"Monsters Can Be Funny"

None | Light | Moderate | Heavy | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Language | ||||
Violence | ||||
Sex | ||||
Nudity |
What You Need To Know:
The great visuals and punchy comedy in HOTEL TRANSYLVANIA are designed for families. However, the soft horror theme is not one to ignore. Singing and dancing monsters may seem harmless, but introducing the occult to young children may not be a wise choice. The movie teaches children not to be afraid, but it depicts monsters and villains as misunderstood. There’s also some scatological humor in HOTEL TRANSYLVANIA. Parents should be cautious about whether this content is appropriate for their children. MOVIEGUIDE® recommends applying some cautious media wisdom to HOTEL TRANSYLVANIA.
Content:
(Ro, B, O, V, S, M) Romantic worldview with some moral elements and some occult references in a comical context; no foul language but there is some toilet humor such as comedy about passing gas; a character tries to cook another character alive, chase scenes flaming zombies approach vampire girl with pitchforks/axes, Dracula threatens to kill Jonathan; some light sexual innuendo such as a character “walks in” on two honeymooning gnats, human waves his hand through a female skeleton, the skeleton’s husband makes a suggestive comment; no nudity; no alcohol; no smoking or drugs; and, nearly all the characters are famous or not-so-famous monsters, which could scare younger children.
More Detail:
In a world where humans fear monsters and zombies, enterprising vampire Count Dracula (Adam Sandler) builds a secret castle getaway for monsters from all over the world to relax and have a screaming good time. Dracula has invited his monster friends to the hotel for daughter Mavis’s (Selena Gomez) 118th birthday bash. Jonathan, a human (Andy Samberg), stumbles across the castle. He takes an interest in Mavis. Now, Dracula must choose between the safety of the castle and his daughter’s happiness. With a fully booked hotel and a big party to plan, this is one hairy problem to solve.
From Sony Pictures Animation, HOTEL TRANSYLVANIA is not your typical animated monster movie. There are a few frightening moments, but the fright element is mostly treated humorously. Instead, what takes center stage are the colorful characters and great comedy. The movie has some hilarious moments, great visuals, and incredible voice talents. It’s a movie the whole family will enjoy.
HOTEL TRANSYLVANIA confronts the concept of fearing those who are different. Humans are afraid of monsters, and the monsters are afraid of humans. They base their fears on assumptions made about each other. While this is a good message for children, it depicts monsters as misunderstood. In other words, it presents the villains as the victims. With Halloween approaching, it’s no surprise to see children’s movies featuring vampires and mummies, but it’s up to parents to discern whether this content is appropriate for their children.
While HOTEL TRANSYLVANIA is an enjoyable movie with an ultimately positive (though somewhat Romantic) message, the soft-horror theme is not one to ignore. Singing and dancing monsters may seem harmless, but introducing the occult to young children may not be a wise choice.