Hotel Transylvania parents guide

Hotel Transylvania Parent Guide

Hotel Transylvania might not make the top 10 list of places to vacation. But an evening's stop at this monstrous destination may be worth it for older family members who won't have ghoul-nightmares.

Overall B

Who would have guessed? Dracula (voice of Adam Sandler) is an overprotective father! Running a secret resort known only to other monsters, he gives his daughter Mavis (voice of Selena Gomez) all the social life she needs while keeping her away from humans -- until one (voice of Andy Samberg) accidentally stumbles into Hotel Transylvania.

Release date September 27, 2012

Violence C+
Sexual Content B-
Profanity A-
Substance Use B+

Why is Hotel Transylvania rated PG? The MPAA rated Hotel Transylvania PG for some rude humor, action and scary images.

Run Time: 92 minutes

Official Movie Site

Parent Movie Review

Built high on a rocky cliff, Hotel Transylvania is no tropical retreat. Still, it provides refuge and relaxation for the monsters, zombies and other spooky specters that come there as the clients of the owner Count Dracula (voice by Adam Sandler). But while the ghoulish guests appreciate the respite from human persecution, the Count’s daughter Mavis (voice of Selena Gomez) yearns to break out and see what’s on the other side of the castle walls.

As the old familiar faces arrive to celebrate Mavis’ 118th birthday, the young girl resolves to hold her father to his promise to let her flit her tiny bat wings across the countryside on the eve of her party. However after getting the okay to swoop downhill to a nearby human village, Mavis is suddenly surrounded by an angry mob brandishing pitchforks and flaming torches. In a matter of minutes, she believes the world outside the castle to be as horrible and scary as the bedtime stories her father told her. Rushing home, she relinquishes her dreams of ever leaving again.

At the same time, the flames from the village attract the attention of a young backpacker named Jonathan (voice of Andy Samberg) who makes his way past the town, up the hill and through the revolving front doors of the hotel. The Count’s discovery of a human in his secluded accommodations sends chills up his lifeless spine. Afraid of losing his guests’ trust and exposing his daughter to this terrible threat, Dracula forces the tousled haired redhead to pretend he is a distant relative of Frankenstein’s (voice by Kevin James).

Yet while the Count tries to find a way to successfully remove Jonathan from the premises without revealing his identity and alarming the patrons, the partygoers (voices by Fran Drescher, Steve Buscemi, Molly Shannon, David Spade and CeeLo Green) take a liking to the new arrival that brings an enthusiastic spirit of fun to the usually dreary birthday bashes. Most enthralled by his presence is the guest of honor herself.

Although the Count comes across as an overly precautionary dad, the story gives good reason for his reticence to let Mavis fly the coop. Addressing preconceived notions about others—in this case how monsters feel about humans—the film recognizes some parental worries seems justified, at least to the parent. Employing as much adult oriented humor as kid-aimed cracks, Hotel Transylvania‘s script includes some smart one-liners, funny sight gags and rude jokes (often about fecal matter), most of which are more chuckle-worthy than laugh-out-loud. However gruesome images of burning zombies, creatures impaled with pitchforks and skeletons rising from the grave make this animation better suited for a slightly older audience.

With its cold brick walls, zombie staff and shrunken head door signs, Hotel Transylvania might not make the top 10 list of places to vacation. But an evening’s stop at this monstrous destination may still be worth the ticket price for older family viewers who don’t suffer from ghoul-induced nightmares.

Directed by Genndy Tartakovsky. Starring Adam Sandler, Kevin James, Andy Samberg, Selena Gomez. Running time: 92 minutes. Theatrical release September 27, 2012. Updated

Hotel Transylvania
Rating & Content Info

Why is Hotel Transylvania rated PG? Hotel Transylvania is rated PG by the MPAA for some rude humor, action and scary images.

Violence: A father scares his daughter with bedtime tales about humans. Scary scenes include graveyards with living dead characters, monsters and other frightening images. Characters are punched, stabbed with a pitchfork, set on fire, squashed, persecuted, chased from their home and killed. A car crashes down the side of a hill with occupants inside. The sun burns a character. A wolf eats an entire flock of sheep (off screen).

Sexual Content: A woman pulls a child into her bosom. Two bugs are interrupted in their bedroom on their honeymoon. A female skeleton is seen taking a shower. A character pulls down the invisible man’s bathing suit. Men are seen in towels in sauna. A couple kisses. Brief sexual innuendo is included.

Language: Brief name-calling is heard.

Alcohol / Drug Use: Characters are shown in a bar.

Other: Rude bathroom humor includes discussions of dirty diapers and fecal matter. A man fluctuates. Other brief moments of rude humor are included.

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Hotel Transylvania Parents' Guide

Instead of the usual storyline about scary monsters, this script is about scary humans. What new perspective does this give to the idea of preconceptions about others?

Are the Count’s worries about his daughter justified? How does he show his love for her? In what ways does he try to protect her? Why is trust important in a parent/child relationship?

Would you like to backpack around the world? What is the first place you would want to visit?

Home Video

The most recent home video release of Hotel Transylvania movie is January 28, 2013. Here are some details…

Home Video Notes: Hotel Transylvania

Release Date: 29 January 2013

Hotel Transylvania releases to home video (DVD or Blu-ray Combo Pack or 3D Blu-ray/DVD Combo Pack) with the following extras:

Hotel Transylvania on DVD offers:

- “Goodnight Mr. Foot” Mini-Movie: Directed and Animated by Genndy Tartakovsky

- 3 Deleted scenes

- “Problem (Monster Remix)” Music Video by Becky G Featuring will.i.am

- Behind the Scenes of “Problem (Monster Remix)”

- DVD – ROM link to Hotel T website

-  Commentary with Director Genndy Tartakovsky, Producer Michelle Murdocca, and Visual Effects Supervisor Daniel Kramer

Hotel Transylvania on 3D Blu-ray Combo Pack and Blu-ray™ Combo Pack include all of the extras above plus:

- “Meet the Staff and Guests: Voicing Hotel Transylvania”

- “Making the Hotel”

- 3 Progression reels

Related home video titles:

A small human also upsets the balance of life in Monsters Inc. Another terrifying man has a soft spot for little girls in Despicable Me. In the Harry Potter movie franchise, the world of magic stays separate from the rest of the populace too.

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