Hotel Transylvania 3: Summer Vacation

The Ghouls and Ghosts are ready for another stay at Hotel Transylvania. Hotel Transylvania 3: Summer Vacation promises another family friendly spooktacular in 3D and Flatscreen. It gets points for stepping out of familiar territory. Let's see what else it does.

This time, we find Count Dracula (Adam Sandler), proprietor of the Hotel Transylvania, stressed and lonely. His daughter Mavis (Selena Gomez), books him and his monster friends on a cruise ship, the Legacy. Dracula can take "a vacation from  giving vacations" as the ship sails all the way to Atlantis. He's unimpressed by the "hotel on the water" until he meets Captain Ericka (Kathryn Hahn). He falls for her at first sight. Mavis sees something amiss.

Ericka is the great-granddaughter of Dracula's wannabe archenemy, Professor Abraham Van Helsing (Jim Gaffigan). The Van Helsings set up the cruise to destroy Dracula and his monster friends. They just need an artifact from Atlantis to do the job. The scheme is complicated by Ericka falling for Dracula too.

Director Genndy Tartakovsky once again deals with the zany hauntings of the titular resort. The plot isn't a retread of the first two films. You might have to familiarize yourself with the cast, but the film won't punish you if you don't. Its premise is a nice fish-out-of-water story. Its anti-prejudice themes are admirable. Its gags can get delightfully silly. Beware those who seek gravitas in their plot. It's still made for the youngest ghouls in mind.

Let's start with the new characters. Professor Van Helsing starts off an inept, yet funny villain. His multiple failures made for a great montage. He's still funny when he becomes a threat. Ericka is goofy and likable, even when she tries to kill Dracula. Her turning good was a believable story.

The returning characters are still a good bunch of monsters. Wayne and Wanda (Steve Buscemi and Molly Shannon), the werewolf parents of too many, were great side characters. Tinkles (Joe Whyte), the giant puppy, debuted as the eponymous Puppy! in the opening short of last year's reviled The Emoji Movie. His antics were fun. And of course, there's Count Dracula. He's still a likable prince of darkness.

Hotel Transylvania 3: Summer Vacation is a fine summertime spooktacular. Its 97 minutes are fun and fast-paced. It's not a milestone in storytelling but it's worth a matinee. This entry keeps its predecessors' good, spooky mood. Let's see what they'll do if they make a fourth one.