Directed by Genndy Tartakovsky, the 91-minute animation stars the voices of Adam Sandler, Kevin James and Selena Gomez.

    Dracula (voiced by Adam Sandler) is owner of the hotel, a secluded* getaway for his group of unloved fellow freaks*, dead and undead.

    He’s also a doting* dad to Mavis (voiced by Selena Gomez). As the grand celebration of her 118th birthday is coming, the girl wants to get out into the real world.

    From the beginning, we believe that Dracula and his ilk* are afraid of humankind, who long ago took the life of his dear wife, Martha. In fact, his diet consists solely of “blood substitute*” rather than the real thing, which is “so fatty and you never know where it’s been.”

    The rest of the monsters are cleverly drawn and rendered*, among them stupid Frankenstein (voiced by Kevin James), a wearied Wolfman (voiced by Steve Buscemi), the Mummy, the Invisible Man, the Blob and others. The jokes, along with the animated action, come fast and furious*. The hotel staff consists of* zombie bellhops* and witches (with broomsticks, of course) as chambermaids.

    The festive mood is broken for Daddy Drac when hiker Jonathan (voiced by Andy Samberg) comes to the hotel by accident, starting a furious effort by the host to keep him away from the other guests, who would be horrified to find a living man among them. He also has to keep the young man away from Mavis. (SD-Agencies)