already going through a change and this plot point was all that was needed to fully make him understand. Another example was the circumstances of her death. We know that Dracula is haunted by whatever happened to her and it sets up that dramatic moment between him and Johnny concerning the death of Martha. That scene works because Johnny has respect for the legend he heard and this impresses Dracula. When Johnny finds out the truth about Martha's death, he knows he must leave after the party. He also knows that the whole world wouldn't accept the monsters. I did enjoy the preceding scene with the floating tables where Dracula and Johnny bond. When Mavis kisses Johnny for the first time, Johnny knows the consequences of it but it is Dracula's reaction that reveals the truth about multiple things. I find it touching that Mavis still likes Johnny even though he is human. The movie did have some story elements that didn't work. How could Mavis watch the sunrise without being hurt for example? Standing in the shadows means it is impossible for her to see the sunrise. The monster festival scene was a little unnecessary. There should have been another kind of obstacle for the monsters. Because of Johnny, the monsters already know that not all humans are bad and the scene therefore provides very little story resolution. Also, I don't think those at the festival would have warmed so easily to the real monsters. On a more humorous note, I like how fast Wayne gets rid of the sheep in the road and the "Twilight" joke was needed in this kind of film.

The characters and cast were well done. Even though Adam Sandler used many of his past acting collaborators, things still worked out. I feel that Sandler did a good job as Dracula because I could only recognize him half of the time. He also was the executive producer and his wife & daughter in the film also as important characters. Mavis was going to be played by Miley Cyrus but when she left the project, the filmmakers got another Disney Channel star. Selena Gomez also did fine and considering the career path of Cyrus since the release of "Hotel Transylvania", it is all for the best. Andy Samberg from "Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs" was perfect as Johnny. Because both Sandler and Samberg starred together in "That's My Boy", which was released in the same year, I wonder whether the one movie together led to the next. Johnny is the funniest character thanks to Samberg. I also liked hearing Steve Buscemi and David Spade. I like how the frames of the Invisible Man's glasses act as eyebrows so as to be more expressive. I also like the twist of Quasimodo as a French chef.

"Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs" is better because the all the elements worked quite well together. "Hotel Transylvania" is a good movie but Tartakovsky's speed created a little bit of unbalance. I did have a good laugh at some jokes and the characters were well cast. All in all, this movie could have been completely dumb but it wasn't. It was even good after multiple viewings and the story was given some attention in order to be relatable. I did not expect a trilogy to come out of this though.

3.5 Stars out of 5