The fourth and the final animated movie involving Hotel Transylvania is as entertaining as the first three, despite having a postponed release. It seems even Count Dracula is afraid of the coronavirus!

In this last outing, monsters become humans and the ‘human’ of the movie, turns into a monster. The accident is too much for Count Dracula and his regular monsters, but Johnny loves it. The way monsters change into humans is quite hilarious and the faces carried the confused look till the end.

Adam Sandler and Kevin James may not be the voices of Count Dracula and Frankenstein respectively, but Selena Gomez, Steve Buscemi, and others reprise their roles. It begins with the 125th-anniversary celebrations of Hotel Transylvania.

Dracula plans to retire and leave the hotel to Mavis and Johnny, but soon retracts his decision when he imagines what the always annoying Johnny would do to the hotel. An accident changes Johnny into a dragon-like monster, while Dracula, Frankenstein, Griffin, Murray, and Wayne turn to humans.

As all the previous three films revolve around the human-monster bond, this one pushes Johnny and Drac towards a mission where the aim is to get their true selves back. This time, Drac cannot fly, gets bitten by mosquitos, and ‘finally’ faces the sun, without any fear. His limitations and Johnny’s powers make their trip through the rainforest hilarious, adventurous, and ‘torturous’ at the same time. However, they must make it in time, otherwise, both would remain in their changed form, forever.

For Drac, someone who may have been around forever, but in our lives since 2012, the movie serves as a farewell. This time around, Mavis and Ericka (Drac’s daughter and wife respectively) have a greater role to play, while others are confused about their new identities.

The story of the final film in the series carries messages about friendship, trust and sacrifice, while giving ample entertaining elements kids to enjoy.

The 90-minute animated film has a new director duo — Derek Drymon and Jennifer Kluska — who takes over from Genndy Tartakovsky, director of the previous three films.

Due to new directors, the jokes from the movie might be lame and the story a bit drag, but as Drac would have said, “It makes no difference”. Hotel Transylvania is here to stay!

Published in Dawn, Young World, February 26th, 2022