If Happy Gilmore 2 (2025) was trying to match the chaotic energy of its predecessor, it took the wrong lessons from the original. Rather than capturing the anarchic charm that made 1996’s Happy Gilmore such a cult classic, this long-gestating sequel trades in simplicity for excess, leaning hard into maximalist spectacle, celebrity cameos, and a softened version of Adam Sandler’s once-iconic character. The result? A bloated and misguided legacy sequel that feels more like a Netflix-branded content dump than a genuine continuation of a classic comedy.
Those looking for a sensical continuation of the original should temper expectations. This isn’t a film that expands the original’s world with purpose. Instead, it throws everything at the wall in hopes that something—anything—sticks. Cameos abound: Travis Kelce plays a waiter at a PGA gala, Eminem interrupts a tournament in baffling fashion, Post Malone shows up in the commentary booth, and Bad Bunny appears as Happy’s new caddie, delivering the film’s only genuine laughs. These moments are amusing in theory but quickly become exhausting in practice, detracting from the story rather than elevating it.
The premise is already a tonal departure from the first film. Now grizzled and quiet, Happy Gilmore (Sandler) is no longer the hot-headed misfit desperate to save his grandmother’s house. Instead, he’s a family man with a daughter and four sons, thrust back into the sport he once dominated following a family tragedy and financial turmoil. The stakes are inflated: not only must he earn prize money, but he also must face off against a new, villainous rival league—an unsubtle parallel to the PGA vs. LIV Golf feud—tasked with “saving the game of golf.” Gone is the personal charm; in its place is a bloated sports satire that doesn’t know if it wants to be heartwarming, bombastic, or just plain ridiculous.
Director Tim Herlihy, who also penned the original screenplay with Sandler, fails to recapture the scrappy spirit that defined the first movie. The decision to mellow out Happy’s personality turns a once-volatile but lovable character into a passive, underwritten figure. Sandler’s restrained performance—more Hustle than Billy Madison—might work in one of his more dramatic Netflix projects, but in a Happy Gilmore sequel, it leaves a charisma vacuum. There’s little of the unhinged rage, absurd one-liners, or unpredictable chaos that made the original so quotable.
Narratively, Happy Gilmore 2 feels like it’s doing too much and accomplishing very little. It trades a tight, underdog sports story for a plot that spirals into Space Jam: A New Legacy-style absurdity. The third act devolves into a golf tournament so incoherent and divorced from the rules of the sport that it feels like the writers gave up trying to make sense of it. For a film that’s meant to be about rekindling the fire of a former sports legend, it’s ironic how soulless the execution is.
That’s not to say there’s nothing to enjoy here. As mentioned, Bad Bunny emerges as a rare bright spot, leaning into the comedy with enthusiasm and landing the film’s best lines. Supporting appearances from the likes of Benny Safdie, Benn Stiller, and Christopher McDonald add brief glimmers of personality. But for the most part, this is a film overwhelmed by its own excess, smothering what little nostalgia it generates under a pile of celebrity cameos and overcooked spectacle.
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Happy Gilmore 2 could have been a welcome trip down memory lane—an irreverent, heartfelt return to form. Instead, it joins the growing ranks of legacy sequels that fundamentally misunderstand what made the original work. It’s not just that the jokes don’t land or that the story doesn’t work—it’s that the movie seems to think bigger and louder is inherently better. It’s not. Sometimes, all you need is a hockey stick and a house to save.
Score: 3/10
Happy Gilmore 2 (2025)
- Cast: Adam Sandler, Sunny Sandler, Julie Bowen, Christopher McDonald, Ben Stiller, Benny Safdie, Bad Bunny, Travis Kelce, Margaret Qualley, Haley Joel Osment, Eric André, Conor Sherry, Sadie Sandler
- Director: Kyle Newacheck
- Genre: Comedy
- Runtime: 114 minutes
- Rated: PG-13
- Release Date: July 25, 2025
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