Happy Gilmore 2. (L to R) Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio as Oscar Mejias and Adam Sandler as Happy Gilmore in Happy Gilmore 2. Cr. Scott Yamano/Netflix © 2025.
From Happy Madison Productions, Universal Pictures, & STX Films, Happy Gilmore 2 is the sequel to the smash golf (and a little hockey) comedy, Happy Gilmore, that truly cemented its lead actor, Adam Sandler, as a bona fide, bankable movie star. The original 1996 film was a hit at the box office, earning 3.5x its budget during its run, creating a cult sensation that has created decades-long bonds with fans of Sandler and golf alike.
Recognizing Sandler’s god-tier comedy status and penchant for making rewatchable films with memorable characters, Netflix signed the Sandman to the first of multiple four-picture deals back in 2014. Since that time, Sandler has starred in 12 films for the streamer while producing several others under his Happy Madison banner.
But Sandler’s films have taken a different shape since the previous Happy Gilmore movie almost 30 years ago. Following an incredible streak of mostly big hits & cult classics, starting with Billy Madison in 1995 through the 2nd Drew Barrymore collaboration 50 First Dates in 2004, Sandler’s films started to be known for his impressive collection of hilarious talent and endless amount of celebrity cameos more than the quality of jokes, characters, & lovable silliness in his best work.
Now it’s 2025. Sandler’s biggest film character is returning to our lives, but what kind of movie will he be entering into? Will bringing back Happy Spark a return to form for Sandler and his longtime writing partner, Tim Herlihy, or will it be a nostalgia play guided by the new playbook of name recognition & celebrity sightings over quality?
Reading the mile-long cast list and watching the trailer, one could reasonably assume that the latter is definitely in play. While we will have the return of co-stars such as Julie Bowen, Christopher McDonald, & Ben Stiller, we will also see the likes of 10+ current & former professional golfers including Jack Nicklaus and Rory McIlroy, three mainstream rappers, multiple football players, a few sports broadcasting personalities, & even a character from The Waterboy (trying not to spoil all these people for you all).
The trailer also ends where my review begins. The final shot of the trailer sees Shooter McGavin (McDonald) finally coming face to face with Happy following the fallout of the first film. In that brief encounter, Happy brings back the “eating pieces of sh*t for breakfast” line from the first film like that scene happened yesterday instead of almost 30 years ago. When I saw that, I immediately said “I hope that isn’t actually in the movie”. Turns out, not only is it IN the movie, it EMBODIES the movie’s entire spirit.
Happy Gilmore 2 is an echo, a cover song, a clip show masquerading as a movie; the film is so nostalgic for itself with nothing new of substance to offer its legions of fans.
The original film was about Happy’s evolution from an angry hockey player who defined himself by his rage to a golfer who can listen, love, & control his emotions enough to win on the course and off. The life lessons from an extraordinary supporting cast headed by Bowen & the late Carl Weathers are the true backbone of the original story, something sorely lacking in this new film.
The man fighting for his grandmother’s house has been replaced with an alcoholic dad reeling from a loss HE CREATED needing to send his daughter to ballet school; the love & support of Virginia, Grandma, & Chubbs has been replaced with a mostly distant support from his children, idol worship from other golfers, & a soft complicated redux of Shooter McGavin; Shooter’s former villain role now lies in the form of Benny Safdie’s foul breathed CEO character Frank Manatee and his Maxi Golf league team trying to change golf for the worse. Toss in a billion characters played by a lot of celebrities, non-actors, & his capable but not outstanding real life family and you get a bloated, unfocused, unoriginal slog with a severe lack of emotional resonance.
HAPPY GILMORE 2. Adam Sandler as Happy Gilmore in Happy Gilmore2. Cr. Courtesy of Netflix © 2025.
While many of these elements are hard to swallow, especially when you have the template to success of the original staring you in the face, the real problem is that it’s simply not funny enough to overcome its shortcomings. Sandler’s 2025 version of Happy is a bland mixture of grief, alcoholism, & occasional bouts of rage on the course. He’s not evolving, he’s not learning, he’s just trying to get back on the horse after a loss we as an audience really didn’t want or ask for (especially in the manner of how it happened). There’s not much room for humor in that. The supporting cast has some situational laughs from time to time with the rare comedic actors fighting hard for screen time over golfers & other non-actors. Travis Kelce, Eminem, & Bad Bunny should not be taking away from real acting talent in any movie, let alone a legacy sequel with high expectations.
As a big (but reasonable) Sandler fan in his early 40s who roots for his comedies to be better than they are and applauds his talented performances in his more prestigious dramatic films as of late, I truly wanted this film to work. With the original writers penning the script, the creator of “Workaholics” behind the camera, & a returning of fan favorites, I thought this movie had at least a high floor with a shot at recapturing some of the greatness. But sadly, like the Lynyrd Skynyrd song playing often in the background of these films says, those expectations are “gone with the wind”.
Watch Happy Gilmore 2 If You Liked
- Happy Gilmore
- Grown Ups 2
- The Waterboy
- The Longest Yard (2005)
- Hubie Halloween
MVP of Happy Gilmore 2
Jon Daly & Steve Buscemi
One of the things that made the original Happy Gilmore funny (and most of the early Sandler films in total) was its use of small role silliness. The maid in Billy Madison, the “Mista Mista” lady from Happy Gilmore. The old man in the bar in The Wedding Singer. These things matter in the funny tapestry of a successful Sandler film.
In this one, John Daly is Happy’s hand sanitizer drinking house pet, and Steve Buscemi is his pirouetting neighbor who drinks Listerine and pees in his mailbox, the closest approximations to this necessary role as you can find in this movie.
Sequels are hard. Legacy sequels 3 decades apart are even harder. Happy Gilmore 2 can’t match the original, the expectations of a sequel, or the competence of a modern studio comedy. Don’t expect past greatness. Maybe expect a decent addition to his Netflix movie filmography.
