Happy Gilmore 2 - How Well Does This Sequel Live Up to the Original?

Almost 30 years after the release of the original film, Happy Gilmore 2 brings audiences back to the world established in the original. But how good of a job does the sequel do in living up to the legacy established in the original film?

(Image Credit to Netflix)

Over 29 years since the release of the original movie, Happy Gilmore 2 puts forth a strong case to be the best of the two Gilmore movies. This sequel sees Happy Gilmore (Adam Sandler) return to the golf scene after a prolonged absence in an effort to make enough money to fund his daughter Vienna’s (Sunny Sandler) ballet school endeavours. 

That’s the movie in a nutshell. And that’s only where things start to get crazy in good and not-so-good ways. 

Let me start with the plot. On the good side, much of Happy Gilmore 2’s plot was well put-together and made sense. I say it made sense in terms of your average Adam Sandler movie. 

The bad side? A) It felt too predictable and B) it got way too crazy at the end. 

On the first point, going into Happy Gilmore 2, I had a feeling that the plot would be quite similar to that of the original film. And while the film does succeed at seamlessly reintegrating footage and plot elements from the original into the sequel without hurting the story’s flow, many of the ideas felt like they were being used just for the sake of doing so. In addition, considering how Happy Gilmore and other sports movies tend to end, we already had a fair idea that Happy would emerge victorious in some form at the end of the movie (I highlighted this same idea when I broke down Sonny Hayes’ redemption arc as part of mine and Gemma’s review of F1). 

To contradict my note of predictability, I will say that the movie did a good job hiding Shooter McGavin’s involvement in the action. He did receive a few mentions in the trailers, however that is only the beginning of his involvement in the movie. 

With regard to the second point, the last 30-40 minutes of the movie were where things got a little unhinged. From riding golf karts while playing to Post Malone appearing out of nowhere, it felt like Happy Gilmore 2 was unable to keep the movie going in a logical sense. After nearly flawlessly building up towards a wacky game of golf to decide Vienna’s future, the wackiness of that game of golf is what unravels much of the positive work done in the first 70 minutes.  

Spoiler alert: There are cameos. Lots of them. 

One thing that Happy Gilmore 2 aced was the use of its celebrity cameos. These included the appearance of the entire Sandler family in various roles, rapper Bad Bunny as Happy Gilmore’s new caddie, and professional golfers like Scottie Scheffler (which was probably my favourite cameo) and Rory McIlroy. 

Many of the cameos were used to successfully push the story forward. In this regard, one of the more important cameos was that of Travis Kelce, a tight end for the NFL’s Kansas City Chiefs, as the waiter who fires Bad Bunny’s character before he gets involved as Happy’s caddie. Bad Bunny does go on to play a major role in the film’s denouement; while Swifties and Chiefs fans won’t be happy about how Kelce’s cameo ended, it did also play a role in the movie’s ending. 

Even though it’s not plot-related, I really did love Eminem’s appearance as the son of the heckler from the original movie. That sequence also serves as proof of my point on the reintegration of footage from the original movie without hurting the sequel’s on-screen product. Using the footage of “Donald” tormenting Happy during the first movie’s second half helps to effectively establish the significance of the cameo, which is something the movie excels at consistently.

Impact of the politics involved in golf

The original movie, and the sequel to an extent, calls out the exclusivity of the golfing world and seeks to counter the idea that golf is only for those with money, with the character of Shooter McGavin embodying these characteristics as he opposes Happy’s involvement in the tour. Happy acts as a total paradox to McGavin, coming from a working-class background, with “antique” clubs, a hockey jersey he wears whilst playing, foul language and some wacky antics, Happy is a total juxtaposition to the image of a “traditional” golfer, and goes against everything the game of golf stands for. This leads to him becoming a hot topic in the media, with him being portrayed as everything from the next big thing to an off-the-rails player who needs to be removed from the tour. Yet, it is Virginia Bennet who sees his potential. She understands that Happy is what the world of golf needs - a fresh face who can counter the stuffy stereotypes and can be a player who the audience can root for and relate to. Happy’s appeal is made clear in the film as it is noted that the Dallas Open sells out way far in advance, as the people want to see Happy play. Both films break down these "traditional" viewpoints in a way that feels genuine and without the film ever getting bog down on details. 

