Family Fun at ‘Hotel Transylvania’
“I am so happy to see a Halloween movie that is actually for everyone,” says KIDS FIRST! youth film critic Morgan Bertsch, age 7. Hotel Transylvania is full of monsters that are unfriendly toward humans, of course – after all, what are monsters for? Even in the childhood classics from Grimm – but our KIDS FIRST! youth film critics find it a fun entertainment for this Halloween season. “I love the creative designs on how they make all the monsters to be so nice and fluffy instead of mean and scary. The voices are brilliant; the special effects are so awesome,” says Cheyenne Nguyen, age 8. And Anthony Aranda, age 10, puts it succinctly, “This movie is awesome because it has lots of funny parts and has action, too.”
Parents (and kids, too) can relate to Dracula’s struggles as a parent, trying to shield his daughter from the unpleasantness and dangers that life may throw at her. She is, after all, only 118 years old!
Hotel Transylvania
Reviewed by Anthony Aranda
(See his full review on video.)
This movie is awesome because it has lots of funny parts and has action, too. I think this movie is great and funny. And it is even cooler because it is done in 3-D.
This movie is all about a guy named Dracula who has a child named Mavis, and Dracula had to build a hotel where all monsters could be safe and so his daughter could be safe. The movie is awesome in 3-D. It really pops out but I would like it if they put more 3-D because it would be a lot better than it already is. One of my favorite parts in the 3-D is at the beginning of the movie, when Dracula is singing to his daughter and looks so cool when he’s hissing that I want to reach out and touch it.
The main characters in the movie are Dracula, played by Adam Sandler; Mavis, played by Selena Gomez; Jonathan; Frankenstein; and Murray, the mummy. Adam Sandler is a really funny actor and I think he does a great job at Dracula. My favorite character in the movie, though, is Jonathan because he is really funny. He has to dress up as a monster so everyone else in the hotel won’t know he is human and so he won’t get cooked. He also is a nice guy and does lots of risky stuff and I like that.
My favorite part is when Dracula is setting up the tables for his daughter’s birthday and makes them float to the spot, so Jonathan comes and plays with the tables. He makes them fly and Dracula chases him with another table and they zoom all around the room. Dracula is using his powers to try to make Jonathan stop but Jonathan makes it every time through all the obstacles and they both have lots of fun. It’s a fun scene.
I would recommend this movie for ages 3 and up because at the beginning the dad is doing a song and does something that might scare really young kids. But overall this is a great film for almost all ages and I would highly recommend it. Go out and see this movie in theaters; it opens on September 28th.
Hotel Transylvania
Reviewed by Cheyenne Nguyen
(See her full review on video.)
Hotel Transylvania is super hilarious and this movie lets us see how humans are viewed by monsters.
The plot in this movie is the overprotective-father-and-his-teenage-daughter relationship and ZING at first sight. Dracula (Adam Sandler) runs Hotel Transylvania, a castle known to be completely cut off from humans. On his daughter Mavis’ (Selena Gomez) 118th birthday, he invites his monster friends — such as the Mummy (CeeLo Green), Frankenstein (Kevin James), Griffin the Invisible Man (David Spade) — to come and celebrate. However, his party is very predictable and boring.
Mavis is now 118 years old and wants to experience the world and does not want to be in a kiddie’s birthday party. Mavis is not having any fun at her own party. However, the party begins when a backpacking human named Jonathan (Andy Samberg) accidentally stumbles into the castle.
My favorite part of this movie is when Dracula slashes out at his friends and point out all the annoying things for each monster and they are all offended. The truth is not very pretty sometimes. However, it does have many feel-good moments in his tantrum.
The quality of the 3-D in this movie is awesome; you can see all the details of the monsters popping right in front of you! I jumped out of my seat several times.
I love the creative designs on how they make all the monsters to be nice and fluffy instead of mean and scary. The voices are brilliant; the special effects are so awesome.
The message in this movie is not to judge anyone until you get to know them.
The only part I did not like is how the monsters view the humans as fat and mean.
My favorite character is Jonathan. He is so fun to be around and always focuses on the good side of people or monsters.
I rank this movie four out of five stars (due to some scary parts).
I give this age ranged 5 and up.
Hotel Transylvania
Reviewed by Morgan Bertsch
(See her full review on video.)
BOO BLA BLA BLA BLA BLA
Just in time to get you in the fall Halloween spirit.
I’ve just finished watching the pre-screening for Hotel Transylvania in 3-D. Here is how it goes: An overprotective vampire must let his daughter, Mavis, grow up, and on her 118th birthday her father promised that she could get out into the real world. However, he’s had a change of heart and doesn’t want Mavis anywhere near humans. As a matter of fact, that’s why Dracula built Hotel Transylvania — to get him and his monster friends away from humans. The hotel is only for monsters to stay in. NO humans allowed.
Dracula (played by Adam Sandler) and his family run the hotel. The vampires are adorable when they turn into the cutest bats ever.
All the guests at the hotel are monsters. They are fresh, amazingly fun, and all with very different personalities. They are all making party preparations to celebrate Mavis’ (played by Selena Gomez) birthday. The graphics for these creatures are fantastic. The 3-D really brings them out of the screen and into life. Although monsters are usually scary, these monsters are really funny and you end up really liking them. I would love to have them all come to my house for dinner.
Jon Lovitz, Fran Drescher, Molly Shannon, Kevin James, CeeLo Green, David Spade, Sadie and Sunny Sandler and many others all do an incredible job doing the voices — which really match each individual character.
The cinematography is crisp and clear. It looks real. There are fast action scenes, a few I wish went slower because I think I missed some of the amazing graphics.
My favorite scene is the flying table race. Oh, did I mention a human named Jonathan (played by Andy Samberg) who accidentally came to visit?
We learn a new word which will probably be heard everywhere: ZING ! You will know when it hits you.
The music is hip, quirky and definitely makes you want to dance.
The lessons we learn are: Do not judge people by their looks. Give everyone a chance; you might just find out you have more in common than you think. Everyone has a different path to follow so do not expect everyone to be alike; what a boring world that would be!
Halloween movies are usually scary, but this one is great for the whole family. The younger ones will think the monsters are cute and it might make Halloween a little easier on them when they see the monsters walking around in October.
The age range is 5-100. I think everyone will be able to find a favorite character that they love. There is a big variety to choose from.
I give this movie five twinkling stars. I am so happy to see a Halloween movie that is actually for everyone.
Don’t forget to follow your ZING!!!
