Hotel TransylvaniaMovie Reviews

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So-so

Avg. Critic Score: 47 out of 100 Mixed or average reviews Metascore^® based on all critic reviews

Information for Parents:

OK for kids 7+

Read Common Sense Media review

Critic scores range from 0 to 100, with higher scores indicating more favorable reviews.

75

Philadelphia Inquirer | Steven Rea
There's enough here to entertain - and gross out - the kiddie crowd, and parental units, too Read full review
75

San Francisco Chronicle | Amy Biancolli
The cutest darn thing in Hotel Transylvania is the way Count Dracula spazzes into a brilliant red devil-face when provoked. The second-cutest thing is his annoyed response to being misquoted by idiot humans. Read full review
67

Entertainment Weekly | Lisa Schwarzbaum
It's the parental mush about trusting one's kid to make her own discoveries and blah blah blah (spoken in a Sandlerized version of a Dracula voice) that drains the movie of blood. What's left are platitudes, and Sandler singing a novelty song in a Transylvanian-accented falsetto. Read full review
63

Boston Globe | Tom Russo
Some might say there isn't enough that's fresh here to recommend the movie in a big way, except that every generation of trick-or-treaters deserves its monster mash. Read full review
63

New York Post | Sara Stewart
A serviceable animated movie about a soft-hearted Dracula. Read full review
63

ReelViews | James Berardinelli
It's juvenile from start to finish, which is fine if you're young, but not so great if your sole purpose in a theater is to accompany someone who's young. Read full review
63

USA Today | Claudia Puig
While it's an energetic romp, there is more slapstick humor than wit at work here, and a good deal of borrowing from the far more clever "Monsters, Inc." Read full review
60

New York Daily News | Joe Neumaier
As a vampire might say, "Be- vaaare , all who enter here above the age of 7! What lies on the screen ... is not for you !" Read full review
40

NPR | Ian Buckwalter
The problem is that Jonathan is possibly the most annoying romantic lead in any film in recent memory. His gnarly, X-Games-loving, righteous-dude shtick is so grating that my frustration with the lack of ferocity in the movie's monsters may be largely because I kept wishing one of them would act like a proper monster and tear him limb from limb. Read full review
40

The Hollywood Reporter | Michael Rechtshaffen
Hotel Transylvania checks in as an anemic example of pure concept over precious little content. Read full review

Metacritic link View more reviews for Hotel Transylvania on Metacritic

Information for Parents

Common Sense Media says OK for kids 7+ Father-daughter comedy works as intro to monster movies.

What Parents Need to Know Parents need to know that Hotel Transylvania is a good introductory "monster movie" for little kids -- the monsters are tame, and the story focuses on Dracula and his daughter as she comes of age (118!). The only potentially frightening elements are Dracula's "angry face," which he flashes when he can't control his rage (it only lasts a few seconds, but it's a bit demonic looking), and a mob scene that puts a central character in danger. There's also a backstory that involves humans killing the main character's mother, but it's handled delicately. Language includes insults/rude words like "stupid" and "shut up," and there's some innuendo, flirting, and a quick kiss between a 118-year-old vampire hybrid and a 21-year-old guy (hey, it worked in Twilight!).

Families can talk about who Hotel Transylvania is intended for. It's about monsters that have been in many horror movies, but it's not as scary as some other animated movies. How are the monsters kid-friendly?
Can you think of other movies that feature an overprotective father? How does Hotel Transylvania compare?
Why are monster movies popular? Why is it sometimes fun to be scared?

The good stuff

Educational value: Kids just being introduced to "horror" movies will meet some iconic genre characters.
Positive messages: Sweet messages about a father's love for his daughter and his promise to her (and his deceased wife) that he'll keep her safe at all costs. The idea that parents need to eventually step back and let their kids grow up, take risks, and find adventure is the main theme of the story.
Positive role models: Jonathan is an adventurous spirit who learns to see beyond the monsters' freaky/creepy exteriors and discover that they're pretty cool. He encourages Mavis to travel and find her own way in the world. The monsters -- with the exception of Dracula -- can see that Jonathan's a great guy. Mavis, despite being holed up at the hotel, is a well-loved daughter and "niece" to all of her parents' dearest associates. Dracula is a protective, loving father who just wants to keep Mavis safe.

What to watch for

Violence and scariness: Dracula has a frightening face that he flashes whenever he can't control his anger. It's definitely the scariest thing in the movie except for the mob scene when the zombies dressed as humans try to torch Mavis. Instead, they catch fire, but the audience knows it's not really humans. The monsters at the hotel aren't really scary. There is a flashback to when humans attacked Dracula and his wife, which resulted in her death. The mother's absence is mentioned frequently, but handled delicately.
Sex: Lots of googly eyes and flirtation between Mavis and Jonathan, who eventually kiss. Some mild innuendo.
Language: Insults like "idiot," "shut up," "jerk," "stupid," plus scatological jokes about all of the "poop"/"waste"/"filth" that Wanda and Wayne's werewolf kids make.
Consumerism: No product placements in the movie, but McDonald's is selling movie-tie-in Happy Meals.
Drinking, drugs and smoking: Not an issue

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