Hotel Transylvania [Blu-Ray]

Continuing the seemingly never-ending trend of vampire franchises and iterations, the Prince of Darkness takes the form of a kind, doting father in the family friendly, animated Hotel Transylvania. The proud owner of the titular Hotel Transylvania, where monsters and their kin seek respite from humans, Count Dracula (Adam Sandler) is preparing for his daughter Mavis's (Selena Gomez) 118th birthday party. The hotel has a reputation for being a secret haven for monsters and, most importantly, a place where Dracula can keep his little girl safe from the harms of the world. When a human boy named Jonathan (Andy Samberg) stumbles upon the hidden hotel and subsequently falls in love with Mavis, her over-protective father is faced with the decision of whether to put a stop to the blossoming relationship or let his little girl be an adult and make her own decisions. For a plot that borders on redundant, director Genndy Tartakovsky manages to breathe some modern life into the narrative, thanks in large part to the long list of voice actors that fill out the rest of the cast (Kevin James, Fran Drescher, Steve Buscemi, David Spade, Ceelo Green). Full of the standard juvenile gags — there's a lengthy fart joke towards the beginning of the film involving a werewolf — as well as referential adult humour, Hotel Transylvania makes an effort to appeal to the entire family, balancing the visceral and profane with the clever and culturally conscious. While adequate within the lexicon of cartoon fare of late, the animation is top-notch, featuring a lush colour palette and kinetic action sequences, working particularly well in its original 3D format, as it was intended to be viewed. Included on the Blu-Ray are the usual filmmakers' commentary tracks and deleted scenes, as well as an interview vignette with the lengthy list of celebrities that offered their voices to the film. Also included is a mini-movie from Tartakovksy entitled Goodnight Mr. Foot that leaves little to be desired, much like the included music video for "Problem (Monster Remix)" by Becky G and will.i.am. The song plays at the end of the film and I assume the producers thought it would be a good idea to tack on a ridiculous music video and, worse, a behind-the-scenes filming of the music video to exploit the modern preoccupation with canned, formulaic music.