Movie Review: Happy Gilmore 2

 

Hey everyone, my name is Anthony and welcome back to my Movie Review.

Well folks, im back in business to do another Movie Review that I watched another movie in streaming platform from okay movie based true story like Flamin’ Hot on Disney+ to an UTTERLY GARBAGE like Unfrosted on Netflix. But that brings me to the latter that im doing another review of Netflix’s exclusive film that im highly anticipated that happens to be a sequel of one of my favorite movie from the 90s in changing sports.

“Happy Gilmore 2” is a 2025 sports comedy film that was directed by Kyle Newacheck, written/produced by Tim Herlihy and Adam Sandler (yup, not only he acts, but also work as a writer and producer with his studio “Happy Madison Productions”), and co-produced by Jack Giarraputo and Robert Simonds.

Before we get to the sequel, let me give you guys a brief history for where did Happy Gilmore begin. After been into Saturday Night Lives stand-up comedy and even released their first film “Billy Madison” that they made money both for them and their distributor Universal Pictures, the best roommates Tim Herlihy and Adam Sandler were thinking for their next movie project, this time, its about what happened when a hockey player turned into a golfer with smashing over 400 yards drive, along with based Sandler’s childhood friend who used to be a hockey player when he and his old friend played golf together, along with couple others that they’ve been inspired, whether its from past experience or from whichever movies, thus they gave us “Happy Gilmore” in 1996 with Dennis Dugan directed it. Much like Billy, it had a mixed reception when it first came out, but it made a lot of money at the box-office with $41.4M, but as time went on, it became a cult favorite for golf community and some who grew up with this movie. For me, its one of my favorite movie in the 90s and my favorite movie starring Adam Sandler with nice story, its funny, good characters and, like any comedy movies, it has memorable lines that we love to referencing it, and of course, who doesn’t the iconic fight scene between Happy Gilmore and the great late host of The Price is Right, Bob Barker, its so great and funny to we can’t forget.

Anyway, more than decades later, several fans (probably myself included) would love to see another movie with Happy Gilmore, even Sandler expressed himself that he also loved to make a sequel for his title character’s follow-up to senior golf tour. However, instead of bringing Universal Pictures back for distribution, its now distributed by Netflix, which for those if you don’t know, in the late 90s, 2000s and early 2010s Adam Sandler used to been in couple of films on the big screen, while there are some that are not bad like Punch-Drunk Love and Click, but lot of them are either mediocre or a complete eye and ear sores like “I pronounce you, Chuck and Larry”, “Jack and Jill” and “That’s my Boy” or even two “Grown Ups” films…! After released Pixels, Sandler has moved on from theatrical films into working on Netflix films, minus couple other films like three “Hotel Transylvania” movies (which they’re an animated films on the big screen), while some are still bad like “The Ridiculous 6”, but he did eventually gave us some good ones like Leo, Hustle and the best one of all, Uncut Gems.

So, with all that said, will Happy Gilmore make a epic return to hit ball in 400 yards one more times, or is this film make me having a short fuse?

Well, lets find out.

The Story

After years of follow up, you would think that its gonna be a new goal of saving earning money for the name of family? Well, that’s the good news, but the bad news is it threw out of window from a new plot has gotten stupider, but not in a good way…

The movie begins with a follow up after Happy Gilmore won the championship for his beloved grandma to save her house. Despite granny is no longer with him, but he kept relevant to play golf with five more champion and becoming a family with with four boys and one daughter. But in 2014, everything went downhill when after teeing his golf ball to his wife Virginia, he’s fallen apart from heavy drinker with booze and losing his house since grandparents had before, along with facing legal trouble of having a fist fight with an innocent man with Ferrari. He ends up living in a small house with his daughter Vienna, while his boys doing their business, along with his boys went for their own jobs separately. However, while Happy is on his job in supermarket, his daughter, thanks to building up her ballet career, is asked to be enrolling to Paris for four-year ballet school, but that costs $75K that he’s gotta find the way to figuring out to raise money for his daughter, but thanks to encouragement from his grandpa figure John Daly, along with meet a notorious CEO of Energy Drink named Frank Manatee who asked him to joining his own “Maxi Tour” that Happy refused, he’s comes out of retirement to play golf again in the name of his daughter.

