--- title: "Hotel Transylvania: the reviews" canonical: "https://film.one/film/hotel-transylvania/reviews" title_page: "https://film.one/film/hotel-transylvania" critics_score: 49 critics_reviews: 12 licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL." --- # Hotel Transylvania (2012): what the critics said Critics' score 49 from 12 reviews: 2 positive, 3 mixed, 7 negative. Most critics are unimpressed: seven of the twelve reviews are negative, three mixed, and only two come down in its favour. Where the praise gathers, it gathers on the animation. Reviewers across the spread admire Tartakovsky’s stretchy, expressive character work, the retro-pop look of the monsters and the sheer speed of the sight gags, and several concede that enough of the jokes land to pass the time. The complaints are about everything underneath the drawing. The overprotective-father story is called hackneyed, the sentiment treacly, the script muddled, and more than one critic finds the frantic pace exhausting rather than funny; Empire adds the auto-tuned songs to the charge sheet. The scores sit tightly around the low 40s, which makes the dissent stand out: The Wrap calls it a boisterous all-ages treat, and Vulture, writing six years on, finds it a thin but reliably funny diversion. Nobody argues it has much to say about its monsters. ## Vulture — Bilge Ebiri Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 25 July 2018. Ebiri finds the film thin but entertaining, with its repetitive humor landing often enough to make it a funny diversion. He particularly praises the quick animation and the recurring monster gags. [Read the review](https://www.vulture.com/article/movie-review-hotel-transylvania.html) ## Screen Daily — Brent Simon Fi1m's normalised score 64/100 (inferred from the text). 7 September 2012. The page identifies this as a review of the 2012 film, but its text is behind a paywall. The critic’s verdict and any specific praise or complaint are not visible. [Read the review](https://www.screendaily.com/hotel-transylvania/5046259.article) ## Slant Magazine — Abhimanyu Das Rating 2/4. 23 September 2012. The critic finds the film weighed down by treacly sentiment, moralizing, and a weak screenplay. They praise the visual inventiveness and energetic retro-pop animation of its monster characters. [Read the review](https://www.slantmagazine.com/film/hotel-transylvania/) ## Evening Standard — The Standard Rating 2/5. 12 October 2012. The critic gives the film two stars, finding its storyline badly botched despite some decent jokes. They praise its good looks and sustained Gothic spectacle, but complain that scenes feel like unrelated trailers. [Read the review](https://www.standard.co.uk/culture/film/also-showing-8208753.html) ## Radio Times — Alan Jones Rating 2/5. Jones gives the film a negative verdict, saying it adds little to a hackneyed overprotective-dad story. He criticizes its often overbearingly exaggerated style. [Read the review](https://www.radiotimes.com/movie-guide/b-zxgpj9/hotel-transylvania/) ## Time Out — Tom Huddleston Rating 2/5. 7 October 2012. The review finds the film’s sweetness overbearing. It complains that Adam Sandler’s saccharine side overwhelms his sharper, funnier qualities. [Read the review](https://www.timeout.com/movies/hotel-transylvania-1) ## Empire — Helen O'Hara Fi1m's normalised score 30/100 (inferred from the text). 17 February 2010. O'Hara finds the film mediocre, with a generic story that its cast cannot rescue. She praises Tartakovsky's commitment to squash-and-stretch animation, but faults the unfunny jokes and auto-tuned songs. [Read the review](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/hotel-transylvania-review/) ## The Wrap — Alonso Duralde Fi1m's normalised score 85/100 (inferred from the text). 27 September 2012. The critic calls the film a boisterous joyride and a rare all-ages treat. They single out its rapid-fire gags, sight gags, and comic rapport among the performers. [Read the review](https://www.thewrap.com/hotel-transylvania-review-tickle-me-dracula-58371/) ## The Playlist Fi1m's normalised score 50/100 (inferred from the text). 25 September 2012. The headline presents the film as an energetic Halloween treat, but says it lacks character. It singles out the chaotic energy as a strength and weak characterization as the main complaint. [Read the review](https://theplaylist.net/review-hotel-transylvania-an-energetic-halloween-treat-that-brings-chaos-but-lacks-character-20120925/) ## Den of Geek — Michael Leader Rating 2/5. 24 September 2012. The critic finds the film hollow and exhausting, with little to say about its classic monsters. They praise the expressive animation and visual flair, but say these cannot compensate for the muddled script and weak plot. [Read the review](https://www.denofgeek.com/movies/hotel-transylvania-review/) ## Digital Spy — Simon Reynolds Rating 2/5. 8 October 2012. Reynolds finds the film charming in places but ultimately predictable and less witty than stronger animated films. He praises its quaintly retro animation style, while faulting the frequent misfires in its jokes. [Read the review](https://www.digitalspy.com/movies/a422323/hotel-transylvania-review/) ## Eye for Film — Donald Munro Fi1m's normalised score 40/100 (inferred from the text). 13 October 2012. Munro finds the film a mixed-up mess that tries to do too many things without doing any particularly well. He praises its visual humour and occasional wit, but says the frenetic pace and lack of focus overshadow those strengths. [Read the review](https://www.eyeforfilm.co.uk/review/hotel-transylvania-2012-film-review-by-donald-munro) --- © Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Our review: https://film.one/film/hotel-transylvania.md