la ub ▁of ▁the ▁San ▁Francisco ▁Chron icle ▁gave ▁the ▁film ▁one ▁out ▁of ▁four ▁stars , ▁saying ▁" Hot el ▁Trans ylvan ia ▁ 2 ▁is ▁an ▁un fortun ate ▁throw back ▁to ▁about ▁ 2 0 ▁years ▁ago , ▁when ▁animated ▁mov ies ▁were ▁more ▁widely ▁accepted ▁as ▁cin ematic ▁b ab ys it ters ." ▁Sand ie ▁Ang ulo ▁Chen ▁of ▁The ▁Washington ▁Post ▁gave ▁the ▁film ▁two ▁out ▁of ▁four ▁stars , ▁saying ▁" T art akov sky ▁hasn ' t ▁created ▁the ▁sort ▁of ▁sequ el ▁that ▁e cli ps es ▁the ▁original , ▁but ▁then ▁again ▁the ▁original ▁wasn ' t ▁exactly ▁Toy ▁Story ▁or ▁How ▁to ▁Train ▁Your ▁Dragon ." ▁J esse ▁H assen ger ▁of ▁The ▁A . V . ▁Club ▁gave ▁the ▁film ▁a ▁C + , ▁saying ▁" It ' s ▁an ▁epis od ic , ▁ener get ically ▁animated ▁g ag ▁factory ▁from ▁the ▁pen ▁of ▁Adam ▁Sand ler , ▁and ▁while ▁it ' s ▁the ▁best ▁screen play ▁to ▁bear ▁his ▁name ▁in ▁years , ▁it ▁also ▁war ps ▁some ▁over famil iar ▁family - movie ▁concerns ▁until ▁they ▁become ▁un av oid able ▁in ▁their ▁ ick iness ." ▁Michael ▁Recht sh affen ▁of ▁The ▁Hollywood ▁Re porter ▁gave ▁the ▁film ▁a ▁positive ▁review , ▁saying ▁" This ▁time ▁around , ▁greater ▁attention ▁has ▁been ▁paid ▁to ▁story ▁and ▁character ▁development ▁( while ▁scaling ▁back ▁on ▁all ▁the ▁sight ▁g ags ) ▁and ▁the ▁substantial ▁results ▁give ▁the ▁am ple