One viewpoint specific to the new film is that MAXI (the supercharged opposing golfing league in the film) is a caricature (a really, really over-exaggerated caricature at that) of LIV Golf League. LIV is an alternative golfing league, which is looking to challenge the traditional golfing format by making it a thrilling, edge-of-your-seat type entertainment spectacle which brings together fast-paced golf, festival-esque energy, influencers, music and world-class golfing all into the one league. It’s bold, it’s modern and it's unique and aims to bring new audiences into the world of golf. Top golfing talents such as Brooks Koepka, Phil Mickelson, Dustin Johnson and Bryson DeChambeau have all played in the LIV golf league - but that doesn’t mean it hasn’t had its fair share of controversies. The most relevant in this case being that some players have chosen to leave the PGA tour for LIV, which has led to tension among the leagues. This acts as a parallel to MAXI - with the introduction of the league being a real cause for concern, tension and anger for the players within the movie. Another point which is relevant to the movie is that there is the belief by many that events such as LIV, which focus on performance and showmanship, are taking away from the tradition and history of golf which makes it what it is. Golf has always been very, very set in its ways, and in short, has always been about tradition and preserving tradition. A fine example of this comes from The Masters tournament, where the famous Pimento Cheese sandwich only costs $1.50 and has done since 2002. Therefore, one could argue that by modernising the sport and inviting in influencers and celebrities, bringing in music and social media and changing the whole structure of tournaments, is diluting this tradition and tarnishing the reputation of the sport. However, in contrast, making the game more modern and relatable to a younger audience is not only bringing in new viewership and interest into the sport but also making it more accessible. The real-life LIV/PGA debate continues to be divisive within the golfing community, as is the MAXI storyline to Happy and the touring golfers in the film, thus having fiction mirror reality in this instance. Whatever your thoughts may be on LIV, MAXI does play a crucial role in the storyline of Happy Gilmore 2, and these issues relating to “golfing politics” are addressed to an extent but it is a comedy, so it is done in a lighthearted and humorous way. 

Does it live up to the original?

With the original Happy Gilmore being such a smash hit, expectations were (understandably) quite high for the sequel. But did the new movie meet these expectations? Well, that’s ultimately down to personal preference and what you were looking for going into the film. 

If you were looking for a fun-filled blast from the past which blends together the offbeat charm of the original and keeps intact Happy’s signature scrappy golfing game then this movie will hit the spot and keep you laughing from start to finish. If you were looking for a serious sequel, then this may not be what you were looking for.

Personally, I think this was a really good sequel. A film like Happy Gilmore is incredibly hard to follow, given that the original aired in 1996 and ended pretty perfectly, or at the very least, ended conclusively. So, if you go into the sequel accepting that it’s going to be a bit different from the original and is not going to pan out the same way, then you can absolutely still enjoy the film. Adam Sandler brings together a stacked cast of celebrity co-stars, PGA pros, fan favourites from the original and even his own family to create a film that has heart, soul and a whole load of humour that makes it the perfect night-in type of movie.

The only major complaint about the film from the masses was that while the introduction of MAXI league was good in theory - an opposition which will challenge the norms of “typical golf” and lead Happy to teaming up with some unexpected allies, in practice, it did require you to suspend your disbelief a whole lot and, admittedly, did become a tad tedious in the last 45 minutes. I’d argue, however, that this didn’t stifle my enjoyment of the film as a whole and you can still have a fun time watching if you know going in that the plot is not as real (or, rather as possible) as the original. 

Noah’s verdict:

From the movie’s ability to stay true to the wackiness and absurdity of Adam Sandler movies, to the successful reintegration of Shooter McGavin, to the movie’s effective use of cameos, there’s a good bit that the movie does right. While it falls apart towards the final thirty minutes, Happy Gilmore 2 is nonetheless a worthy return to the world established by Adam Sandler. I would definitely recommend watching Happy Gilmore 2 just for the nostalgia, but one will have to suspend any sort of logic before doing so. 

Verdict: 3.75/5

Gemma’s verdict:

To be honest, I went into this movie with my expectations low, as I love love loved the original and was a bit skeptical as to how this movie would compare. Whilst the last 45 minutes did jump the shark in a big way and I wasn’t a huge fan of the MAXI league storyline, I thought the film was pretty perfect. The nostalgia was there, the cast was stacked and the humour paralleled that of the original, making this (I’d say) an amazing sequel. Nothing will ever compare to the original, but this film served its purpose as a sequel and, above all else, was just fun! It brought the nostalgia, the laughs and the surprisingly emotional moments that made the original so successful and replicated it, with a boatload of cameos sprinkled in for laughs.

For me, these cameos were a huge highlight. It’s so evident how loved the first film was with celebrities from every industry, platform and walk of life coming together to make this film. Bad Bunny, Travis Kelce, Alex Cooper, Eminem and the current stars of the PGA tour all had their own part to play and whether it was big or small, they all had an impact and made the film that much more enjoyable. And just over a week after watching the film, I still periodically laugh when I think of the film poking fun at Scottie Scheffler with “Oh no, not again!” (No context to avoid spoilers, but when you watch the film it’ll all make sense). 

Overall rating: 4.5/5 

—----------------------------------------------------

Article written by Noah Guttman and Gemma Hickey