Hotel Transylvania 3: Summer Vacation (2018 Film) Review
The third film in the "Hotel Transylvania" franchise features of all the cast members from the two previous installments. Adam Sandler returns as Dracula as does Andy Samberg as Johnathan, Selena Gomez as Mavis, Kevin James as Frankenstein's monster, David Spade as Griffin, Steve Buscemi as Wayne, Keegan-Michael Key as Murray, and Asher Blinkoff as Dennis. Joining the cast for this third entry are Kathryn Hahn as Ericka Van Helsing and Jim Gaffigan as Professor Abraham Van Helsing.
Genndy Tartakovsky, who directed the first two films, returns to direct this third film. Tartakovsky also writes the script for this film along with Michael McCullers. Michelle Murdocca produces.
Overall Thoughts
I'm just going to say it, Sony. Really, a cruise? Of all the choices for a continuation of this franchise that were practically gift-wrapped for you, you chose a summer cruise? Now, I'm not the biggest fan of the "Hotel Transylvania" franchise, but after the ending of the second film, I was mildly interested in the possibilities that a third film could take advantage of. There were many opportunities for interesting, dare I say thought-provoking, stories told using these characters. But nope. Instead, we have ninety minutes worth of fart gags, stereotypically hip music, and absolutely no genuine heart.
Sadly, Genndy Tartakovsky chose the most overused premise in a family-friendly franchise: having the main characters go on a cruise ship. Instead of, I don't know, having a more intellectual exploration of the main family, the characters go on a cruise. For a franchise named after a hotel, this franchise has only gotten further away from the hotel since the last film. "Well that’s known in the trailers, Dallin. Beyond that, what are the problems?" Oh, I'll tell ya. These characters go on this cruise with the intention of spending time together, but when they arrive, they hardly spend time together at all. We're expected to care about this family a lot, but since they spend little-to-no time together, I could hardly care about these characters. It doesn't help that when they are together, one character is trying to hide something from the rest of the group. It's not even a big deal and yet, this character is going through all the heartache trying to keep it secret. Okay, let me lighten up.
The voice cast is mildly entertaining. Adam Sandler playing a vampire version of himself continues to entertain. His goofy accent and tendency to speak gibberish is stupid, but somehow endearing. The challenges facing the character are void of any legitimate danger. As a result, I wasn't engaged in the villain's plot against Dracula. Plus, the danger's mostly played for laughs, making it even harder for anyone to fear for the lives of those in peril.
Selena Gomez has been surprisingly enjoyable in these movies as Mavis. Her role in this third film is significantly minimized along with Andy Samberg's character, Johnathan. Neither character has actual purpose in the story. I guess that you could call the two characters slightly more important extras. Dennis, the son of Johnathan and Mavis, has screen time that mostly features him and his kinda sorta girlfriend, Winnie, trying to hide their obnoxious and inconsequential dog from being seen by the rest of the family. "Inconsequential" is the key word because that amounts to nothing but lengthening the movie's runtime.
Kevin James, Steve Buscemi, David Spade, and Keegan-Michael Key returning as Frankenstein's monster, Wayne, Griffin, and Murray respectively, adds nothing to the film. Once again, they're basically slightly more significant extras. They have no consequence on the story at large, nor do they provide any comedic relief. They try to be funny, but their idea of humor isn't humorous. Their attempts result in groans as opposed to belly laughs. James, Buscemi, Spade, and Key continue to show that while they have some talent, it's not voicing these characters.
Selena Gomez has been surprisingly enjoyable in these movies as Mavis. Her role in this third film is significantly minimized along with Andy Samberg's character, Johnathan. Neither character has actual purpose in the story. I guess that you could call the two characters slightly more important extras. Dennis, the son of Johnathan and Mavis, has screen time that mostly features him and his kinda sorta girlfriend, Winnie, trying to hide their obnoxious and inconsequential dog from being seen by the rest of the family. "Inconsequential" is the key word because that amounts to nothing but lengthening the movie's runtime.
Kevin James, Steve Buscemi, David Spade, and Keegan-Michael Key returning as Frankenstein's monster, Wayne, Griffin, and Murray respectively, adds nothing to the film. Once again, they're basically slightly more significant extras. They have no consequence on the story at large, nor do they provide any comedic relief. They try to be funny, but their idea of humor isn't humorous. Their attempts result in groans as opposed to belly laughs. James, Buscemi, Spade, and Key continue to show that while they have some talent, it's not voicing these characters.
Animation/Score
While I don't think highly of this film overall, I won't escape the animation quality continuing to be distinct and vibrant. Part of what separates Sony Pictures Animation from other animation studios like Pixar, DreamWorks, Illumination, or Walt Disney Animation, is how they animate their characters. How they animate their human characters isn't exactly my cup of tea, but I can't fault it for being unique. The animation in "Summer Vacation" is colorful and haunting, appropriate considering the fact that this world is full of monsters. The only thing that I wished was in this film, was sunny weather. The "Hotel Transylvania" franchise hardly showcases sunny weather. I know the main characters are vampires, hence the lack of sunlight, but since that this is set in summer, I was expecting to find weather more fitting to the season. Then again, not doing so is right in line with its predecessors and you can't fault this film for doing so.
There's hardly a reason to talk about the score in "Hotel Transylvania 3: Summer Vacation" when there's seemingly no score present throughout the feature. The only reason that I'm making an effort to focus on the score for a brief minute, is because I choose to focus on the score for a film whether its notable or not.
In the case of "Summer Vacation," this score is definitely unmemorable. I can't recall a single beat. Worse, I can't recall there being any musical score provided by hired hand, Mark Mothersbaugh. I know that I've heard remarkable music from the composer before, but "Hotel Transylvania 3: Summer Vacation" chooses to rely on songs than the musical score. The most memorable music that I heard in this film is the use of The Beach Boys' Good Vibrations and the Macarena. Anything else is either too contemporary or too commonplace to be noteworthy or even worth the hire of Mothersbaugh's proven talents.
Grade: D
To die hard fans, children or both, this third installment in the "Hotel Transylvania" franchise may be a fulfilling hour and a half trip to the local cinema, but for me, the only notable thing about this film, is that it's the first animated film to be dubbed in Arabic for Saudi Arabian audiences. If you can't tell already, I wouldn't recommend seeing this film in the cinema or when it's available to rent, especially if you aren't a fan of this franchise. If you have a kid that wants to see this film, take them to see it. Just realize that there's a high possibility that you might not enjoy the following ninety minutes.
Conclusion
This has been my review of "Hotel Transylvania 3: Summer Vacation." I'm curious to hear your take of the film if you have seen it. Let me know what you thought of my review in the comments below as well as a film that you'd like me to review next. Share this review with your friends and family. Thanks for reading, I'm Dallin, the Film Fanatic, bye-bye.
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