'Hotel Transylvania 3' Film Review: Adam Sandler's Groovy Ghoulies Take a Wacky Vacation

Sony Pictures

“Hotel Transylvania 3” proves that you can both check out of and leave the titular resort, even if you wind up, as Count Dracula (voiced by Adam Sandler) peevishly observes, at what amounts to a hotel on a boat.

“Hotel Transylvania 3: Summer Vacation” sees the “Drac pack” relaxing aboard a cruise ship. And while no one’s going to mistake this franchise for Pixar, returning director Genndy Tartakovsky (“Samurai Jack”) keeps the slapstick coming at enough of a relentless pace to make this animated sequel a midsummer delight.

(There’s something to be said for a monster movie that manages to work in three separate dance numbers, one of which involves springing deadly traps in an undersea ruin.)

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Dracula and his daughter Mavis (Selena Gomez) have been working shoulder-to-shoulder in the hospitality biz, but running the hotel has kept them both so busy that they barely get any time to hang out (in bat form, or otherwise). A TV ad inspires Mavis to surprise her dad with a luxury cruise for monsters that starts at the Bermuda Triangle and winds up at Atlantis. So the whole troupe packs up for a leisurely voyage.

Unbeknownst to everyone, the ship’s captain Ericka (Kathryn Hahn) is the great-granddaughter of Abraham Van Helsing (Jim Gaffigan), who has unsuccessfully devoted his life to ridding the world of monsters. In one of the film’s more heavily-played bits of irony, old man Van Helsing’s lifetime of hate has made him quite monstrous himself, with his head sticking out of a life-support contraption that looks like the steampunk version of Captain Pike’s wheelchair.

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Complications arise when the long-widowed Dracula feels a “zing” (monster love at first sight) for Ericka, who’s committed to destroy him. Mavis has a bad feeling about this mortal, and Dracula doesn’t want Mavis to know he’s fallen in love again. And that’s about it for plot, until we get to a big showdown that involves the elder Van Helsing, a kraken (Joe Jonas), and a DJ battle with Mavis’ husband Johnny (Andy Samberg) that pits EDM (provided by Tiësto) against vintage Top 40 favorites.

Screenwriters Tartakovsky and Michael McCullers (“The Boss Baby”) cram the rest of the running time with pratfalls and sight gags that give the movie the anarchic energy of Mad magazine and the better Looney Tunes shorts. From the literally prickly wedding that kicks off the film (both bride and groom shoot out spikes when they get emotional) to something as silly as the flapping sound that people make when they walk quickly in scuba fins, “Hotel Transylvania 3” always goes for the joke and rarely misses.

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And while it seems strange to use terms like “character-based humor” in this context, the film does build on what we know about these lovable creatures, whether it’s the werewolves (Steve Buscemi and Molly Shannon) getting to drop off their many, many children at the ship’s daycare to enjoy themselves for once — hint: a tennis ball is involved — to the many wacky visual permutations of the Blob. This is a kiddie sequel that seems to be building on previous chapters rather than merely repeating them.

“Hotel Transylvania 3” might be aimed at kids, but adults will chuckle at jokes like an airline run entirely by gremlins or an enormous pet who passes for human strictly by wearing a hat and an overcoat. And let’s not forget that this is the best of the Sandler franchises, one where his homilies about the importance of family and of being understanding of others actually land. (“Grown-Ups 2” simultaneously bullied and preached against bullying long before our current FLOTUS picked up that baton.)

While the aforementioned DJ battle will result in many viewers getting a song stuck in their head that they hoped would never again get stuck in their head, “Hotel Transylvania 3” otherwise goes down easy. Pretend you’re on the Lido deck, loosen those knots in your shoulders, and enjoy the voyage.

30 Highest Grossing Animated Movies of All Time Worldwide

A look at top animated moneymakers as of May 2020, from "The Lion King" to "Zootopia." The numbers are not adjusted for inflation.
30. "The Incredibles" (2004)

Worldwide Gross: $633,019,734

In 2004, Brad Bird's first Pixar outing wowed audiences with complicated animated action scenes, cross-generational comedy and superhero mayhem.
Pixar Animation Studios
29. "Sing" (2016)

Worldwide Gross: $634,151,679

Illumination's animal-karaoke musical crooned its way onto the list.
28. "Moana" (2016)

Worldwide Gross: $643,331,111

Disney's Hawaii-set movie scored two Oscar nominations, for Best Animated Feature and Lin-Manuel Miranda's song "How Far I'll Go."

