Happy Gilmore 2 Review: Nostalgia, Chaos, and… Eminem?
After 29 years, Happy Gilmore is back. Yes, really. Happy Gilmore 2 tees off on Netflix, and if you’re wondering if Adam Sandler’s unruly-swinging underdog still has what it takes to smash golf balls and make you laugh, the answer is a qualified “yes.” While the original movie is firmly entrenched in ’90s comedy lore, the sequel doesn’t try to reinvent the wheel but instead opts for a nostalgia-laden victory lap that leans into the absurdity we’ve come to expect from Sandler’s world.
Still Swinging After All These Years
The plot wastes no time reminding us that this is Happy Gilmore, and subtlety has never been a part of his playbook. We find Happy (Sandler) older, angrier, and messier. Life has hit him like a wayward nine-iron. His wife, Virginia (hello, Julie Bowen ghost cameo!), has tragically passed, leaving Happy emotionally and financially drained. He’s raising his daughter, Vienna (played charmingly by Sandler’s real-life daughter, Sunny Sandler), and trying to keep what’s left of his grandmother’s house from hitting foreclosure. Classic Happy, always in some sort of property-related pickle.
Enter Vienna’s dream to attend an elite ballet academy. With tuition costs soaring higher than a blimp at the Tour Championship, Happy dusts off his clubs and his rage-fueled “Happy Place” visualization technique. The stakes are lower (saving for ballet school instead of his grandma’s house), but the absurdity is dialed up to 11, thanks to the addition of Benny Safdie as Frank Manatee, a Tesla-meets-cartoon villain who helms a WWE-esque rival golf league called Maxi Golf. If that sounds over the top, you’re absolutely right.
Golf Legends, Guy Fieri, and Yes, Eminem
The magic of Happy Gilmore 2 isn’t in its story (which is predictable to a fault) but in its parade of cameos. And boy, it’s a parade. Golf nerds, your moment has arrived. Legends like Rory McIlroy and Justin Thomas show up, ensuring at least two minutes of actual golf authenticity. More surprising? Bad Bunny plays Happy’s new caddy with an endearingly deadpan charm, while Travis Kelce appears to serve Jack Nicklaus… an Arnold Palmer. Oh, and Guy Fieri? Naturally, he’s the loud-mouthed starter for Maxi Golf. Because, why not?
But the MVPs of absurdity have to be Eminem yelling “Jackass!” as he gets tossed into an alligator-filled water trap and Ben Stiller reprising his role as the sadistic retirement home orderly-turned-addiction group leader. It’s the kind of cameo-fest that screams “Adam Sandler called in every favor possible,” and honestly, isn’t that why we’re here?
Does It Land?
Like the worst shanked drive, some jokes veer off-course. The reliance on nostalgia yields mixed results. Bob Barker’s iconic “Price is wrong” fight scene from the original is hard to top, and sporadic attempts to replicate it in Happy Gilmore 2 fall flat (cough, looking at you, Travis Kelce). But moments of emotional depth, like Happy fumbling to connect with his daughter, give the movie unexpected heart. That sentimental undercurrent rescues the film from being just another brainless sequel.
Director Kyle Newacheck (remember Workaholics?) leans heavily on making the golf scenes look authentic, recreating televised PGA aesthetics down to swing replays. That juxtaposition of hyper-real golf shots and zany slapstick keeps the sequel from spiraling into entirely chaotic fluff. It’s dumb fun with just enough cinematic polish to justify its existence.
Should You Watch It?
Is Happy Gilmore 2 groundbreaking cinema? No, this isn’t The Social Network. But does it relive the magic of the original while offering a fresh dose of slapstick comedy, peppered with celebrity flair? Absolutely. Whether you’re here for the golf, the cameos, or just to hear Sandler mutter his way through another bizarrely endearing performance, Happy Gilmore 2 is a hole-in-one for fans and an easy laugh for newcomers.
If nothing else, consider it a walk down memory lane… but with more golf clubs and Guy Fieri than you probably asked for.