This plays much like the first one, but in opposite direction, whereas the first one is helping Grandma to saving her house from repossession from IRS from lack of granny’s budget, but here, its to raise money for his daughter to building up her career, which is rather nice that we were hoping to see Gilmore comes back for another chance for another swing from 400 yards. But alas, all the good concept came to at end, instead it focuses on some cheap jokes that it feels like I should’ve seen coming from all of cheap jokes from previous Happy Madison films, sure I did have a chuckle at some moments, but everything else went downhill from there, since when we get to the second act, the main plot was thrown out in favor of trying to save golf industry with an annoyingly loud obnoxious and cheating style of golf from Frank Manatee’s view, like is this kind of questionable concept that they came up with that its all about saving golf sports aside of building up Vienna’s career to France?? All that for the sake of cheap joke that feels like it was written by dumb social influencers like Paul brothers or KSI. There’s also a subplot where Happy, despite coming back to play golf, his addiction is ruining his chance that he’s forced by both golf and going to the alcoholic treatment program, run by Hal L, the same man who worked as a caretaker in retirement home, which sounds fine, but not for making yet another cheap jokes that ruined it. Again, I did have chuckle at some jokes, but most jokes are just bad and cheap with pee jokes, obnoxious party jokes and couple others if I missed out. But if I do have some other positive note, at least they did gave us some fairly decent reference from the past, whether be a reunion or even a next generation like Slim Peterson who happens to be the son of the great late Chubs Peterson and Drago Larson, the son of Mr. Larson, but il save them later.

While the concept and nostalgia reference are nice, but everything else is ruined from dumb story, mixed writing and cheap jokes that 10% are chuckle worthy, while 90% are just forced, annoying and stupid…!

The Presentation

While the movie’s budget didn’t show me (despite that I tried my best in research), but at least the movie’s presentation is not bad for say the least.

For starter, they only filmed in New Jersey, like nearly all over the place in NJ from Morristown for the hotel scene, Bedminster for the country club, the burger shop in Garfield (Yes, someone in Jersey though its fun to called small town, either based on someone’s last name or a cat who hates Monday), and golf games in Hackettstown for the golf center and West Orange for Montclair Golf Club, and the couple other places in NJ. Though it should also point out that this is quite possibly the inspiration of a rivalry between the ongoing gentlemen sports that we all know “PGA Tour” and the other is a modern new one called LIV Golf, from what I’ve heard, LIV Golf is more about exciting and colorful tour, and also funded by the investment from Saudi Arabia in the most oblivious fashion ever called “Sportswashing”, since we all know Saudi Arabia is the most corrupting and broken down mess country ever. Which I guess that explained why this one came from, but not in a good way.

The way they filmed is fairly decent at best, along with some improvement like when Happy tees off his golf ball with a new camera follow the ball in the air instead of what we see the golf ball in the air while filmed in the ground like we’ve seen in PGA Tour or others, il give credit what they wanna make something new. But the downside is that some of the visual jokes and others are either felt like it borrowed from other Happy Madison films or just cheaply copy from the first film, again, its nice to brought back, but more like badly aged.

But one part that really made me cringe, its not just a cheap jokes or such, but rather the presentation of Maxi Golf, I mean good lord, while it looks fine, but the way they came up off the rule book, some cheap obstacles and the gimmicky golf players are just obnoxious and again, cringe that it feels like the social influencers came up with this mess that I’d much rather change the channel to watching PGA instead of Golf themed Prime sports juice (before asked, I tried to take one of its flavor and its nothing by a cheap sugar and caffeine juice, I hated it, but of course, Logan Paul and KSI didn’t care, they’re making stupid money out of those junks).

While il give a small positive note for new filming as a sequel of Happy Gilmore, but its nowhere safe with some questionable designs, some sets and some cheaply post-production effect that I also forgot to mentioned the latter.

The Characters

While we have a welcome return characters, you think if the old ones and the new ones could gave us a new development. Hehehehe… No, because again, the writing ruined it that they changed into a mess what they used to.

