#175: Happy Gilmore 2

Release Date: July 25th, 2025

Format: Streaming (Netflix)

Written by: Tim Herlihy and Adam Sandler

Directed by: Kyle Newacheck

1.5 Stars

The most positive thing that can be said about Happy Gilmore 2 is that Adam Sandler has manifested the exact movie that I imagine he set out to make. 

That makes the movie a success, at least in that one particular aspect, and maybe the glass half full take is that it’s a loving tribute to a beloved ‘90s comedy classic. 

The glass half empty take, unfortunately, is that it embraces all of the Sandman’s worst cinematic instincts, namely that he’s sunk the Happy Gilmore universe into a schmaltzy commercial enterprise in which he can cram in as many cameos as he can from family members, celebrity friends, industry connections, and a diverse portfolio of corporations and sports and entertainment organizations.

I guess two seemingly opposing things can both be true at times: Sandler has created a heartfelt film for generations of Happy Gilmore fans, and he’s also shrewdly used fans’ nostalgia to rake in some cash.

This isn’t new to the Sandlerian film universe. Back in the day, he seemed to treat his earliest films as opportunities to have a goof with his SNL friends. They were lazy flicks, but funny and full of dumb gags. Then his middle period films became more and more commercialized as Sandler grew more and more wealthy. Finally came his massive Netflix deal, where his comedies have lived ever since.

This all seems to lead to Happy Gilmore 2.

He would have been better off making a Happy Gilmore pinball machine, or one of those themed slot machines in Las Vegas. Get a row of Chubbs and win $100.