I have to admit it is hard to believe that Happy Gilmore came out nearly 30 yeas ago. It’s a hard pill to swallow, because I remember seeing it in the theater with my friends, and, well, that pretty much reminds me that I’m getting old. I’ve been a fan of Adam Sandler since his time on SNL, and it’s been interesting seeing how his career has grown. For me, I’ve remained a loyal fan not because I feel his films are great; honestly, he’s had quite a few duds along the way, but it’s because he seems to be one of the few guys in Hollywood who hasn’t changed with fame. You never hear about scandals. He just seems like a down-to-earth guy who really isn’t so different from his fans. When it comes to Happy Gilmore 2, this film has been something fans have been wanting for a while, though many of us just really didn’t think it was going to happen. After 30 years, was it worth the wait? Well, I’ll say this much: this film was certainly made for the fans.
Ever since Happy (Adam Sandler) won that gold jacket, he went on to have a successful career on the pro circuit. He ended up marrying Virginia (Julie Bowen), and they had five kids together. Everything seemed to be going great; that is, until an unfortunate accident occurred and Virginia was killedd and this sent Happy spiraling and becoming an alcoholic and giving up the sport. Oh, and grandma’s house that he fought so hard for in the first film — he ends up losing that as well. It’s fair to say things are a bit darker for Happy this time around as we see him as a single dad struggling, and the one thing that seems to get him motivated is getting money together to send his daughter to a dance academy in France. As for Happy’s rival in the first film, Shooter McGavin, (Christopher McDonald), he’s been locked away in a mental institution since his breakdown after losing to Happy all those years ago. Another familiar face that returns is Hal (Ben Stiller); he’s no longer at the nursing home, but is in charge of Happy’s AA group. Honestly, this aspect was one of the weaker parts of the film, but Stiller still makes it work.
The sequel gains a new villain in the form of Frank Manatee (Benny Safdie) who is starting up his own Maxi golf league, which wants to target a younger demographic. It looks like extreme sports on Red Bull. Frank tries to recruit Happy, but Happy declines, because Happy has grown a fondness for the sport (mostly due to Virginia’s memory), and he doesn’t want to see it tarnished. What develops from here is that as Happy tries to get back into pro-tour shape, we see a feud develop between the pro-golf league and the Maxi league.
One of the surprises in this film comes from Benito Antonio Martinez Ocasio, aka Bad Bunny, who plays Oscar, Happy’s caddy. He’s been branching out from his music career by getting into wrestling and acting, but this may be my favorite role of his. He pretty much nails every scene he’s in, from the one-liners to the physical comedy. This guy is really making a name for himself.
The first 2/3 of this film I really enjoyed. It certainly works better than it should as a sequel, and I was really surprised by how emotionally charged this film actually was. Now, that being said, one of my biggest issues with the film is how many callbacks we get to the first film. Sure, some are to be expected, but the film gets way too carried away with showing us clips from the first film. The film is nearly two hours long. If all the clips were cut out, easily the film could have been ten minutes shorter (at least). This is also not including recycled jokes. Again, some are to be expected, but this goes a bit too far. The first film at least tried to take golfing a little seriously, but in the sequel my other major complaint is when we get to the Maxi golf tournament, the golf course is just too ridiculous. I kind of wish they had just kept the film more grounded in reality.
Now, getting the negatives out of the way, some of the fun parts of just about any Adam Sandler film are the recurring faces that have been around for decades in Sandler films and also the celebrity cameos. Now, I’ll keep these spoiler-free, because there are some pretty amusing cameos throughout this film. One of my favorites is a character who lives in Happy’s garage. This one just had me smiling each time they came on the screen. The film also does a good job of paying respects to those in the first film who are no longer with us. I wouldn’t go so far as to say these moments are tear-inducing, but it reinforces my thought that Sandler and his crew really treat their films like a family affair. Speaking of family, Sandler even has his daughters acting in the film.
Here’s the thing: if you’re a Sandler fan and you are a fan of Happy Gilmore, this film is for you. If you are not a fan of Sandler and his slapstick, raunchy humor, then this is one you should pass on. This isn’t a film anyone expects to see popping up for awards season, and this really isn’t a film for most critics. This is genuinely a film made for the fans, and that is something I’m happy about. I doubt we’ll be seeing a Happy Gilmore 3. Honestly, if we get any other sequels, I’m kind of hoping for a Little Nicky 2 or perhaps a Big Daddy 2 (Big Grandaddy?)
Happy Gilmore 2 is streaming exclusively on Netflix.
