Adam Sandler's latest film with Sony, Hotel Transylvania 2, has been quite the success according to reports and brings the actor a much needed comeback.

Of late, Sandler had been written off as a has-been and many of his films over the past few years had failed both at the box office and with the critics. But it seems like Hotel Transylvania 2 is offering him a new lease at movie life. Vanity Fair reports that the sequel makes Sandler shine again. The report reveals that while Sony had shown trust in the actor, after a string of mediocre successes and flops, they badly needed a hit from Sandler and Hotel Transylvania 2 might have done the trick.

The sequel has surprised many, as it picked up a whopping $47.5 million at the box office, beating the original Hotel Translyvania by a good 5 million. The movie also dominated at the box office, trumping films like the Anne Hathaway and Robert DeNiro starrer The Intern, Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials and Everest.

While the movie is shining at the box office, the reactions of critics have been mixed, some leaning on favorable. Here are some verdicts:

"This time around, greater attention has been paid to story and character development (while scaling back on all the sight gags) and the substantial results give the ample voice cast and returning director Gendy Tartakovsky more to sink their teeth into, with pleasing results." -- The Hollywood Reporter

"What ensues is an avalanche of zany hijinks dominated by groan-worthy wisecracks targeted at young and old audiences alike, and Adam Sandler and his castmates' overcooked scary accents. Unlikely to win over anyone who wanted to torch its predecessor, this more-of-the-same sequel should nonetheless prove a welcome pre-holiday diversion for the first film's pint-sized fans, and at least equal the impressive $148 million haul of Sony's earlier surprise hit." -- Variety

"Hotel Transylvania 2 is funny. I laughed out loud a lot more than I was expecting to, and my kids had an absolute blast. Yes, there is a little more to talk about in regards to the film. But since this is an animated kid-friendly comedy, the most important measure of success is whether or not it made my family laugh. I am not the world's biggest Adam Sandler fan, especially in terms of his broad comedies." -- Forbes

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