Netflix's Happy Gilmore 2 Review: Adam Sandler’s Long-Awaited Sequel Deserves A Golden Jacket

Adam Sandler has been a comedy icon for decades now thanks to his impressive tenure on Saturday Night Live and slew of hit movies. His big screen efforts from the '90s have remained endlessly quotable as the years have gone by, especially classics like Billy Madison, The Waterboy, and Happy Gilmore. The latter finally got its long-awaited sequel as a result of the Sandman's ongoing work with Netflix, and the pressure has definitely been on for the project to deliver. And as a hardcore fan of the original, I have to say that Happy Gilmore 2 is everything I wanted it to be.

In the 1996 original Happy Gilmore, Sandler's title character is a failed hockey player who begrudgingly starts playing golf to save his grandmother's house. His ability to drive at a record-breaking distance put him above the rest, and after learning how to putt, he became a real contender. All sorts of shenanigans happened along the way, including falling in love with Virginia (Julie Bowen) and creating a bitter rivalry with Shooter McGavin (Christopher McDonald). So exactly how does the story continue?

Happy Gilmore 2 picks up 29 years after the events of the original, and we see what happened to Happy and the rest of the gang. It turns out that life has hit Sandler's protagonist hard, and he's struggling to provide for the family he and Virginia created together. After years of being retired from golfing, he once again takes up the club (and hockey stick) in an attempt to make enough money to send his daughter Vienna (Sunny Sandler) to ballet school in Europe. What results is a love letter to the original movie that will delight fans, featuring equal parts heart and comedy. While it hits nostalgic beats with a non-stop supply of laughs and easter eggs, there's also an emotional story its heart.

I don't want to give away any of Happy Gilmore 2's plot twists (of which there are many), but there are a ton of surprises throughout its 114-minute runtime. This is particularly true for the storylines involving Shooter and Virginia, with Julie Bowen and Christopher McDonald expertly jumping into their characters all the years later. Combine its story with the sheer amount of jokes in the sequel, and the sequel truly flies.

The laughs in the long-awaited sequel are constant and delightful.

Adam Sandler is first and foremost a comedian, even if he's able to pull off moving performances in projects like Uncut Gems and Click. And as such, Happy Gilmore 2 has a constant stream of hilarious moments, all of which feel specific to this burgeoning franchise. Sandler is able to once again show off his physical comedy talents, especially as Happy struggles when getting back into golf.

There are some solid running jokes that never get old in Happy Gilmore 2, showing just how much director Kyle Newacheck and writers Sandler and Tim Herlihy understand what makes these characters great. The latter two wrote and created the original movie, and they once again strike gold with their return to this zany universe.

Case in point: the wild lengths that Happy goes to hide liquor all around his home. Almost every piece of furniture is a secret flask, which he helps himself to while struggling in the first half of the movie. Happy's penchant for violent rage also returns... and is passed on to his rowdy group of sons. Seriously, the whole family needs to find their happy place. Overall, Happy Gilmore 2 is a comedic triumph, somehow managing to meet the high expectations left by the original's success.

Happy Gilmore 2 is a love letter to the original.

Happy Gilmore 2 goes out of its way to make itself accessible for those who have never seen the 1996 original. There are a number of quick flashbacks to the first movie, which provide context for some of the easter eggs that are included in the sequel. Still, it feels like Newacheck's comedy is truly for the fans, so don't expect any beloved reference or quotable line to be excluded: it's really all there.

From the very first frame of the sequel, it's clear that the spirit of the OG Happy Gilmore is there. Just like the first film, we open on Lynyrd Skynyrd's track "Tuesday's Gone" as Adam Sandler narrates his character's story. There are a ton of returning characters as well; in fact, just about anyone you can imagine from the 1996 comedy classic ends up popping back up throughout its runtime. This includes Ben Stiller's villainous Hal L., who is tormenting Happy by running his support group. Unsurprisingly he absolutely destroys this appearance, which comes shortly after Stiller reprised the same role in Hubie Halloween.

Despite being jam packed with cameos and easter eggs from the original, Happy Gilmore 2 somehow manages to squeeze it all in without weighing down the comedy. The movie is not too long, and delivers everything that hardcore fans like myself have been hoping for.

Decades later, Happy’s story is still chock full of heart.

While Happy Gilmore 2 is a silly comedy like its predecessor, it's also got a ton of heart to help buoy the movie in real feeling. Happy's love for his kids is palpable, and the whole reason he goes back to golf is to provide for his daughter. And the fact that Sandler's real-life daughter is playing Vienna only adds to its emotional impact.

Without giving away spoilers, the sequel also pays tribute to the various cast members who have passed away in the decades between the Happy Gilmore movies. This only adds to the overall movie's emotional impact, as fans are able to share their love for late icons like Carl Weathers, Frances Bay, Joe Flaherty, and more. The first movie is a title that means a great deal to both fans and the cast/creatives, so these nods to those who are no longer with us cut deep.

As funny as Happy Gilmore 2, this care for its history is quite moving. And while we we're treated to cameos from celebs like Bad Bunny, Margaret Qualley, Travis Kelce and more, it's the way that legacy characters are handled that helps to ground the story and give it a real emotional impact.

Overall, Happy Gilmore 2 is a total joy, and one deserving of another gold jacket. And after this, I'd trust Adam Sandler and company to bring sequels to more of his catalogue. I guess I've found a new happy place.