The cutest darn thing in "Hotel Transylvania" is the way Count Dracula spazzes into a brilliant red devil-face when provoked. The second-cutest thing is his annoyed response to being misquoted by idiot humans.
"I do NOT say 'blaaa blaaa blaaa!' " he says. He hasn't come to suck your blood - because "human blood is so fatty, and you don't know where it's been."
In fact, humans don't have much to fear from vampires. These days the monster demographic is terrified of humans, the true monsters - or so Dracula (Adam Sandler) believes. Convincing him otherwise is the movie's central narrative challenge, as a young human named Jonathan (Andy Samberg) accidentally backpacks into Drac's Transylvanian resort hotel and promptly falls for the Count's adorable goth daughter, Mavis (
Selena Gomez). At age 118, her overprotective dad still won't let her off the castle grounds.
In the spunky animated 3-D "Hotel Transylvania," the gags fly, the effects whoosh and the friendly ghouls are many and colorful: a henpecked Frankenstein voiced by
Kevin James, a blubbery mummy voiced by
Cee Lo Green, a pair of tired if fertile parent-werewolves voiced by
Molly Shannon and
Steve Buscemi. The film is good goofy fun, even as the plot uncorks a whole lotta nothing. Samberg gives Jonathan a pleasant edge of slacker dorkiness. As Dracula, Sandler delivers one of the best and most endearing performances of his career. The up-with-monsters message is, by now, old news at the movies: "ParaNorman," "Monsters, Inc.," next summer's "Monsters
University." Same goes for the sparkly teen phenom of mortal-on-immortal interspecies romance. But at least "Hotel Transylvania" has the wit to pop a decent "Twilight" joke, and at just the right time.
LOS ANGELES (AP) Despite the proven talents of first-time feature director Genndy Tartakovsky ("Dexter's Laboratory"), writers Peter Baynham ("Arthur Christmas") and "SNL" vet Robert Smigel, and a voice cast headed by Adam Sandler and Andy Samberg, the collaboration falls flat virtually from the get-go, serving up half-hearted sight gags that have a habit of landing with an ominous thud.
Being given a public airing at the Toronto International Film Festival ahead of its Friday opening, the film could initially benefit from a monster marketing push from Sony, but it's unlikely the "No Vacancy" sign will be lit for long.
Assuming an unsteady Transylvanian accent which, like his bat wings, tends to flit in and out of the picture, Sandler's overprotective daddy Dracula is having trouble shielding his daughter Mavis (Selena Gomez) from outside elements on the eve of her 118th birthday.
Determined to shut himself off from those elements after the death of his wife a century or so earlier at the hands of an angry mob, Dracula had constructed a refuge of an exclusive resort where he and his monstrous ilk could feel free to be themselves.
But when a party crasher turns up in the form of Jonathan (Samberg), a slacker human backpacker who catches Mavis' eye, the Count finds it increasingly difficult to keep her under his wing.
While director Tartakovsky's retro pop sensibilities served Cartoon Network well with the likes of "Dexter's Laboratory," "The Powerpuff Girls" and "Samurai Jack," and "Hotel Transylvania" has an undeniable visually zippy style, the ghost of a script by Baynham and Smigel provides him with very little of substance.
For the most part, there's just a lot of dashing about the hotel's cavernous hallways as the assembled voice cast (also including Kevin James, Fran Drescher, Steve Buscemi, Molly Shannon, David Spade and CeeLo Green) attempts to lend some personality to the underdeveloped characters.
Ironically, the scattered enterprise exhibits signs of life when the characters leave the confines of the hotel, but that hint of something more arrives too late in the game.
And while those 3-D glasses really bring nothing to the party, Mark Mothersbaugh's lively score adds a ghoulish cool to the otherwise uninspired proceedings.
"Hotel Transylvania," a Columbia Pictures release, is rated PG for some rude humor, action and scary images. Running time: 91 minutes.
Motion Picture Association of America rating definition for PG: Parental guidance suggested. Some material may not be suitable for children.
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