1. What's it about?

In the mountains of Transylvania, Count Dracula and his daughter Mavis run a high-end resort, where "monsters" can get away from the hubbub and screaming of life in the human world for a little rest and relaxation. Mavis' 118th birthday (the vampire equivalent of her 18th birthday) is rapidly approaching, and she is longing to see the world. But Dracula, a widower, is highly protective of his only child. Enter Jonathan — a young Shaggy-esque American hitchhiker — who stumbles upon the hotel, a hotel where humans are not allowed.

The story that develops is about a father learning to let his daughter have her freedom in a dangerous world.

2. Will my kids like it?

Yes. I saw it with my 14-year-old daughter, who was really excited to see it, and she was not disappointed. We talked about it afterward, and, she really identified with Mavis. She's not only cool with black hair and borderline gothy clothes, she's very in control of her own destiny — a good role model at that age.

Younger kids, though, will love the slapstick humor, which is brilliantly pulled off by director Genndy Tartakovsky (Dexter's Laboratory, Samurai Jack). His comedic timing with animation is pitch perfect, taking what might have been an otherwise flat script and giving it non-stop frenetic life. The theater we were in was filled with young boys and girls who never seemed to stop laughing.

3. Will I like it?

Maybe it's because I'm going through similar issues with my own daughter, or maybe it's because I'm a huge fan of Genndy Tartakovsky's style, but I was surprised by how much I enjoyed this movie. Although it is full of clichés, it's at times schmaltzy, and can be predictable, the movie is extremely funny to watch and emotionally touching.

4. Is it scary?

No, not at all. There are some scenes in the beginning that are slightly scary, but quickly defused. Mostly, the movie pokes fun at scary movie conventions, like Dracula's hypnotic powers or how the Invisible Man might play charades (hint: not well).

5. How was the 3-D?

Very good. I saw it in a theater using passive 3-D technology, and it was really effective, giving not only shape but texture to the film, bringing you into the movie at a deeper level. This was Genndy's first 3-D movie, and he already shows a mastery of the medium, and it is worth seeing it in the theater at least once to watch it in 3-D.

6. When's the best time for a bathroom break?

There's a very funny, but lengthy scene about an hour in when Dracula is dragging Jonathan — dressed as Frankenstein's cousin — through the back passages of the castle. While it has some great visual gags, it doesn't move the story along too much. You will need to get back, though, because the next scene explains how Dracula has a daughter and why he is a widower.

7. How's the soundtrack?

Decent. Some of the songs are written by Adam Sandler, who has a reputation for writing funny songs. He plays with some different styles, including voice modulation and even dub step.

8. How was the voice talent?

Great. I am not a fan of Adam Sandler, and I was honestly expecting to find him annoying, but I quickly forgot it was even him doing the voice of Dracula. The rest of the voice cast is equally good, including Selena Gomez (Mavis) and Andy Samberg (Jonathan). Fran Drescher is also in there as the Bride of Frankenstein, but her role is thankfully small. The standout, though, has to be Jon Lovitz as Quasimodo. He is able to keep up with the frenetic pace of the animation while still keeping his French accent outrageous and understandable.

9. Do I need to stay through the credits?

At least until your kids get bored. About the first half of the credits include some fun animation from Genndy that kids will enjoy watching. The second half of the credits showed concept art from the movie, which I enjoyed, but will probably bore younger kids.

10. Will we want to see it again?

Probably not in the theater, but it's an honest and entertaining family movie you may want to watch with your kids at different stages in their young lives. Young kids for the slap-stick humor, young teens for the coming-of-age story line.

Hotel Transylvania is rated PG.