• Bloodless 'Hotel Transylvania' no monster smash

    Sony Pictures Animation

    Dracula (Adam Sandler) and Johnnystein (Andy Samberg) in "Hotel Transylvania."

    By Michael Rechtshaffen , The Hollywood Reporter

    REVIEW: The second feature in as many months to contain animated zombies (and Tim Burton’s "Frankenweenie" lurking just around the corner), "Hotel Transylvania" checks in as an anemic example of pure concept over precious little content.

    Despite the proven talents of first-time feature director Genndy Tartakovsky ("Dexter’s Laboratory"), writers Peter Baynham ("Arthur Christmas") and SNL vet Robert Smigel, and a voice cast headed by Adam Sandler and Andy Samberg, the collaboration falls flat virtually from the get-go, serving up half-hearted sight gags that have a habit of landing with an ominous thud.

    Being given a public airing at the Toronto International Film Festival ahead of its official Sept. 28 opening, the film could initially benefit from a monster marketing push from Sony, but it’s unlikely the “No Vacancy” sign will be lit for long.

    Assuming an unsteady Transylvanian accent which, like his bat wings, tends to flit in and out of the picture, Sandler’s overprotective daddy Dracula is having trouble shielding his daughter Mavis (Selena Gomez) from outside elements on the eve of her 118th birthday.

    Determined to shut himself off from those elements after the death of his wife a century or so earlier at the hands of an angry mob, Dracula had constructed a refuge of an exclusive resort where he and his monstrous ilk could feel free to be themselves.

    But when a party crasher turns up in the form of Jonathan (Samberg), a slacker human backpacker who catches Mavis’ eye, the Count finds it increasingly difficult to keep her under his wing.

    While director Tartakovsky’s retro pop sensibilities served Cartoon Network well with the likes of "Dexter’s Laboratory," "The Powerpuff Girls" and "Samurai Jack," and "Hotel Transylvania" has an undeniable visually zippy style, the ghost of a script by Baynham and Smigel provides him with very little of substance.


    For the most part there’s just a lot of dashing about the hotel’s cavernous hallways as the assembled voice cast (also including Kevin James, Fran Drescher, Steve Buscemi, Molly Shannon, David Spade and Cee Lo Green) attempts to lend some personality to the underdeveloped characters.

    Ironically, the scattered enterprise exhibits signs of life when the characters leave the confines of the hotel, but that hint of something more arrives too late in the game.

    And while those 3-D glasses really bring nothing to the party, Mark Mothersbaugh’s lively score adds a ghoulish cool to the otherwise uninspired proceedings.

    Related content:

    Also in NBC Entertainment:

    Show more
    Explore related topics: , , , , , ,

  • Adam Sandler: Without movies, 'What else am I supposed to do with my life?'

    By Randee Dawn, TODAY contributor

    It seemed that everyone was caught up in Justin Bieber fever Friday morning -- and Adam Sandler, who visited TODAY to talk about his new film with Andy Samberg, "That's My Boy," was not immune.

    "My 6-year-old has a Bieber toothbrush!" he told Ann Curry. 

    But Sandler is really best when he's channeling his own inner 6-year-old -- as he appears to do in "That's My Boy," where he plays a man who never really grew up even though he had a son (Samberg) to raise, and who is now dealing with the consequences. 

    "We knew that this was a filthy movie right out of the gate, so we went straight filth and enjoyed embracing the dirtiness," he said, advising parents not to bring their young children.


    With a per-film average gross of $72.4 million and having grossed over $3 billion since he first started making movies in the 1990s, Sandler could stop acting and writing tomorrow and retire wealthy, but he said he probably wouldn't be happy if he did that.

    "What else am I supposed to do with my life?" he asked. "I make movies; I like making movies. When I'm not making them I kind of stare at the wall and say, 'Now what?' I hang out with my kids a lot. I hang out with the wife a lot. We have fun together, but I like to work."

    So expect to see more Sandler films in the future. Meanwhile, "That's My Boy" opens June 15.

    Will you go see "That's My Boy"? Let us know on Facebook and follow us on Pinterest!

    Related content: