K.T Simpson
With two successful films in its wake, a third “Hotel Transylvania” is a sure-fire way to make money. Endeavouringto remain original, the “Hotel Transylvania 3: A Monster Vacation” (known in the States as “Summer Vacation”) takes the monsters out of the comfort of their hotel and onto the sea, where the family takes a cruise vacation, exclusively for monsters. The monster family you know and love from the previous films are back – head honcho Dracula (Adam Sandler), his daughter Mavis (Selena Gomez), her husband Johnny (Adam Sandler), Frankenstein (Kevin James), Murray the mummy (Keegan Michael Key), and a whole lot of other creatures that live within the hotel.
Drac has begun to feel very lonely following the passing of his wife, and quickly takes a liking to the ship’s captain Erikca(Kathryn Hahn) – who is also a human. Mavis takes a dislike to the captain, insisting that there is something not quite right with the charming blonde. Thus forms the centre of the plot of “Hotel Transylvania 3”, Drac chasing his forbidden fruit, while in turn she chases him – but perhaps not for the reasons you’d expect.
The “Hotel Transylvania” franchise will always kick goals in the animation arena, somehow making historically terrifying creatures into cute and loveable friends. It’s no wonder kids warm to the films when they somehow make a green blob incredibly adorable. Here’s the tip: just name him Blobby and give him a little baby Blobby. My heart melts.
The movie not only boasts an impressive cast of voices, but also an engaging and enjoyable storyline – which is also easy to follow for the younger members of the audience, to which the film is intended. It’s not always easy to write a script that an adult can painlessly sit through with their kid/s, but “A MonsterVacation” has nailed it. There’s plenty of clever humour, and while the outcome may be typically predictable, the pre-teen isn’t looking for a ground-breaking turn of events. Singing fish will amuse enough.
In short, “A Monster Vacation” is probably one of the better movies I’ve seen in recent times: cute, funny, clever and overall an excellent family flick for those looking for some amusement these school holidays.
And as for the kid’s verdict? A simple “I LOVE this film. Better than the first, but the second one is still the best.” There you have it.
