User reviews

Cute movie. Has a couple of great messages -- especially one about prejudices. There are some adult jokes, some childish jokes, lots of laugh out loud moments but most importantly the following messages: Hatred against those we don't know is wrong; Let yourself get to know a person before deciding whether they are good or not; and go along for the ride and let yourself enjoy life.

I also love the fact that this is a Dad raising his child situation. There are really few movies that show a Dad can step up and do the right thing for their children if given the chance.

While I didn't particularly care for the fart joke or some of the childish parts the kids in the theater laughed and laughed.

Well done!

I went into this movie really with no expectations. I had only seen a few fragments of commercials and got nothing at all interesting from them. So, WOW, was I surprised and impressed when I saw it!! The movie was a creative story, quick moving action, funny, heartwarming, visually interesting and sometimes surprising - this film had a lot of great things going on, and I found myself really engaged and far more interested in the characters than I would have guessed. Sure, there were a few "as if" moments, but for the most part I found it to be fun, funny, and a film I heartily recommend! Kudos to the writers, voice actors and animators.... With a youngster in my home, I'm sure we'll be seeing this again soon.

After reading reviews that either disliked or were indifferent to Hotel Transylvania and being dubious because Adam Sandler(who has been in a lot of really bad movies recently) was in the lead role, I was unsure of whether to see the film. But my love for animation and the appetising trailer over-rode my doubts and I saw it anyway. And you know what, while The Pirates and ParaNorman were better animated movies from this year in my opinion I found Hotel Transylvania much better than expected. More could have been done with the relationship between Jonathan and Mavis, it is a romantic angle that has been used many times before and as well as feeling somewhat under-baked very little new was done with it. While a vast majority of the film is fast-paced with no real dull spots, some parts of the film did feel rushed. On the other point of view, the animation is excellent, the backgrounds are both beautiful and Gothic and that is the same with the colours. The characters are well-modelled. The soundtrack is catchy and upbeat, though some of the songs could have been more than just snippets. The writing is zany and often witty with a surprising amount of heart also.

The story is predictable, but not dull. It has a number of great moments, the genre references are not as inspired as they were in ParaNorman but they are fun to spot, and I loved a lot of the slapstick-in-style gags. Especially the zombie Beethoven, the scream cheese Hors-D'Oeuvres, the shrunken heads do not disturb tags and the digs at Twilight(much more fulfilling than any of the movies combined). But it does have a lot of heart. Is the over-protective father idea clichéd? Of course. But I did find it genuinely touching instead of overly-exaggerated as I have seen described. Dracula's past is also shown in a darkly emotional way. The characters are not the most memorable I have ever seen, but they do have their likability, my favourite here was Dracula. And the voice acting was surprisingly great, to me from a non-fan who has liked him in some movies(Punch Drunk Love, Reign Over Me, Spanglish and Happy Gilmore) and hated him in others(Jack and Jill, Going Overboard, Zookeeper and Mr Deeds) Adam Sandler gives one of his better performances of late in the role of Dracula, he is actually funny as well as emotive in alternative to irritating. Selena Gomez is endearing as daughter Mavis and Adam Samberg brings some heroism to Jonathan. Kevin James, David Spade, Jon Lovitz, Fran Drescher and especially Steve Buscemi give solid support. In conclusion, surprisingly good. 8/10 Bethany Cox

..took my family to see this one today, 6 year old son, 3 year old daughter..

Both of them really enjoyed the experience, though to be honest i think my daughter connected with the movie more because of the plight of Dracula's young daughter being the focal point of the story. That really surprised me!

Any horror fan with kids will get a real kick out of this one. And even non-horror fans should find the story cute. Sandler and company really pull it together for this one, after their last couple of films were less then stellar.

Definitely a pleasant surprise, and good fun for the whole family.

Hotel Transylvania stars: Adam Sandler, Andy Samberg, Selena Gomez, Kevin James and David Spade. It goes for approximately 90 minutes. It fails to deliver GREAT 3D moments although some could be classified as 'GOOD'.

