Hotel Transylvania 2012

Mary F. Pols, TIME Magazine: A family movie that includes almost entirely lewd jokes for adults. Read more

Amy Biancolli, San Francisco Chronicle: The film is good goofy fun, even as the plot uncorks a whole lotta nothing. Read more

Glenn Kenny, MSN Movies: The main reason I'm giving this a more favorable rating than my actual opinion of the movie would seem to call for is because the screening I attended also had a lot of kids in the audience, and most of them were relatively delighted. Read more

Neil Genzlinger, New York Times: The movie loses its originality as it rolls toward its predictable conclusion, but it's still lovely to look at. Read more

Tom Keogh, Seattle Times: There's much to enjoy here in a disposable way, particularly jokes about monsters having ordinary problems with kids and spouses. Read more

Tasha Robinson, AV Club: A story about the difficult balance between protecting loved ones and controlling them is discarded so the cast can monomaniacally pursue a trite cliche summed up with a silly noise. Read more

Bill Goodykoontz, Arizona Republic: There are a few laughs sprinkled throughout director Genndy Tartakovsky's film, but not nearly enough. Read more

Tom Russo, Boston Globe: Every generation of trick-or-treaters deserves its monster mash. Read more

Tom Long, Detroit News: It won't drive you crazy to watch it, but it isn't "The Lion King" either. Read more

Lisa Schwarzbaum, Entertainment Weekly: Tartakovsky's zippy, boing-boing touch shines through in the purely physical antics of the monster mob; words aren't necessary as the freaks bounce around the place with nutso energy. Read more

Laremy Legel, Film.com: The biggest issue facing "Hotel Transylvania" is that this story has been done before, over the past six decades, and in a far superior manner. Read more

Michael Rechtshaffen, Hollywood Reporter: A scarily unfunny animated monster movie that goes awry right off the bat. Read more

Betsy Sharkey, Los Angeles Times: "Hotel Transylvania" never becomes the great monster mash that seemed in the offing. Read more

Rafer Guzman, Newsday: Feels like a string of jokes without a story. Read more

Stephen Whitty, Newark Star-Ledger: Even the animation is ugly. Read more

Ian Buckwalter, NPR: At its core, this movie is little more than Twilight told from the other side of the tracks, only with far more fart jokes. Read more

Joe Neumaier, New York Daily News: There's enough silly slapstick here that it flies by harmlessly. Read more

Sara Stewart, New York Post: [Tartakovsky's] wit and attention to detail enliven a collection of well-known ghosts and ghouls. Read more

Steven Rea, Philadelphia Inquirer: There's enough here to entertain - and gross out - the kiddie crowd, and parental units, too. Read more

James Berardinelli, ReelViews: Not since Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein have the great Universal monsters been subjected to such dismal treatment. Read more

Nell Minow, Chicago Sun-Times: The 3-D adds a vertiginous thrill to a chase on flying tables and a touch of claustrophobia to a maze of underground corridors. Read more

Liam Lacey, Globe and Mail: This comedy starring and produced by Adam Sandler feels as slapped together one of the comedian's live-action buddy movies. Read more

Bruce Demara, Toronto Star: A fast, funny and wildly inventive animated tale with enough laughs and heart to appeal to audiences of all ages. Read more

Alonso Duralde, TheWrap: Hotel Transylvania may lack the emotional oomph of Pixar's best efforts, but it makes up for it with rapid-fire gags and an unflagging pace that makes this a rare all-ages treat. Read more

Tom Huddleston, Time Out: No one does saccharine like Adam Sandler. The man can be sharp, angry and funny - but when he lays on the sweetness, it's like drowning in an avalanche of Tate & Lyle. Read more

David Fear, Time Out: Tweens might appreciate the sugar-rush ghoulishness; Famous Monsters of Filmland fans and discerning kids-flick viewers may find themselves reaching for torches. Read more

Claudia Puig, USA Today: While it's an energetic romp, there is more slapstick humor than wit at work here, and a good deal of borrowing from the far more clever Monsters, Inc. Read more

Peter Debruge, Variety: A stale overprotective-dad story set within a location that could easily house a more inspired mix of characters and events. Read more

Nick Pinkerton, Village Voice: Although it doesn't worry itself with dialectic complexities, Hotel Transylvania succeeds on the level of entertainment. Read more

Bilge Ebiri, New York Magazine/Vulture: It's all strictly one-note stuff. But it's a funny note, and the film has a grand old time giving us the same type of gag over and over again. Read more

Michael O'Sullivan, Washington Post: "Hotel Transylvania" may offer a perfectly fine Halloween-themed getaway for young kids, but there aren't many amenities for Mom and Dad. Read more