Hotel Transylvania 2

Our story takes place right where the first movie left off. Dracula (Adam Sandler), his daughter Mavis (Selena Gomez), and her human-husband Johnny (Andy Samberg) all now peacefully coincide at Hotel Transylvania (which is, of course, now open to humans!).

A year passes, and Mavis and Johnny tell Dracula that she is having a baby. Their son Dennis is later born.

But, there’s a big problem. Dracula notices that Dennis is not getting his fangs, which means Dennis might be a human and not a monster (or in this case a vampire). At first, Dracula thinks that Dennis is just a late bloomer.

4 years pass, and Dennis still doesn’t have his fangs. Now Dracula is concerned. On top of that, Mavis tells her father she thinks Dennis might remain human and believes Dennis should be raised in a community with other humans. Dracula is determined to bring the monster out in Dennis. It’s a story about heart, family, and a few wacky monsters thrown in for fun…

Initially I was happy about a second “Hotel Transylvania.” The first one was witty and humorous for both children AND adults. Sure, the story was about monsters and, rest assured, I do not promote nor accept the concept of Halloween, but the movie had enough heart and laughter that I had a pleasant evening.

“Hotel Transylvania 2” though? It’s hard to say, really. While certainly Sandler (who also produced this film) and Tartakovsky do their best to revive the overall feel that the first film had, essentially, I feel this sequel fell flat. The movie is humorous, to a point, but for me that wasn’t enough.

The good? The animation. Sony has some of the best CGI programming in the business, second to perhaps DreamWorks and Pixar. The plot, though, moved slowly, and I couldn’t help but ask myself if this sequel would have served a greater purpose as a “made for television” film that could have easily resolved all situations in less than a hour.

Content for Concern

Violence: Most of the violence in this film is in the form of slapstick humor. The Blob is hit by a bunch of branches and falls off a cliff (of course, he’s not hurt), and some characters get hit in the crotch. A zombie falls off some steps into a big hole. There’s also a slightly prolonged action sequence involving Dracula’s family. Additionally, one supporting character, Winnie, is smacked onto the ground. One scene involves Frankenstein catching fire and running into other buildings, burning them down. In an attempt to make Dennis fly, Dracula takes him to the top of a tall tower and throws him off (when he realizes Dennis can’t fly, he saves him).

Language includes: “gosh,” “jeez” and “bamboo butt”

Sexual Content: A comment is made about someone’s “boobies,” the abominable snowman is seen in his underwear, and the Mummy’s girlfriend is very, umm, curvaceous.

Morals and Lessons

In the end, Dracula comes to the realization that whether or not his grandson is a monster, he loves him for who he is, not what he isn’t.

Similarly, for us, God created us in HIS image. Because his love for us is pure, He has plans for us. As God said to Jeremiah,

Before I formed you in the womb I knew you… –Jeremiah 1:5

…even the very hairs of your head are all numbered… —Luke 12:7

The psalmist David wrote:

“I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul is very well.” —Psalm 139:14

Concluding Thoughts

The cliché, “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it,” might very well ring true with “Hotel Tranyslvania 2.” While the film contains the same amount of humor as the first (perhaps this is generous), it does not have the same amount of heart, and the pacing is too slow. I personally don’t recommend this sequel, not simply because of content and the promotion of Halloween, but because it does not live up to the prestige of its predecessor. Sorry, Sony.

Violence: Mild to moderate / Profanity: Mild / Sex/Nudity: Mild

See list of Relevant Issues—questions-and-answers.