This animated sequel confirms what its predecessor gave us reason to believe: Adam Sandler
can still be funny and likable; he just has to be a cartoon to do so. Sandler, who co-wrote the screenplay with old pal Robert Smigel, returns as the voice of hotel-for-monsters owner Dracula, whose daughter, Mavis (Selena Gomez), has just married a human named Jonathan (Andy Samberg) and produced a son, Dennis. Grandpa Drac loves the tyke either way, of course, but hopes Dennis has inherited the vampire DNA, not the human stuff, and sets out to show him how great being a monster is ("Just wait, this kid'll be guzzling goat's blood in no time!"). His efforts are amusingly undercut by the fact that monsters are cute and fangless nowadays—a cuddly TV puppet called Cake Monster is especially galling—and instead of being frightened by Frankenstein (Kevin James), the Mummy (Keegan-Michael Key) and their friends, passersby ask for selfies and tell Dracula, "Love your chocolate cereal!" It's harmless, pleasant fun—a far cry from the aggressive, grating live-action turds Sandler has been plopping out. Whaddaya know, childish jokes play a lot better when they're actually aimed at children.
By
Eric D. Snider