#REVIEW: “HOTEL TRANSYLVANIA 2”

Review by Justin Waldman for Mr. Will Wong

Genndy Tartakovsky brought Hotel Transylvania to life in 2012 and introduced a new generation of children to his style of heartfelt comedic pleasure. In the sequel to Hotel Transylvania, the same amount of heart that made the first Film so enjoyable is present again, with the joy of some new cast members, including Mel Brooks.

When Mavis (Selena Gomez) and Johnny (Andy Samberg) reveal that they have a child, Dennis (Asher Blinkoff), Dracula (Adam Sandler) goes batty as he tries to assure that Dennis will get his vampire fangs. The problem with Drac’s plan to get Dennis his fangs are that he is half-human and may not be a vampire, however that does not stop Drac. He gets the gang together again including Frankenstein (Kevin James), Steve (Steve Buscemi) and Griffin (David Spade) as they go on an adventure trying to scare the fangs into Dennis. Things start to get especially scary when Vlad (Mel Brooks) gets invited to Dennis’s birthday party. This is especially terrifying for Drac because his father hates humans and raised Drac to hate humans as well, however he is housing and raising a human.

Aside from the fantastic visuals, Hotel Transylvania 2 stands on its own based on the strength of its story alone. We have an overzealous grandfather who desperately wants his son to be part of the vampire family. It works because Adam Sandler is able to convey his funny charm into the character that makes the character come across as a new father. As well, the ridiculous lengths that the characters go through to  ensure that Dennis gets his fangs is truly comical.

Lastly, what makes Hotel Transylvania 2 an absolute delight is the voice cast themselves. Sandler delivers yet again in his comedic role, as Samberg and Gomez also lend their voices to the very engaging parents. However, Mel Brooks steals the show with his hilarious Vlad who is so over the top with the delivery of his character that it brings nothing but sheer delight to the screen.

Sony Pictures Canada release HOTEL TRANSYLVANIA 2 Friday, September 25, 2015.