Happy Gilmore is a '90s Adam Sandler classic I've always enjoyed. It's dumb, quotable, and endlessly rewatchable. Naturally, I was a bit skeptical going into Happy Gilmore 2, worried that Sandler's more recent comedic style might clash with the tone of the original. And in some ways, that's exactly what happened. While I didn't dislike this sequel, it definitely feels like a very different movie, tonally, structurally, and humor-wise.
The film opens with Happy in a drunken slump, with his golf career long behind him. When his daughter expresses a dream of attending dance school, he decides to return to the sport in hopes of funding her future. It's a sweet enough premise, but the first ten minutes quickly flip that setup on its head in ways I won't spoil. The plot choices are a bit odd, but the movie earns some goodwill with consistent, if not groundbreaking, laughs. It's not nearly as sharp or funny as the original, but I found myself chuckling and eye-rolling in equal measure.
Where Happy Gilmore 2 really falters is in its overuse of nostalgia. Flashbacks, legacy characters, celebrity cameos, recycled jokes, and mirrored scenes bog things down. That said, a few callbacks do land and feel earned. The movie also tries so hard to appeal to a modern audience that it occasionally slips into absurdity. Benny Safdie plays Frank Manatee, a new rival character, and while I liked the performance, the storyline surrounding him goes completely off the rails. The climax, in particular, felt like something straight out of a video game. Loud, flashy, and wildly over-the-top.
Still, it's clear Sandler had fun making this, and his energy is infectious at times. Christopher McDonald returning as Shooter McGavin is a highlight, though his subplot takes some weird turns. Honestly, everything about this sequel is weird. It's darker, stranger, and only loosely connected to what made the original so beloved. Despite its flaws, there's just enough here to have a halfway decent time. Happy Gilmore 2 is now streaming on Netflix.
