Movie Review - Hotel Transylvania 3: Summer Vacation

I'm a huge Genndy Tartakovsky fan. I loved Dexter's Laboratory, Samurai Jack, and Sym Bionic Titan. His television work is as good as it comes. His movie work … not so much.

Hotel Transylvania 3: Summer Vacation is a 2018 cgi animated film by Genndy Tartakovsky. It is rated PG and is appropriate for all ages.

The Good

Premise. This movie did a nice job mixing up the premise by taking the characters from a hotel and putting them in a hotel on the ocean, which was really clever, because it stayed true to the premise while providing something new for the characters to react to.

Closing Credits. The closing credits are traditionally animated in the classic Genndy Tartakovsky style, which was really wonderful to behold. I would love to see a series animated like this (the Disney XD series looks too computerized).

The Bad

Animation. The animation is fine, but really looks like cheap 2-D movement which doesn't translate well. Also the visuals are very plastic looking.

Cleverness. While the premise offers a nice twist to the classic formula, the film never rises to the level of brilliant, just mildly amusing.

Story. The story is nothing new, and it proceeds exactly how you expect it to with all the expected twists and turns and no surprises.

What I Would Like to Have Seen

I wish the movie had been more clever.

Overall

Hotel Transylvania 3: Summer Vacation delivers exactly what the audience is expecting. If you enjoyed the first two and want to see more of the same, you'll be happy. If you were hoping for something different, something new, something more original or clever, you'll be disappointed. The premise of setting the film in a hotel on the ocean allows the movie to stay true to the series while offering something a little different. The movie is entertaining, but, like the first two, doesn't offer anything really special or wonderful. I give this film 3.5 out of 5 boxes of popcorn.