Genndy Tartakovsky, the genius responsible for Samurai Jack and Dexter’s Lab made a really disappointing feature film debut two years ago. The original Hotel Transylvania had some great ideas and fun animation, but Tartakovsky’s filmmaking was weighed down by the presence of its star – Adam Sandler. Had he made the film with any other comedic star it would have been a significantly better film. The sequel, predictably titled Hotel Transylvania 2 does more of the same, in a slightly better way though is still bogged down by Sandler and his unfunny antics.
Those who haven’t seen the first film won’t find it difficult to follow the plot. This time Dracula (Sandler) has lifted the ban on humans in his hotel for ghosts and ghouls. Although business is running well, Dracula has a more personal problem – his half human half vampire kid is becoming more human than a vampire. ‘He’s a late fanger’, says the grandpa Dracula. The solution? Dracula enlists the help of his friends Wayne (Steve Buscemi), Frank (Kevin James), Griffin (David Spade) and Murray (Keegan Key) who attempt to imbibe the art and craft of haunting people.
There are some interesting ideas, like Dracula coming to terms with the fact that humans have changed so much in the past century, and the story itself being a parable for homosexuality and parents’ acceptance of their child coming out. The shtick about monsters having feelings too is also cute. Like in the first film there are sudden bursts of cartoony humor designed for kids, such as Dracula throwing the kid off a cliff so that he may finally sprout bat wings and fly like a real vampire. If you’ve seen Tartakovsky’s previous work you’ll easily notice minor references and visual styles alluding to Samurai Jack. When you’re not looking for Easter eggs referencing Jack you’ll have a fairly good time with the filmmaker’s style of a character indulging in over the top physical comedy in contrast to another character being totally passive.
Despite the 3D, the film’s animation is absolutely gorgeous. Younger children will definitely have a blast during the chase scenes and the sight gags. Unfortunately, the story isn’t strong enough to support the terrific animation and Tartakovsky’s vision, and with Sandler being credited as the co writer this isn’t surprising. Most of the jokes are lazy, and also repeated from the first film. There are the usual pop culture references that you’re supposed to laugh at but don’t carry any punch whatsoever. In fact whatever fun there is in the film is because of the visual style, not by the dialogue. In hindsight, had this been silent film, with the same animation technology and budget, it would have been an arthouse classic.
There is a whole subplot featuring a young vampire mother Mavis (Selena Gomez) who just appears and disappears without any resolution. Whether it was left on the cutting room floor or was shoehorned into the film only to bring Gomez’s star power for ticket sales remains a mystery. It’s a pity that the film is such a stark demonstration for a filmmaker’s creativity being bogged down by sloppy writers and indolent comedians. Clearly, Tartakovsky made this film because he was contractually obligated. What is really frustrating is that the same studio that forced Tartakovsky to make two of these movies did not allow him to make Popeye, a movie that he’s always considered as a passion project. They just want to make him a vampire, even though he wants to be human.
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