The first half of the movie is what is called 'Jokes Are Failing' Syndrome. Although they do crack in a couple of good laughs in the first half, majority don't live up to expectations that animations nowadays do. Too many slapstick moments and unnecessary forced jokes... NOTE TO FILM-MAKERS: If jokes are forced... Don't even bother with the joke!

The movie has heart though, which kind of makes for it's first half. The second half however is fun, cool, funny and surprisingly a bit thrilling! It does have it's fun moments... I will admit. Although some of the 3D doesn't work I still found it to be a good animation... Is it the best animation of the year? NO WAY! But is it great as an animation? No, not really it is what I call 'A good animation if you just let your mind do nothing!' A B from me.

When 'Hotel Transylvania' first came out, I had absolutely no intention of seeing it for two reasons: Adam Sandler and vampires. I thought a comedy about Dracula would be boring. This movie isn't that bad but at the same time isn't that funny In this movie, we have Count Dracula who has organized a building called Hotel Transylvania to keep his fellow monsters safe from the evil humans. Now, doesn't that sound familiar? From a Pixar movie? MONSTERS INC! One day, a human accidentally ventures into the monster world...Hmm...Still familiar and meets Dracula's daughter, Mavis voiced by Selena Gomez and falls in love...Still remind me of the Sully and Boo relationship as well as segments of Twilight.

I'll start off by saying that voice acting is brilliant. Adam Sandler really was great as Count Dracula, Adam Samberg was great as Johnny and Kevin James was a great Frankenstein. Selena Gomez also did a great job. The story however isn't anything special by any means. Too much of the story is from Monsters Inc but there are parts of Twilight in this movie which I love as a lot of it is indirectly mocking that god-awful series. The characters are funny but by no means any memorable. The dialogue is actually the movie's greatest strength. It really is hilarious in so many ways. There are so many one liners and Johnny's line "Wow man! Your Dracula impression is way over the top!" is simply hilarious as is the woman with the annoying voice saying to the monster in the kitchen "Your voice is annoying" If it weren't for the dialogue, this movie could so easily be horrible. The visual animations in the movie are stunning with each scene being carefully visualised and is truly a treat for the eye.

The film's main problem is its very close resemblance to Monsters Inc which makes the movie nothing unique. However, the mocking of Twilight is handled very well, the animations are superb, the characters and voice acting are done well and is well directed but a bit rushed at certain points during the film. The film could also have been a good ten minutes shorter and we wouldn't have missed anything funny or special. Overall, a good animation movie which isn't unique but funny

I gave this a complete 10 because both the wife and I (as well as the other movie-goers -going by their reactions) thoroughly enjoyed it from the beginning to the very end.

Was it predictable? Of course. Its an animation geared towards children (what would you expect?) -but like most of the animation movies of today, there were quite a few 'hidden humor' spots as well which would be completely missed by the younger audience (not unexpected since it is the adults, after all, who are forking over the bread and it doesn't hurt to keep THEM entertained as well). The movie is fairly fast-paced and the animation well done. I'm usually a little apprehensive when I've harbored good expectations from a movie based on clips/previews, but in this case I felt it truly delivered. This one will be added to our library when it (eventually) hits the shelves. Too many people look for a great amount of depth and unpredictability in animation movies -but THAT is a bit unrealistic (no pun intended) -think about it: These things USED to be called CARTOON MOVIES for a reason. They weren't intended to fit that kind of expectation. They ARE intended to be fun -and this movie is just that: FUN.

I did not know this movie was directed by Tartakovsky, which is probably why I liked it as much as I did. He is one of my favorite animation directors and he does a great job in directing this movie as well. The humor is a bit hit or miss, mostly kid-oriented but there were some creative jokes and I laughed out loud a couple times. The cast does a good job for the most part and the movie has some heart to it. Overall, a pretty pleasant surprise that could have benefited from some better writing.

