Sony Pictures Animations recently released Hotel Transylvania 2, their second installment to the Hotel Transylvania franchise, on Sept. 25. The family movie is a mixture of funky, fun, and spooktacular scenes that tell the story of how Dracula attempts to guide his half-human grandson into becoming a vampire, before it is too late.

The main cast of the first film returns with Adam Sandler as the voice of Dracula, Selena Gomez as his daughter Mavis, Andy Samberg as Johnny, along with other cast members voicing the original monsters residing in Dracula’s hotel. Adding to the main cast, are newcomers, Asher Blinkoff voicing Dracula’s grandson Dennis, Mel Brooks as Dracula’s father Vlad, and other cast members. Sandler, Gomez and Samberg make their animated characters come to life by conveying relatable messages and delivering comedic punch lines at the right timing.

The film focuses on how Dracula refuses to accept that Dennis is completely human and shows Dracula’s attempts to make Dennis’s fangs appear, which would make him a vampire. Dracula, along with his monster friends, take Dennis on an adventure in which Dennis is presented with numerous vampire tests on flying, transforming into a bat and scaring people. These tests were all attempts on proving that Dennis was a vampire. Dracula’s main driving force for taking such drastic yet hilarious measures is to ensure that Mavis and Johnny stay at the hotel instead of moving to California to live with Johnny’s parents.

Throughout the film, underlying jabs are made toward real, life adults, particularly parents. Dracula’s sadness and anxiety over Mavis leaving “the nest” and venturing out into the real world translates into how parents feel about the bittersweet moment when their children eventually move out.  Additionally, the depiction of how monsters and humans were able to coexist peacefully can be interpreted as the diversified world we live in today and how people can live amongst others despite their differences.

The film does not disappoint regarding comedy. Many scenes are laugh-out-loud moments for the audience, such as Mavis’s experience at the convenience store, in which she is amazed at the 24-hour service and 48 different flavored slushies. But, the scenes that touched me the most were the heart-warming moments when Dracula and his human in-laws learned that it is more important to accept their loved ones as they are, rather than conforming them to stereotypes or how they want them to be. Like most animated films, there is a lesson to be taught in every story told. In this film, both the characters and audience learn that being open to others is far more valuable than rejecting someone for being different.

Overall, I left the movie theater feeling extremely satisfied and touched. Hotel Transylvania 2 is the perfect film for families to enjoy and is appealing to all age groups since it is easy to understand the simple plot. The film is lighthearted and gets you excited for Halloween and all its glory.