Hotel Transilvânia 3: Umas Férias Monstruosas

Don't insult your children by letting them near this.

Delivers reliably on the series' humble promise of sugared-up monster slapstick. The film is pleasingly mild and distracting.

Hotel Transylvania 3: Summer Vacation is a summer treat worth savoring, and a reminder that if we can see past our differences, we'll find we're not that different after all.

It's so overly simplistic, and its so hackneyed, and they don't really breathe a lot of life into that message. Having said that, there are enough light and goofy moments that are playful.

Perhaps a vacation would serve this tired franchise well.

Tartakovsky is a talented visual filmmaker, and "Hotel Transylvania 3" showcases some of the best work of his career.

"Zinging" is destiny, and even if it strikes one person before the other, it's still meant to be. In the real world this translates to harassment and stalking.

It turns out music does have charms to sooth the savage beast after all. And this movie has enough charm to soothe little savages on summer vacation for 90 minutes.

Too similar to the latter Despicable Me films in its plotting and lean on laughs, Hotel Transylvania 3: Summer Vacation doesn't offer much for either parents or kids.

Although still visually pleasing, the latest adventure seldom sparks to life, even by the standards of its undead protagonists.

There's something so fun and goofy about them that it's hard to get too mad.

The kids could do a lot worse.

No offense to composer Mark Mothersbaugh (who is heavily involved in all three films) but the soundtrack is better this time around, thanks to some heavy, entrancing, villainous beats by DJ Tiësto.

Between the goofy humor, Adam Sandler's hallmark gibberish and an unfortunate return of the Macarena, "Hotel Transylvania 3: Summer Vacation" houses an unexpectedly affecting story of modern love with a creaky vampire dad.

Returning a third time as director, Genndy Tartakovsky lends his usual graphic savvy, providing a not-quite-saving grace.

"Hotel Transylvania 3" may lack the indelibility of the medium's best offerings for kids, but hopefully its clear theme of acceptance lingers long after the inoffensive odor of its fart jokes dissipates.

This animated kiddie fare is typically frenetic, but the monster-comedy shtick is beginning to feel zombified.

There are only so many monster-centric jokes to be made before they become toothless, and only so many ways to preach tolerance before it sounds more like blunt moralizing.

If it all amounts to little more than a lively trifle, is that such a bad thing?

The third time is not quite the charmer as the others, but still offers enough laughs to keep kids plus their mummys and daddies entertained.