Happy Gilmore 2

by Julian Spivey

Photo: Netflix

Director: Kyle Newacheck
Starring: Adam Sandler, Christopher McDonald & Benny Safdie
Rated: PG-13 (language, crude/sexual material, rear nudity)
Runtime: 1 hour & 54 minutes

​I must admit that I let myself get excited for “Happy Gilmore 2.” I knew it was going to be a dumb comedy – what else should one expect from an Adam Sandler movie? However, I found the first “Happy Gilmore” from 1996 to be touching and endearing, and the sequel lacks that quality.
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The sequel, in fact, tees off with a bit of dark humor that I never saw coming – and there’s no way around this, so if you’d like not to be spoiled, don’t go any further … 

​The opening of “Happy Gilmore 2,” directed by Kyle Newacheck, takes place in the years following where the 1996 film left off, with Happy becoming a superstar on the PGA Tour, winning numerous Tour Championships, and building a thriving family with Julie Bowen’s character, Virginia, whom he fell in love with in the first film.

Then comes Happy’s downfall, which came suddenly when an errant tee shot of his killed Virginia. Yes, the sequel to “Happy Gilmore” begins with the death of his wife.

It’s certainly an easy way to lead to a redemption arc for Happy, but this is supposed to be a fun, dumb comedy, and this moment kind of goes a long way in affecting how fans might feel about the first film. We want to see Happy and Virginia, well, happy. Sandler’s best comedies are when there’s a bit of rom-com thrown in with them. We’re not getting that out of this sequel.

“Happy Gilmore 2” relies too much on nostalgia, as well as too many cameos from both golfing legends and today’s golf stars, as well as other non-golf stars like football star Travis Kelce. Seeing these big names from golf might give the film some real-life legitimacy, but the only one that provided humor for me was Scottie Scheffler’s, especially with him being arrested, again. The rest were dressing.

The most significant plot point of “Happy Gilmore 2” is the survival of golf as a sport with a new, more exciting league led by Benny Safdie’s Frank Manatee coming after the sport. He initially wants to sign his hero, Happy Gilmore, for the league, but is rebuked. He then breaks Christopher McDonald’s memorable baddie from the first film, Shooter McGavin, out of a psychiatric facility to join the league, and in a bit of a surprise, is also rebuked. McGavin and Gilmore teaming up to save golf was actually one of my favorite aspects about the film, but there still wasn’t a whole lot of magic in it.

Many people who have seen “Happy Gilmore 2” are comparing Manatee’s more exciting league to LIV Golf versus the PGA Tour, which I understand, but I don’t necessarily think the film is trying to make a specific point. If that were the case, I’m not sure prominent LIV golfers like Bryson DeChambeau and Brooks Koepka, who actually compete against this upstart golf league, would be featured.

There are good jokes in the film – one of my favorites is Happy hiding liquor in so many different objects (though this bit is played a few too many times) – and there are some nice “Sandler Family of Comedy” cameos that made me smile (Kevin Nealon, Jon Lovitz), but for every one of those there are dumb jokes that don’t work – most involving Safdie’s Manatee and the brief cameo of Rob Schneider (I really do blame Sandler for keeping that guy employed).

I went in wanting to spend some time with some characters I enjoyed from the first film, and came out feeling like I had just wasted two hours of my life.