HOTEL TRANSYLVANIA 3 – SUMMER VACATION – A Review by Cynthia Flores
In the heat of summer, Sony Pictures Animation has released a film for the whole family about a special family of Monsters. Of course, I am talking about the third film in the story of Count Dracula (Adam Sandler) – Hotel Transylvania 3: Summer Vacation. With the return of all the characters we love in this series such as Mavis (Selena Gomez), Dracula’s daughter who is married to Johnny (Andy Samberg), and their son Dennis (Asher Blinkoff) who has a very large dog named Tinkles (Joe Whyte).
The rest of the gang is back as well. Frankenstein (Kevin James), his wife Eunice (Fran Drescher), Wayne (Steve Buscemi) the werewolf, Murray (Keegan-Michael Key) the mummy, and Griffin (David Spade) the invisible man.
In this chapter of the franchise, Dracula’s daughter Mavis doesn’t realize that her dad is lonely. He sees everyone coupling up and feels he’s finished his job of raising his daughter to be a strong vampire. He’s happy with how he’s raised her despite the fact that she’s married to a human but he accepts him and she has her own little family to raise. So now, he has time to focus on himself, discreetly so as not to upset Mavis. The scene where he is on a monster’s version of Tinder is hilarious. Well, the last thing on his mind is a vacation from running his beloved hotel for monsters. But Mavis insists so he goes along for the ride, not knowing that it is a trip on a cruise ship. He not very happy about it until lucky for him this trip lets Dracula meet the person he will ZING with, or as humans say fall in love with. It happens to be the beautiful Capitan Erika (Kathryn Hahn).
I won’t give it all away but in this third outing for this franchise, we get a little more back story on how Dracula decided to create his famous hotel for monsters. It was due in large part just to get away from the dogged Van Helsing clan that for generations vowed to rid the earth of monsters just like him. A family line that also includes his beloved Capitan Erika.
Hotel Transylvania 3: Summer Vacation is a perfect fit to the last two films. The characters are still funny and seeing them start their vacation in the Bermuda Triangle on their way to the lost city of Atlantis is wickedly funny.
What I like most about this film is that there are colorful elements to appeal to the kids in the audience with just as many smart and witty bits that will keep the adults engaged. That’s a hard-balancing act to do well.
Add to the mix a lesson on inclusion instead of hatred and it actually makes it a timely film. Who would have guessed this much could be packed into a cartoon starring Adam Sandler?
I give this film a solid B+ rating and I hope you’ll take the family out to a cool air conditioned movie theater to beat the heat and enjoy this funny film.
Directed by Genndy Tartakovsky
Written By Michael McCullers, Genndy Tartakovsky, Todd Durhan
Rated PG
Selig Rating B+
Running Time 1 hr 37 min
Animation / Comedy
Wide Release July 13th
Starring: Adam Sandler, Andy Samberg, Selena Gomez, Kevin James, Fran Drescher, Steve Buscemi, David Spade, Jim Gaffigan, Kathryn Hahn
The Selig Rating Scale:
A – Excellent movie, well worth the price.
B – Good movie
C – OK movie
D – No need to rush. Save it for a rainy day.
F – Good that I saw it on the big screen but wish I hadn't paid for it.
