HOTEL TRANSYLVANIA 3: A MONSTER VACATION

released OUT NOW! U | 97 minutes

Director Genndy Tartakovsky Cast adam sandler, Kathryn Hahn, selena Gomez, Jim Gaffigan

The Hotel Transylvania films don’t have a high critical reputation, but this third in the series is great fun, and perfectly watchable if you missed the earlier instalments.

The titular hotel is owned by a benign Dracula, voiced by Adam Sandler, but this film bundles him onto a monsterfriendly luxury cruise liner. The Count is enticed into this holiday by his ever-loving daughter (Selena Gomez), with his friends and family coming along too. Then Drac falls for the female captain, who’s secretly one of a dynasty of vampire hunters…

It sounds like a soporific sitcom spinoff of the ’70s, but it buzzes with cartoon energy, not far from Minions. There are dry patches and lame moments, but the screen is crammed with funny monsters, including show-stealing turns from an oversized puppy and grinning gremlins “flying” an aeroplane. The finale is a glorious blend of musical duels and a mountainous monster.

The emotional arc, about Gomez’s character having to deal with her single dad wooing a new love, is sturdy, while Steve Buscemi’s werewolf gets an amusing strand aimed squarely at all the weary parents watching. Andrew Osmond