I went to see Hotel Transylvania last night in a small group of adults aged 24-30 and I LMAO as did the others. The theater was packed with little children who mostly laughed at not really funny parts and adults who laughed when the children were quite silent. The story is about Count Dracule trying to raise his only child safe and sound away from terrifying humans and invites all the monsters to his hotel to relax and celebrate his very young daughter's 118th birthday which is accompanied by a surprise visitor!

This is a really funny movie with a simple predictable story line and tons of characters that you will love. My favorites were the zombies who were the hotel staff and it took them forever to finish a task. I recommend this movie to anyone who like monsters ( so afraid of a little boy licking ice-cream)and want to have a good laugh and take a break from Disney.

The, I think, is a movie that is fun for the whole family. Youngsters will like the characters, the older children will enjoy the jokes and plot, and the adults will likely enjoy the movie as well, being able to catch on to the more "adult" funny references and a story about a father-daughter relationship that can be appreciated.

The movie is fairly fast paced, but most cartoons are, especially ones that are just 91 minutes long. If you're planning to take your 3 year old to appreciate the plot, connect with the characters, and understand the meaning of family and love... that's not happening... it is a children's movie but it's not Sesame Street.

My husband and I took our 2 1/2 year old because it seemed like a cute movie to watch. It was. Our son sat through the entire movie and danced with the music, etc. We enjoyed it as well.

Was it EXTRAORDINARY? No. Was it a good, fun family film? Yes.

I would recommend it. If you're unsure about paying for a ticket at the theater, you can always wait for the DVD to come out.

The standard themes of familial acceptance, 'leaving the nest' and putting the needs of others above those of your own are told surprisingly well through suitably rubbery animation, ostensibly ham-fisted voice-work and lovably re-crafted classic characters. 'Hotel Transylvania (2012)' is generally generic but consistently pretty fun, and at times actually funny, to the point where I don't mind the fact I've essentially seen it all before. It's clearly Adam Sandler's best work for quite a bit. 6/10

Hotel Transylvania has a simple concept: classic campy monsters staying in a hotel where humans are not allowed because they think we're evil. It doesn't sound too fresh but it looks fun. Behind this concept is a father-daughter-relationship that seems to follow the footsteps of other great recent animated films. The result is, it's not getting there yet but it's still as delightful as it's suppose to be. It's one of those films that it's so crazy, you'll instantly like it. Most of the gags are clever and ridiculous. Overall, it's an endless fun entertainment.

Though, the film sometimes feels like a mediocre animated kids film. Generic family film elements are there but they are used in a different way. There is often slapstick and toilet humor but the gags are best when it's outrageously absurd. Every set pieces are swift, quirky, and exciting. The voices of the characters sound silly at glance but the actors made them pretty likable.

When the craziness slows down, there's a sweet bit of Dracula's relationship between Mavis and Jonathan, and some brooding. The drama is a little effective. It's not as strong as most recent animated films. It's more focused at being fun and hilarious. It's great when it stays to the roots of a cartoon like showing peculiar looking characters acting like lunatics. The best laughs are when the monsters are expressing their misanthropy in a ludicrously paranoid way, and when they're just making fun of each other. Mainstream pop culture song numbers kind of tone things down, but the song number at the end didn't affect the breathtaking and emotional climax.

Hotel Transylvania is good enough for the whole family even though it's raucous. Fans of the animation genre would enjoy this a lot more. Since it's directed by a cartoon expert, it contains a lot of absurd and exciting scenes that is similar to his shows. Although, some might expect something more since many animated films these days are deeper and powerful, leaving the old habits behind. Hotel Transylvania still has the heart but it's just not as compelling as the others. If you're in for the joys then this will give you a good time. My rating may be too high, but this my thing. I always enjoy this kind of animation.

