Hotel Transylvania 2 (2015)
6:25 AM
Drac's Pack is Back
Hotel Transylvania 2 is directed by Genndy Tartakovsky (Hotel Transylvania, The Powerpuff Girls) and features the voices of Adam Sandler (Pixels, Grown Ups), Andy Samberg (Brooklyn Nine Nine, Hotel Transylvania), Selena Gomez (Spring Breakers, Monte Carlo), Kevin James (Paul Blart: Mall Cop, Zookeeper) and Mel Brooks (The Producers, Spaceballs). "Dracula and his friends try to bring out the monster in his half human, half vampire grandson in order to keep Mavis from leaving the hotel". The first was a solid hit, can the sequel be an improvement box office wise and quality wise?
I really enjoyed this movie! Now, some of you may think I am biased due to the name of this site but I actually really liked this film. Back in May, I did a post where I ranked Gomez's major movies - Hotel Transylvania came in 4th place. What I said about the film is that the animation wasn't great compared to other big studios but the film had a rewatchability factor - I have to say, Hotel Transylvania 2 is well animated and probably has the rewatchability factor also - a good improvement on the first film.
The story for the film was kept subtle until the theatrical trailer - I thought the story was substantial enough to carry a whole film and really came with some nice messages. However, I would have preferred if things had turned out a different way as this 'message' could have been developed a bit more but hey, its a children's film and I think it is good for what it is. The film was also really easy to watch - it was fast paced and didn't have any dull moments. The film also wasn't actually that dumb - in a typical Adam Sandler movie, things would happen and you would be like 'hey what?' whereas in Hotel Transylvania 2, they are quite careful to explain every move - for example, Jonathan is attacked by crows in one scene and instead of the crows just disappearing in the next scene, they are still attached to him and Dracula has to get rid of them. I thought Hotel Transylvania 2 was a well thought out animated film - even though it is no where near the heights of what Pixar can do, it is definitely keeping up (And maybe surpassing) Minions, Home and other animated flicks.
I also liked how there were plenty of references to the original film - all of your favourite characters are back and so are the jokes that worked well in number 1. Some critics have complained about how the film cuts away to different scenes whilst the characters are talking but I think that this is ok, even though I can understand how some may find it repetitive and annoying. I also felt that the film was edited a little too fast paced sometimes where things would happen a little too quickly which meant that they felt quite random - for example, Dracula and Dennis randomly burst into a dance scene.
Hotel Transylvania 2 is wonderfully animated - it is bright and colourful - what more could you want from an animated film? I think Sony definitely have a style in their animation just like all of the other studios and I think the animation is a lot better here than it was in the first film.
The film is voiced really well by all of the cast members. Adam Sandler does a great job as Dracula - this is the only role I believe he is actually good at - he actually manages to not play himself. I thought that Selena Gomez did a very good job and I was impressed that her characters role was not reduced at all - even though the trailers made it out that it was. Mel Brooks was a good addition to the series and really added a new generation to the pack. All of the other performances were solid and nobody let the team down. What I will say though is that this Blobby character was quite annoying and most of the jokes involving him were quite childish which may lead to adults switching off.
Hotel Transylvania 2 is a very heartwarming film - it is charming but also very funny. I laughed out loud quite a few times when watching this film - the jokes are suited to both children and adults. One of the moments that really made me laugh was when Dracula dressed up as a Nurse to see Mavis' baby and Mavis still knew it was him - both the costume and the situation were hilarious. I also liked when Mavis believed that CCTV meant that the place was being filmed for a reality TV show - it was very funny. I also really liked when Mavis, Denny and Dracula because like a superhero team - this scene was very fun to watch.
Hotel Transylvania 2 is a solid improvement on the first film - the film still has the rewatchability and charm but seems to improve a lot on its animation. Hotel Transylvania 2 is bright, bubbly and voiced by a cast who all seem like they actually want to be there. Besides Inside Out, this is my favourite animation of the year so far. The film is great for the entire family and I'm definitely booked in for a 3rd instalment.
4 STARS
B+
What did you think of HOTEL TRANSYLVANIA 2? Do you prefer the first or second film? - COMMENT BELOW
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