Hotel Transylvania 2

This sequel picks up where the last one left off and if like me you needed a refresher, here goes: Dracula (Sandler) opened a hotel for monsters but a human showed up and fell for his daughter. Obvious antics ensued.

This time out that human, Jonathan (Samberg), and Drac’s (Sandler back in the cape) vampire daughter Mavis (Gomez) are married and have a child. Of course, the Prince of Darkness wants to raise Dennis (Asher Blinkoff), or Denniskovic as grandad calls him, a vampire but Jonathan and Mavis are determined to move to California where he’ll be safer. With mum and dad on American soil to suss out a place to live, babysitting duties are left to Dracula who uses the time to instil the boy in the ways of the night…

Among the string of horror in-jokes, and there are plenty to be had, there are a couple of standout gags: there’s a dig at the awful bouffant poor Gary Oldman had to act under in Coppola’s Dracula, and rightly so, and there’s a Peter Lorre Sat Nav, which I now want (“Turn left at the next exit… pleeeeeeeeeeeeeease… I’m beeeeeegggging you.”). Playing Jonathan’s dull dad, Nick Offerman’s deadpan delivery provides a few chuckles, and there are some nice scenes when Drac and his monster friends (Sandler’s buddies James, David Spade, and Steve Buscemi are in attendance again) visit their old haunts (sorry) to find that the world doesn’t find them scary anymore. It’s cute and it’s message about embracing change and accepting diversity is a welcome one.

Like the amiable but ultimately forgettable 2012 original, however, Sandler and his co-writer (SNL scribe Robert Smigel) seem content to stroll down easy street. They don’t break a sweat and don’t come up with enough to warrant the sequel’s existence (it exists because the last one made a lot of money – this will probably do the same). The story feels very familiar and hits the expected beats at the anticipated times. Very story-by-numbers.

Not the kids will care, and the obvious story allows one time to look past the action to the stunning backdrop visuals. Hotel Transylvania 2 is fine – but put next to Pixar’s latest and it’s very ordinary.