I don't know if Sandler helped sink this by mere association or what. The humor is broad. The message against prejudice is as heavyhanded as in Brave, but simply blurted out to us. The computer animation is typical, nothing to see—both horror-themed stop motion films of this year trump it with ease. The horror sketchbook feel is much better captured in Frankenweenie, by a filmmaker who actually loves the stuff. ParaNorman has the fancy characters and dazzle for the kids, but offers us a richer, more visual experience on the same subject.

By contrast to those other films that show creators immersed in at least some aspect of their work, this gives the feel of a mass-marketed product—never more obvious than in the songs performed, ranging from punk rock to club music.

The logic here is something for everyone.

Every father of a daughter has wished at some point in his life to keep his little girl well protected from the world and the wrong guys in a remote castle in the middle of nowhere for 118 years. "Hotel Transylvania" is an animated feature about a father, who happens to be Dracula, voiced by Adam Sandler, who does exactly that to his daughter Mavis, voiced by Selena Gomez.

The story begins in the year 1895 where Dracula is unexpectedly forced to be a single father and raise his baby girl Mavis after a tragedy takes his wife's life. He builds a huge castle for Mavis and turns it into a hotel for monsters. His intentions is to make it a refuge for monsters (insects included) where no humans are allowed. Flash forward to the current year, it is the eve of Mavis 118th birthday. It seems to be the equivalent to a human teenager's 18th birthday. Mavis quickly reminds Dracula that his promise to her on her 118th birthday is that she would get to finally explore the world outside of the castle and even travel to a different country.

Not wanting to disappoint his little girl, he allows her to visit a small village just outside of the castle that same night. However, it turns out that the village is not real. It is made of multiple facades with Dracula's zombie workers disguised as humans who scare Mavis away by using fire and threatening to kill her.

Her curiosity of humans is put to rest by the experience. But, when she meets a mystery young male drifter named Jonathan who stumbles into the hotel claiming the identity of a party planner for her birthday who is Frankenstein's cousin – John Stein, Mavis feels a certain "zing" with him that she just can't shake. At the end, his true identity is revealed in the worst way – under the scrutiny of the hotel's monster guests as well as Mavis who is hurt by her Father's betrayal but is fascinated even more by Jonathan. However, upon Dracula's wishes Jonathan exits the hotel to continue his travels. Dracula says, "I want to kill him. But it would set monsters back hundreds of years".

"Hotel Transylvania" is a movie that parents will genuinely enjoy with their children. Though having some plot holes, such as even though Dracula stated early in the movie that he too has kept himself from the outside world away from humans for over 100 years, yet he knows what the word "nerd" means and recognizes the movie "Twilight" when he sees it. Dracula clears up a few misconceptions about vampires – MORE: http://hllywdjnkt.co/QtQNfL

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Dracula, who operates a high-end resort away from the human world, goes into overprotective mode when a boy discovers the resort and falls for the count's teen-aged daughter.

As far as plots go, this one is pretty simple and not all that deep or clever. The characters are also not that deep. Often, this will take away from a film (or completely ruin it, like it did for "The Good Dinosaur"). But this was also a very funny movie, and that more than made up for it.

I confess that I was hesitant about it being a film coming out of the "Adam Sandler camp". It seems Sandler has more misses than hits these days, but this was clearly a hit. Funny for both adults and children, great use of characters to drive the humor home. I wasn't super-crazy about Andy Samberg's character (who sounded like Steve Zahn), but it wasn't a deal-breaker.

Every once in a while i'm in the mood for some animated fun. You don't have to expect a lot from most animation movies but a lot of 'em are solid fun. So is Hotel Transylvania. Kids like monsters. Especially overactive ones. That's exactly what this movie is. An overactive stay in a hotel for monsters. No humans allowed! The story is simple and predictable. Also the all-star cast isn't necessary. Mostly because the strength isn't the voice acting. It's the animations, the fun and kinda dumb characters and the tempo which makes the movie fun to watch. You won't get bored nor surprised by this movie. But whether you're 51 or 8, you'll definitely have a good laugh.