Lets start off with our titular hero, Happy Gilmore (played by Adam Sandler himself), a former hockey player turned veteran golfer who came out of retirement to raise more money for his daughter’s goal, however he started as an unmotivated broken down man that due to his wife Virginia’s death from a fatal accident from a golf ball, he’s pretty much struggling himself with heavy drink and regaining his fashion of golf since his good’ol days when he won six titles. I find him to be fairly good, even if its a same story of veteran player trying to get back up after the decline, kind of like Lightning McQueen from Cars 3. Despite he’s fairly well written, but he feels rather underwhelming, he’s just the same, but downgrade when he used to, we never be able to see him in anger whenever he loses in Golf, but more about another one of those veterans who came out of retirement couple various reasons, along with struggling from the tragic moment. Il give a credit for Adam for doing a fun work of his performance, but as a comedic writer and producer in his production company, not so very much what he’s trying.

Then we have Shooter McGavin (played by Christopher McDonald, aka Jor-El in Superman: The Animated series), who used to be famous golfer and overly protective on PGA tour when Happy Gilmore was there, but now, he was in asylum to live in new life, due to his mental breakdown from his loss from Gilmore. At first, you expected to see Shooter comes out for revenge to hunting down Happy Gilmore for his losing game (and his mind) for playing another golf or in ass-kicking contest, but alas, he’s not even the main villain, but more like a rival reunion instead of bullying Gilmore for revenge, even if he’s not gonna play golf anymore from his older age, which I can understand from Chris’s age, but even though its nice to see him again, but like Sandler, its just the way he was written was nothing but disappointment.

And we have Hal L (played by Ben Stiller) who used to be a harsh caretaker of old timers in nursing home in Waterbury, and now the leader of the alcohol rehab. Though at first, I though he’ll be okay to be in a minor role in the movie much like in the first film, but instead, he’s the secondary role that he took a harsh treatment in the rehab, which I find him to be over-the-top, but not in a good way he was written that he’s trying to be “funny” and be “smarter” for helping the people in their charges to be in rehab. Though im not saying I don’t like Stiller, I think he’s a great actor when I saw him in Zoolander, Madagascar, There’s Something about Mary and even Tropic Thunder, but like always, its the way he was written that I find him to be rather mean spirited, in again, not in a good kind.

As for the new characters in the movie, well, despite il give credit for their performance, but they’re just either obnoxious, stupidly dumb or a waste of space nor potential.

Lets start with the main antagonist, Frank Manatee (played by Benny Safdie), the CEO of Maxi Energy Drink with his sponsor of the gold tour “Maxi Tour” that he wants to change golf in different way after getting rejected by Happy Gilmore. I find him to be the obnoxious for the way he’s written for changing golf in the fashion of Gen-Z or Social Influencers’ cringe, especially for the latter that he’s like the movie version of Logan Paul and KSI, based on their annoying attention seeking fame and the similar energy drinks for attention-seeking sponsors. While I considered Hal for being mean-spirited, Frank is being obnoxious, not even Benny saves himself for his stupid role that he’s portrayed.

Next up, we have Oscar Mejias (played by Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio, aka Bad Bunny), a former busbuy who got unfairly fired from his business for being an airhead, along with wishing he wants to be running an Italian restaurant. When I first heard of him, I though he’s just a dumb airheaded former busboy who’s played by unknown actor, but in reality, im quite surprised that he’s played by Bad Bunny himself, even if its just he wants to be credited with his real name outside of his stage name. But when it comes to Bad Bunny’s portray, I find him to be a miscast, he went from a Puerto Rican rapper and occasional wrestler in WWE into a clueless former busser who’s never heard about golf, nor anything. Even though I never seen Bullet Train or some others he’s involved, I fins his acting is fine at best, but also, its easy to blame how he’s written.

After that, we have Vienna (played by one of Adam’s daughters, Sunny Sadler), Happy’s only daughter outside of her brothers that she’s training to becoming a ballet dancer in order to raise money to be in Paris in dance school. I find her to be fairly decent too, she’s not as annoying or stupid, she’s just a passable and lovable daughter for building up her career and have a good respect to her father in order to regain his motivation. Plus, while not perfect, but il give credit to her performance that she did a nice work that she likes to follow her footsteps from her father Adam. Heck even her sister Sadie (who played by Charlotte in Hal’s alcohol rehab) joined in, and I find she also did a nice work of her role. So good for them. Though the same can be said to Adam’s wife Jackie (who played Monica, who’s Vienna's teacher for dancing).

