Happy Gilmore 2 — A Swing at Nostalgia That Sometimes Misses the Green

Nearly 30 years after Happy Gilmore first turned the golf world upside down with hockey swings and hot tempers, Netflix’s Happy Gilmore 2 brings Adam Sandler back to the fairway. Directed by Kyle Newacheck (Workaholics) and co-written by Tim Herlihy and Sandler himself, the long-awaited sequel swings big on nostalgia, cameos, and chaos—but lands squarely in the sandtrap of trying to do too much.

Set in 2025, the film finds Happy Gilmore as a down-and-out widower and recovering alcoholic, long removed from his legendary days on the PGA Tour. When his daughter earns a spot at a prestigious overseas ballet school—and the tuition proves way out of reach—Happy returns to professional golf in a last-ditch effort to fund her dream. It’s a setup that gives the movie emotional potential, but the heartfelt moments are often upstaged by its excessive star-studded distractions.

Sandler steps comfortably back into Happy’s beat-up golf shoes, balancing the trademark rage-fueled comedy with a little more emotional depth this time around. Julie Bowen returns as Virginia, offering a grounding presence in Happy’s chaotic world, and Christopher McDonald once again shines as the legendary villain Shooter McGavin, now a smug golf commentator who still holds a grudge (and a wicked one-liner).

The film boasts an impressive cast that includes Benny Safdie, Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio (aka Bad Bunny), and Ben Stiller, reprising his role as the nightmare nursing home orderly but in a fun new role. Real-life golf icon John Daly and wrestling star Maxwell Jacob Friedman add some surprising comedic moments, while Sunny Sandler delivers a charming performance as Happy’s daughter.

But here’s the drawback: the cameos are relentless. From sports legends to streaming stars to viral celebrities, the film overloads the viewer with surprise appearances that, while fun in the moment, often derail the flow of the story. It becomes more of a “who’s next?” guessing game than a cohesive film.

Kyle Newacheck keeps the energy high and the jokes rapid-fire, with a few standout sequences that truly hit the comedic sweet spot—most notably a night golf showdown and a callback to The Price is Right that had the crowd cheering. Still, the movie struggles to recapture the absurd simplicity that made the 1996 original such a classic.

Ultimately, Happy Gilmore 2 is a mixed bag. It’s entertaining, nostalgic, and delivers enough laughs to satisfy longtime fans, but its overreliance on cameos and chaotic pacing keeps it from sinking the emotional putt it aims for.

Final Verdict:
⛳️⛳️⛳️ (6/10)
Happy Gilmore 2 gives fans a welcome return to one of Sandler’s most beloved characters, but it’s weighed down by too many distractions. Fun for a Friday night stream—but don’t expect a major championship.