Adam Sandler just scored himself, and his usual crew, another all-expenses-paid Netflix vacation. The only question now: is it time for “Billy Madison 2,” “The Waterboy 2,” or “Grown Ups 3”?
Netflix’s “Happy Gilmore 2” debuted on July 25 and, in just three days, racked up a staggering 46.7 million views — the biggest U.S. opening weekend in Netflix history, surpassing every previous film on the platform. It’s also the most-watched launch ever for a Sandler-led project on the streamer.
The sequel’s success doesn’t end there. The original “Happy Gilmore,” released nearly 30 years ago in 1996, re-entered Netflix’s global Top 10, landing at No. 3 with 11.4 million views in its second week on the chart. The rewatch numbers are proof that nostalgia continues to be a highly bankable commodity.
In “Happy Gilmore 2,” the washed-up former golf pro is drowning his sorrows in booze before reluctantly picking up the clubs again — this time to bankroll his daughter’s elite ballet training in Paris. Christopher McDonald returns as Shooter McGavin, while cameos stack up from Benny Safdie, Bad Bunny, Travis Kelce, Rory McIlroy, Scottie Scheffler, and Guy Fieri.
Critics, typically tough on Sandler’s comedic output, have given the sequel something of a pass. On Rotten Tomatoes, it currently holds a 63% score, placing it near the upper tier of Sandler’s comedies.
Honestly, and I’m just as surprised as you are to say this, the film is semi-watchable. I expected the worst, but instead got a few decent laughs. That’s how low my expectations were going in. Shooter McGavin, now in a padded cell, chuckling to himself while reading “The Shining” and muttering, “This guy’s losin’ it!” is a genuinely hilarious moment. And yes, Bad Bunny, one of the biggest Latin music stars in the world — steals multiple scenes as Happy’s eccentric new caddy.
Would I have been disappointed had I paid $15 to see this in a theater? Absolutely. But watching it from the couch, free of parking hassles and noisy crowds, makes it a perfectly disposable, mildly entertaining piece of IP.
What did our readers think of “Happy Gilmore 2”? Did it land the shot, or was it way off the green? What’s the next Sandler vehicle that deserves a sequel?
If you've read this column for a while, you know the drill: I spitball Cannes every month from now until April, updating the latest intel and trying to figure out what will be in competition, vying for the Palme d'Or.