Disney
27. "Big Hero 6" (2014)

Worldwide Gross: $657,818,612

Disney's 2014 robot tale combined anime aesthetics, superhero action and Pixar's heart.
Disney Animation Studios
26. "Ice Age: The Meltdown" (2006)

Worldwide Gross: $660,940,780

Fox's 2006 prehistoric romp proved the success of the first was no fluke.
Twentieth Century Fox
25. "Kung Fu Panda 2" (2011)

Worldwide Gross: $665,692,281

With the franchise's skills proven, DreamWorks Animation gave the world another hit of comedy with this animated martial arts sequel in 2011.
Dreamworks Animation Studios
24. "Up" (2009)

Worldwide Gross: $735,099,082

The 2009 fan favorite demonstrated that original ideas with big emotions could make big money.
Pixar Animation Studios
23. "Monsters University" (2013)

Worldwide Gross: $744,229,437

Ten years after the release of "Monsters Inc," Pixar sent fans back to school in a 2013 prequel.
Pixar Animation Studios
22. "Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted" (2012)

Worldwide Gross: $746,921,274

DreamWorks Animation's "Madagascar" series kept the studio afloat with a string of breezy successes, including 2012's third installment.
Dreamworks Animation Studios
21. "Shrek Forever After" (2010)

Worldwide Gross: $752,600,867

The big green ogre's final chapter dropped in 2010.
Dreamworks Animation Studio
20. "Shrek the Third" (2007)

Worldwide Gross: $798,958,162

Made in 2007, this sequel proved there was still some gas left in this fantasy mash-up comedy franchise.
Dreamworks Animation Studio
19. "Coco" (2017)

Worldwide Gross: $807,082,196

Directed by Lee Unkrich, this animated film captured everyone's hearts and even won the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature in 2018.
Disney/Pixar
18. "Inside Out" (2015)

Worldwide Gross: $857,611,174

Disney Pixar hit the home run again with this animated feature film about the emotions inside your head, starring Amy Poehler, Mindy Kaling and Bill Hader.
Disney/Pixar
17. "The Secret Life of Pets" (2016)

Worldwide Gross:$875,457,937

Universal/Illumination's story of dogs seeking out adventure while their owners are away charmed its way onto the list.
16. "Ice Age: Continental Drift" (2012)

Worldwide Gross: $877,244,782

Profits abound for this 2012 fourth installment in the chilly prehistoric franchise, followed just behind it's predecessor.
Twentieth Century Fox Animation
15."Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs" (2009)

Worldwide Gross: $888,805,671

While other films have made bigger waves in the States, international sales have always returned big money for Fox's "Ice Age" franchise, proven again by the 2009 entry.
Twentieth Century Fox Animation
14. "Shrek 2" (2004)

Worldwide Gross: $919,838,758

DreamWorks Animation proved to be worthy Pixar competition with its successful "Shrek" franchise.
Dreamworks Animation Studio
13. "Finding Nemo" (2003)

Worldwide Gross: $940,335,536

"Finding Nemo" was something of a second-wind for Pixar, solidifying the company's place as the titans of modern animation.
Pixar Studios
12. "The Lion King" (1994)

Worldwide Gross: $968,483,777

Can you feel the love tonight for this Disney animated classic?
Disney Animation Studios
11. "Despicable Me 2" (2013)

Worldwide Gross: $970,761,885

Illumination's sequel managed to make more money than its predecessor and put the upcoming "Minions" spin-off into motion.
Illumination Studios
10. "Zootopia" (2016)

Worldwide Gross: $1,023,784,195

Disney charmed audiences in 2016 with its cop thriller pairing a rookie rabbit cop and a wily fox informant.
Disney
9. "Finding Dory" (2016)

Worldwide Gross: $1,028,570,889

The sequel to "Finding Nemo" swam right back into audience's hearts.
Pixar
8. "Despicable Me 3" (2017)

Worldwide Gross: $1,034,799,409

Illumination's follow-up -- featuring Gru's blond-haired brother -- became the franchise's biggest grosser.
7. "Toy Story 3" (2010)

Worldwide Gross: $1,066,969,703

Built on Pixar's critical and commercial goodwill, the third installment in the mega-franchise brought in big profits.
Pixar Studios
6. "Toy Story 4" (2019)

Worldwide Gross: $1,073,394,593

Nearly two decades after the last film, Woody and Buzz and the gang returned for the top-grossing film in the series (not adjusted for inflation, that is).

Disney
5. "Minions" (2015)

Worldwide Gross: $1,159,398,397

The little yellow helpers crossed the $1 billion mark at the end of August, raking in more money then "Despicable Me" and "Despicable Me 2" for Universal Pictures.
Universal Pictures/Illumination Entertainment
4. "Incredibles 2" (2018)

Worldwide Gross: $1,242,805,359

The superpowered family sprung back into action a full 14 years after the original -- but far surpassed the original film's box office haul.

Disney/Pixar
3. "Frozen" (2013)

Worldwide Gross: $1,276,480,335

Disney's 2013 smash-hit takes the box office top spot. And then there was merchandising, video on demand and home video that audiences just couldn't let go...
Disney Animation Studios
2. "Frozen II" (2019)

Worldwide Gross: $1,450,026,933

Though it failed to garner an Oscar nom for Best Animated Feature, this sequel still managed to outgross its predecessor.
1. The Lion King (2019)

Worldwide Gross: $1,631,724,000

Whether the film is animated or live-action has been up for debate, the new "Lion King" was computer animated, so we're putting it on the list.
Disney