Hotel Transylvania 3

“Join your favorite monster family as they embark on a vacation adventure on a luxury monster cruise ship so Drac can finally take a break from handling everyone else’s vacation at the hotel. It’s smooth sailing for Drac’s Pack as the monsters indulge in all of the shipboard fun the cruise has to offer, from monster volleyball to exotic excursions, and catching up on their moon tans. But they hit rocky waters when Mavic realizes that Drac has fallen for the mysterious captain of the ship, Ericka, who hides a dangerous secret that could sink their plans for a dream vacation.”

The film opens decades in the past when Drac (Adam Sandler) and his friends are relentlessly chased by the ruthless monster hunter, Van Helsing (Jim Gaffigan). Through a series of epic failures resulting in disaster for Van Helsing, it seems that in present day Drac and his friends have finally escaped the clutches of the family who has vowed to destroy all monsters. In present day at a wedding that Drac and everyone at the hotel is in attendance for, Drac longs for companionship. After unsuccessful setups and mismatched dates on a dating app, Drac does not want to admit to Mavis (Selena Gomez) that he wants to find someone else to spend his life with. Thinking that her father is just stressed from work at the hotel, Mavis books a vacation on a monster cruise ship for everyone.

Arriving on the cruise ship the gang embraces all of the amenities the ship has to offer. Drac quickly falls head over heels for the captain of the ship, Ericka (Kathryn Hahn). Because of this, he is blind to the strange goings on as we learn that she is the granddaughter of Van Helsing and has been raised by her grandfather, who is on board the ship, to despise monsters and finish the job he started all those years ago.

I will admit that this is the first of the Hotel Transylvania series that I’ve seen. On the surface, I always thought it was just another kid movie that I wasn’t too interested in, not knowing that Adam Sandler and his crew were involved. Looking at the cast, I was astonished at some of the big comedy names listed: Andy Samberg, David Spade, Keegan-Michael Key, Molly Shannon, Fran Drescher, Kathryn Hahn, Jim Gaffigan, and Mel Brooks. Although the majority of the dialogue comes from the main characters, having these names attached definitely attracts viewers like me who may not be interested in the film otherwise. Not having seen the other two films, I was surprised at how well I was able to follow the story without having to know much about the previous films. Only a few bits of information, like what happened to Drac’s wife, was all I was really curious about throughout the film. It’s a simple, straight-forward film that can be enjoyed as a stand-alone film or part of the trilogy.

I was most surprised at how well the film balanced the humor, and the fact that it could appeal to both children and adults. It has all the classic monsters: Dracula, Frankenstein, The Mummy, The Invisible Man, the Wolf-Man, and many more; also bringing into the picture Van Helsing, the infamous vampire hunter from the novel who has had many different adaptations throughout film and television, now being portrayed as the bad guy. This leads to another great thing about the film: the message it conveys to children: things that are different aren’t scary. The message is also about inclusion, relationships with people that are different than you, and also forgiveness. In a film that can say all that and be funny at the same time, that’s an accomplishment in itself.

Video

Hotel Transylvania 3 is presented in 1080p High Definition Widescreen 1.85:1. The film looks perfect, with no issues noticed on the disc. The animation looks phenomenal, providing a clear and crystal picture with a great balance in colors.

Audio

The audio is presented in DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 which sounds equally as great. So many things going on in this track at times, whether it is action in the surrounds, dialogue through the center channel, or the booming soundtrack that adds so much to the fun of the film, especially at the end. There are some great choices for soundtrack, highlighted at the end in a DJ battle that I absolutely loved.

Special Features

The disc is packed full of extras, including 2 mini-movies, ensuring that when the kids want more when the credits roll, you’ll be able to provide it. Here’s what you’re going to see:

• 2 Mini Movies: Puppy! And Goodnight Mr. Foot
• 7 Scary-oke Sing-Alongs
• Lyric Video: “It’s Party Time” by Joe Jonas
• Dance-Along to “I See Love” by Jonas Blue ft. Joe Jonas
• Drac’s Zing-tastic Read Along
• Mavis & Drac Monster Makeover Tutorial
• Spook-tacular Sleepover Activities
• Commentary with Director & Animators
• Behind the Screams: The Voices of Hotel Transylvania 3
• Meet the New Characters
• Johnny’s Home Movies
• Trailers

Hotel Transylvania 3 is a great watch for both children and adults. Both hilarious with a great message, this is a fun sequel that will be sure to keep the little ones occupied for quite some time.