Movie Review: ‘Happy Gilmore 2’ is Much Better Than Anyone Expected

Director: Kyle Newacheck
Writer: Tim Herlihy, Adam Sandler
Stars: Adam Sandler, Julie Bowen, Christopher McDonald

Synopsis: Revisit Happy Gilmore’s golf career after his win in the Tour Championship.

Netflix hasn’t exactly become known for gracefully handling properties that aren’t their own; whether it be the countless, suspect animation adaptations or small-screen, weightless blockbusters of books that deserved better, the platform has developed a reputation for misunderstanding what made a franchise, title, or icon popular in the first place. So it isn’t difficult to imagine the widespread disdain when it was announced that the company would team with Adam Sandler to revive his long beloved Happy Gilmore.

The original comedy, which dates all the way back to 1996, has become a cult classic and, for many, the crown gem of Sandler’s zany filmography. Despite the reservations of just as many, paired with his contestable run with Netflix in recent years, Netflix’s sequel quickly became highly-anticipated solely due to the legacy of the first film… and it felt like Netflix knew that all too well, at least according to the worrying marketing campaign. But now that Happy Gilmore 2 has actually released, it’s become clear that, surprisingly, the streaming giant knew the assignment. This is a really solid comedy, and a shockingly reverent sequel, too.

As usual, Sandler has every dial turned to 11 here, but he also manages to retain Happy’s general personality and likability as a character beyond simply acting insane. Moments with his newly-added family, as funny and ridiculous as they often are, are tinged with a touch of sweet earnestness that may have you pulling for this character as he fights his way out of a midlife crisis. In an effort to rehabilitate himself and finance his daughter’s expensive foreign ballet lessons, Gilmore returns to the game of golf with a newfound purpose, looking to rediscover himself in the sport that gave him purpose in his younger years.

It truly is as dramatic as it sounds, and at times, the movie allows that concept the proper room to breathe. Gilmore has multiple heart-to-heart moments with his daughter regarding the concept (played by his real-life daughter, Sunny), which, again, lend themselves to the film’s sneaky sense of levity. All the same, it usually isn’t long after that a character drinks hand sanitizer or is lobbed into a tank of lobsters at the grocery store. You’ve got plenty of Sandler’s outlandish comedic sensibilities here, too. 

But if you’re watching this, you went in expecting that, right? As tired as some people are of them, those same tendencies are what made the original Gilmore a classic. Perhaps it’s a matter of circumstance, and simply putting Sandler back into this universe contextualizes his goofiness in a way that works for the same reason now that it did back then. It just never gets old seeing the Sandman go ballistic on an innocent bystander shortly after driving a ball directly into a nearby pond. And while there’s plenty of that here, Gilmore 2 also manages to widen its scope a little in comparison to the film before it, introducing new characters, environments, and dynamics into the field of play.

Not everything is a zinger, but in traditional Sandler fashion, he’s just throwing so much at you on a constant basis that something is bound to stick now and again. That, and this his second team-up with director Kyle Newacheck – a relatively new addition to the Sandler carousel, save for his middling Murder Mystery comedy – adds another refreshing angle to the overall mix. Newacheck opts for a ton of handheld, organic movements and leans into the sporadic nature of his titular character here. While there isn’t anything particularly inspiring about the film’s visual palette, Newacheck’s taste for kinetic movements and lively set-pieces give the sequel a much-needed boost of energy compared to the platform’s other such similar comedic offerings.

Even the countless celebrity cameos – countless is no exaggeration – feel well-placed and are often both relevant and hysterical. Much like the rest of the humor, it’s all so random, eccentric, and utterly unbelievable. And so, again, just like the first film, it works. Happy Gilmore 2 will by no means blow your mind and is, by many measures, a somewhat conventional comedy in structure, tone, and pace. Yet, it manages to make two hours feel like fifteen minutes, both justifying its own existence and honoring the beloved movie that came before it. It’s just much better than I think anyone reasonably expected. In this case, simply being good is perhaps the greatest outcome. Happy Gilmore 2 is good. Hallelujah, hallelujah, amen.

Grade: B