With Disney and Pixar reigning over animation genre, it's hard for other studios to compete against their emotionally engaging tales. Hotel Transylvania 2, while not particularly incredible, is unexpectedly funny and enjoyable. The large cast of fumbling monstrosities and the nocturnal vampire household deliver enough charming wit for a few simple warm laughs.
Story follows Drac and friends as they welcome the newest member of the half-man half-vampire family. The boy is clearly a cuddly bait for empathy, in fact many of its adorable gimmicks are built to relate to casual audience. This admittedly might feel cheesy at times since the movie opens up with overly comical tone.
However, once it hits the midway point, it warms up pretty well. The odd union between man and vamp is strangely relatable. Mavis is a good character, she's youthful, full of curiosity and also naturally protective of her son. It makes a good contrast against Johnny's family, which is a cynical take on suburban parents. The couple compromises on different often trivial things, and despite being parents they are still exuberant, identifiable to both young and old.
Drac and his merry band are vanilla version of monsters. Each of them produces a couple of timely funny gags, so they don't seem crowded. Visual cues help a lot, not only on creating slapstick humor, but also emotional body language which is occasionally interesting when monsters perform them.
There's an underlying message of acceptance, a closer touch on prejudice. It's not entirely spectacular but still a strikingly effective analogy. Most of the humor comes from pop culture references and physical jokes. These may seem excessively flashy, but oddly enough, they are whimsically tickling, especially those on second act.
Hotel Transylvania 2 is teeming with average family comedy troupes, although it also brings healthy dose of clever quips and cordial value to merit a viewing.