Next, we have Slim Peterson (played by Lavall Crawford), the son of Happy’s mentor and pro-golfer, Chubbs Peterson, who’s the owner of miniature golf place and having some experience of golf (like father like son), but much like his father, he lost his hand, but thankfully, its not an alligator, but rather a vending machine incident. I find him to be okay, perhaps he kind of miscast to playing as the son of the late Chubbs Peterson, though im guessing he also wanted to in golf tour, but never happened due to putting wooden prosthetic hand from vending machine incident. While the casting choice is left a lot of questions, but il give credit for the writing, for the most parts.

And finally, we have Billy Jenkins (played by Haley Joel Osment), a young pro-golfer who has a similar swing from Happy Gilmore, but unlike Happy, he’s picked up by Frank as a big deal for Maxi Golf, making him as Frank’s henchman with his Maxi Golf team. He’s pretty much the young, but lackluster writing who he is, along with questionable moment for how he has a mighty swing compared to Gilmore. While his performance is, okay at best he’s been, even if his performance in this movie would be a bad timing, which in April of this year, he was arrested in ski resort for being intoxicated with substance abuse and being a Karen for his foul mouthing as Jewish people, despite he apologized his action. That’s a BIG OOF that im pretty sure he’s going into decline in his career in my opinion.

As for the rest, there really isn’t much else to say, despite there are some are so being desperately to be “funny”.

There’s Gilmore’s sons Gordie (played by surprisingly a Heel AEW wrestler, Maxwell Jacob Friedman), Wayne (played by Ethan Cutkosky) Bobby (played by Philip Fine Schneider) and young bro Terry (played by Conor Sherry), they’re the bros that they have their careers separately, but they’re annoyingly brutal that they dared to have a fight, much to dismay to Vienna, Virginia (played by Julie Bowen) who’s now dead, but in Happy’s mind for motivation to remind him in good’ol days, John Daly is depicted as fictional self in hermit who lives in Happy’s garage for motivation, and addicted to hand sanitizer (The F(bleep), dude?!), the same can be said with real life golfers in fiction like Bryson DeChambeau, Brooks Koepka, Scottie Scheffler and Rory McIlroy (the latter of which who eventually won the 2025 Masters Tournament in Grand Slam, congrats Rory, but you deserve better than being involved with this film), Drago Larson (played by Boban Marjanovic) who’s the son of Mr. Larson, but sadly, I just wish I want to see him more, but he’s pretty much an afterthought instead of being a gentle giant supporter to Happy Gilmore like Mr. Larson, and finally, Donald Floyd jr (played by shockingly, Eminem, aka Slim Shady) who’s the son of Donald who likes to harassing Happy for losing the game for name-calling “Jackass!”, but alas, much like Drago Larson, he too didn’t last long, but being one of those celeb cameo for the sake of cheap marketing, like come on, I wish I would like to see him more both in PGA Tour and Maxi Tour where he insults Happy, but instead, it was a short moment, all that for nothing but a cheap stupid joke and poor reminder… but in fairness, at least Eminem took a fun performance, for the most part.

While some actors and even other celebs did a nice performances, especially with some surprise, but its just a lot of them are either badly written or for cheap marketing with but load of cameos that they never have their own development or such. Even though I have some characters that I gave an appreciation.

And now for my final opinion of this film

Overall, Happy Gilmore 2 is the most disappointing and its the second Worst Netflix movie I’ve ever seen since Unfrosted last year…!

While I may like the concept, the filming, some acting performances and some good characters, but everything else is a colossal mess with very bad writing that feels like a DOWNGRADE over the first film, the story is ridiculously bad, the set of Maxi Tour is stupid, the old characters could’ve gone better, the new characters are bad or even a complete waste and the jokes are nothing but cheap immature and cringe that I really should’ve know that this is Happy Madison film since I watched “That’s My Boy”…!

This much like Space Jam: A New Legacy, this is the equivalent of “Be careful what you’re wishing for”, which from before, I was curiously anticipated to see it, especially I saw some people liked this one, but after watching it, it completely fell apart that im just disappointed and pretty much mad for watching this on Netflix. If you’re a fan of Happy Gilmore, perhaps this one is for you, I can respect that if you like it. Otherwise, its the film that has potential, but completely ruined what we got in this movie. Easily the most disappointing sequel and another waste of space to be on Netflix…!

Im gonna give this piece of dog mess a 3/10, along with earning the Dumpster Fire of Failure…!

So this ends of my movie review, if you guys have your opinion or any suggestions, let me know at comment bellow and support me on KO-FI.com/blackevil.

Thanks for reading, and im Anthony, signing out