Being fond of the animated genre and so always particularly, ah, well, 'happy' to find those that try to break away from the Stateside (you know the usual suspects) ubiquitous monopolistic styling presentations, so that this first offering by European / German based 'Sky' is most certainly to be welcomed; yet sadly it falls into two approaches / appreciation:
first, particularly as its renderings are really quite competitively sumptuous
- the initial entry into Drac's lair and its styling, with latterly a dance scene therein between Drac and lead character Emma, is worth the price/time of watching alone - reminiscent (in homage sorta way?) of the famed Disney Beauty and the Beast ballroom one.
But then, well, oh dear ...
The fact that along with adapting his own book, the author David Schaffer then got five (five - it's only a children's film!) writers involved soon sticks out like the sore thumb as that, that the 'Prince of Darkness' in this eventually gets as the precursor to his demise, to soon point out / warn, this storyline seems to have been cobbled together with a contempt for its (young) target audience, to not be able to twig its many jarring developments.
Firstly, most glaringly, is that, in obviously setting out to competitively get the interest of a target (lucrative?) Stateside audience, its initial settings are there in the States (NYCity backgrounds) for its bickering family - nothing odd about that for dramatic drive; but it has then utilised - (presumably as cheaper?) - UK based voice talents: as such, well, why on earth couldn't at least one of those writers have come up with some conceit that could cover that such another grating sore thumb which they surely knew would immediately irritate the Stateside target audience: if you set it in the U.S., they gotta have US accents! Instead all the family characters speak in clearly cut glass Brit accents! (Throw in a line somewhere about them being on an exchange or worktrip - or something!?)
And so to those voicing talents, which is always an essential element to enjoy such animations;
Emily Watson voicing lead Mom (Emma) does imbue her with a delightful exasperated matriarchal gravitas (belying Emily's comparable age in passing); but the should be knockabout comic relief fabulous Nick Frost is just wasted with a father character who more or less has absolutely nothing to say other than mumblings - (and BTW which character is then portrayed with a thoroughly overused flatulence problem = yep, the de rigueur fart joke! Which again seems to betray the lack of child awareness scripting - one reference is enough for them, guys - really!): plus Celia Imrie's usually clipped tone breathlessness appears to be all but lost / unrecognisble = wasted too:
Although at least Drac is presented as smooth, charming oily character (by
Jason Issacs - although even that in a sort of (deliberate?) Charles Dance like pastiche almost ..)
To which lines they then deliver belies the (probably?) non native scripting, as on the whole there is a dearth of clever / humorous lines usually always knowingly thrown into the screenplay to keep the older, ah, 'kids' watching along with the target youngsters' audience (only the J. Depp one stood out to me - but so just like another of those 'sore thumbs' in so doing!)
Which then leads to the whole basis on which the story arc is set:
that the family is so dysfunctional = 'unhappy' (it's alternative and/or original title) that the Mother would be open to being wooed by a charmer whose phone just happened to suddenly get crossed lined to - da, da , dahhh - Dracula, Transylvania ...
well, it's kids animation, so suspension of disbelief is a taken, huh ...
OK: but then to the animation stylings, competitively competent as it is, seems as if occasionally as though the studio had gotten hold of a trick or two, and then can't let it go: e.g. the chase scene with Baba Yega magic amulet use 'poof' disappear ability just goes on too long (into the water and creatures there? Why?) but which then does - finally - get them to UK where all their accents properly belong (although, watch it: German animators put all the flags upside down! Possibly, deliberate anti-Brexit snub, there?)
And for the otherwise incongruously suddenly turning up Imhotep, his sand and bug transformations renditions are delightful.
And, incidentally the (spot the) obvious 3D effects looked as though they were probably impressive (minion like vampire bats hurled towards the screen), but unfortunately since this hardly got any theatrical release then they are all lost / wasted.
And so onto get to the (plot spoiler warning ...!) happy ever Drac defeat, so to reunite the family 'happily' (ever after) together: even here, so, what's with the seemingly totally unconnected, yet proves so decisive, snowflake in a globe nemesis Mcguffin? Where's that come from then? Why does Drac even have (got) it (from)..? - surely can't be more lazy scriptwriting? (There were SIX of 'em!)
Ah well, since nevertheless, overall, visually, still undeniably quite enjoyable (Mom in her 'Draculina' style especially): but to absorb that, for a new troupe on the animation block, scriptwise* and pacing disappointingly let this down a great deal.
(So Paranorman, Hotel Transylvania franchise et al need not to worry just yet ...)
*I note that one was a Catherine 'JUNK' .. well, now, would be unfair to infer = rather say no more there ...
