The Film
The 2012 film Hotel Transylvania showed us that even the grisliest ghouls are just like us -- or something like that. Okay, I'm not sure what it taught us, except that Adam Sandler can be successful in just about any genre, including the world of animation.
The film's $350 million haul meant that Hotel Transylvania 2 was an absolute shoo-in, which isn't as scary as you'd think.
The sequel sort of picks up where the original left off, with Mavis (Selena Gomez) all grown up and still in love with dorky human Johnny (Andy Samberg). There are a few laughs during a quickie wedding, but the real focus of the film is the couple's eventual offspring. However, it's unclear whether little Dennis (Asher Blinkoff) is going to be a man or a monster. Drac (Sandler) is just dying to pass his scary wealth of knowledge onto his grandson. The problem is that no one's afraid of monsters anymore. That should be a good thing, right?
Hotel Transylvania 2 brings back the same pace, humor, and even the characters from the original. Of course, many of those are voiced by Sandler regulars Kevin James (Frankenstein), David Spade (Griffin the Invisible Man), and even Steve Buscemi (Wayne the werewolf). That doesn't even scratch the surface of who can be heard during this film's 89 minutes. There are a ton of characters in this movie, but they don't all get a ton of screentime. This is a good thing. Although I think there should be more Mel Brooks (who plays Vlad, Drac's father) in everything, it isn't too overwhelming. Hotel Transylvania 2 is a fun way to fill a family movie night.
The Picture
Unfortunately, I wasn't able to get a copy of the 3D Blu-ray this time around, which is a shame. Based on the release for the first movie and this 2D version, I'm guessing it's really entertaining. That's because Hotel Transylvania 2 is filled with bright, kooky characters and tons of sharp imagery. Even the 2D version has a real 3D-quality to it, which is most noticeable in the fur, scales, and other frightfully fun details. A few standout moments on this 1.85:1 transfer include the curls in Dennis' cute, red mop and the detailed fur on the werewolf family -- all 200 of them. The colors are equally impressive, even during the film's darkest moments. Overall, the picture has a lot of pop to it and is really fun to watch.
The Sound
Sony delivers an equally entertaining DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track. Right from the beginning, bats going flying through the soundfield and pop music blasts through the surrounds. As with all of Sandler's movies, music definitely plays an important part here. However, instead of his usual classic rock soundtrack, Hotel Transylvania 2 is filled with pop songs that will get the kiddies bouncing in their seats. Besides that, there are plenty of moments with bats, monsters, and even Blobby the Blob, all of which show up boldly in the surrounds. Also, this is a film with a lot of characters, so it can get pretty chatty. That said, dialogue always sounds great.
The Extras
Final Thoughts
If you don't have an appreciation for the original, Hotel Transylvania 2 isn't going to seem like much of an improvement. It's all of the same characters, with similar humor. For the rest, this is a sweet way to spend 90 minutes with the kids. It's a cute movie with a lot of colorful visuals and a fun soundtrack.
Product Details
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