Culture

Hotel Transylvania is based on the concept that humans are the perpetrators of scariness and monsters are the victims. The Hotel, built by Dracula (Adam Sandler), is a sanctuary for monsters, a place where they don’t have to hide in the shadows and can indulge all their eccentricities.

For Dracula’s daughter Mavis’ (Selena Gomez) 118th birthday, all the monsters are convening at the hotel to celebrate the occasion. The classics are present: Frankenstein, the Mummy, the Werewolf, the Invisible Man, and some less-classic characters like Zombie Beethoven. Unfortunately a human manages to slip through the doors, and has the potential to totally ruin the party by stealing Mavis’ heart.

The film is carried by the dry humour typical of chief writer Sacha Baron Cohen, and although the film is G-rated there is a scattering of “adult jokes”. The animation itself is sort of hipster-retro, with muted colours and not-so-life-like cartoons. We even splashed out and went to the 3D version. Which was cool if you like that kind of thing, but admittedly I don’t really get 3D, it’s a bit of a rip off and doesn’t really add anything. Although a monster did fly at us in the opening credits and I squealed a little.

The highlights were Dracula screaming in agony when listening to Party Rock Anthem and lamenting the representation of his kind in the Twilight series. All round, it is a bit of a giggle. Well, at least my flatmate and I and the guy sitting behind us (his girlfriend was not so impressed) had a giggle. It is no Lion King, but it is a good-quality, wholesome children’s movie. Maybe take a child with you, or at least an immature date.