Movie: Hotel Transylvania 2
Direction: Genndy Tartakovsky
Cast: Adam Sandler, Andy Samberg, Selena Gomez, Kevin James, David Spade, Steve Buscemi, Keegan-Michael Key, Molly Shannon, Fran Drescher, Mel Brooks
Music Director: Mark Mothersbaugh
Editor: Catherine Apple
Genre: Animation, Comedy, Fantasy
Rating: ∗∗½
What is it about: This is 3D animated fantasy comedy film, which is the second instalment in Hotel Transylvania series. It picks up from the previous film, with Mavis (Selena Gomez) and Johnny (Andy Samberg) getting married with the approval of her father Dracula (Adam Sandler). Post marriage Mavis gets pregnant and Dracula starts to worry his grandchild shouldn’t be a full human but a hybrid of half human-half Dracula. With this issue in hand, he tries every effort to make this possible, which forms the crux of the story directed by Genndy Tartakovsky.
Why it’s disappointing: The first part was hilarious, which made you laugh out loud with really good gags. It had references from all the monsters we have seen growing up and was figured well, to support the details. But the sequel falls short on comedy and dives in to corny gags, which have been repeatedly seen on and off screen. They’ve introduced new characters but none of them manage to establish their presence on screen. The comedy was scattered across the film, which loses its grip and makes it quite stale.
What to watch out for: Being a 3D animated fantasy film, it did bring in great effects. The animation was top notch and 3D effects were plausible. The new character Dennis (Asher Blinkoff) was a relief to the movie, as his character consoles the fact about the half-baked characters in the movie. The pace was quite fast which does not drags out, making it bearable.
Verdict: Genndy Tartakovsky this time fails to revive the gags, which made LOL a vital substance in the first part. The sequel falls short on that, leaving you disappointed.
