'Hotel Transylvania 2'review: Keeps the gags coming at regular intervals

Rating: ***

Genre: Animation

Cast: Adam Sandler, Andy Samberg, Selena Gomez

Director: Genndy Tartakovsky

Language: English

Hotel Transylvania was an unexpected gift because it didn’t have much hope riding on it to begin with. The sequel seems to work on the same premise: Keep doing what you do, it worked out the first time round.



So, in its second avatar, Count Dracula (Sandler) is a grandfather to Dennis, who may or may not be a vampire, with obvious hopes that he is. Meanwhile, Mavis (Gomez) and Jonathan (Samberg) are mulling over moving to a more human environment for their son’s sake, much to Dracula’s horror and joy to Jonathan’s parents (the delightful couple Nick Offerman and Megan Mullally).

The usual roster of characters, including Frankenstein, The Invisible Man, Wayne the werewolf and Murray the mummy, are also back to join in on the adventure of realising Dennis’s inner dracula and making him fly, literally.

Just like its predecessor, the plot in Hotel Transylvania 2 is paper thin with no undertones of complexity, the gags keep coming at regular intervals like clockwork and its full-to-the-brim cast knows its duties and pulls its weight. Bringing in Johnny’s side of the family into the mix is a smart choice as it makes for an amusing clash of species and highlights the adjustments being made on both sides.

Will it beat Pixar in the animation game, which just this year had the intense Inside Out to its credit? No, but it will entertain kids well enough for its duration of 89 minutes.