Pro

“Happy Gilmore 2” was a typical Adam Sandler movie. Fun-loving and over-the-top, viewers should know what to expect at this point from him. The movie accomplished this goal brilliantly.

I watched it with my family, some of whom had not seen the original. Because of this, I appreciated how it was able to capture the unserious and sometimes absurd feelings of the first movie, while still being understandable and fun for those just seeing Happy for the first time. 

The numerous cameos also added to the fun, with over 70 appearances from other celebrities. By the end, my family and I were trying to count each one, keeping us all riveted to the movie. These appearances also allowed fans of the appearing celebrities—who may or may not have had any interest in the movie itself—to become more engaged in Happy’s story and want to watch.    

As a non-golfer, the depiction of the sport did not bother me at all; in fact, I actually appreciated it. Just like the original movie, the sequel managed to capture the fun of golf without conforming to the typical rigidity and formality of how the sport is shown traditionally in movies and other media.

Whether or not critics appreciated the cinematic quality of the movie, I enjoyed it, and the public did as well. It was undeniably a huge commercial success for Netflix, where it was released, and it has already recouped its production costs.

Con

As someone who loved the original film, “Happy Gilmore 2” was poorly executed and did not live up to the legacy of the original film. Adam Sandler’s sequel relies too heavily on the same repetitive jokes, ridiculous golf sequences, and an embarrassing amount of cameo appearances that distract from the plot.

The movie relied too much on nostalgia, as many of the jokes were reused from the first movie. For example, Will Zalatoris plays the older version of the junior caddie that Happy Gilmore strangled in the 1996 film. Also, the original heckler’s son appears, making the same rude comments as in the first movie. Watching the original movie a couple days before, I thought the sequel was unoriginal and, honestly, not as funny.

As a traditional golf enthusiast, I thought the golf being played in the Maxi league was unrealistic and, frankly, disrespectful to the game. Showing players who are able to cut a ligament in their hip to drive the ball a mile is preposterous. Also, the video game holes make a mockery of the sport.

I normally like watching movies for plot and character development. In this movie, there was an overwhelming and distracting number of celebrity cameos. Instead of enhancing the movie, these cameos drown out the plot and any humor Adam Sandler is able to provide in his performance. If “Happy Gilmore 2” was truly a great film, celebrity cameos would not be overpowering the experience.

Most fans agree that “Happy Gilmore 2” is a poorly executed movie and does not stack up to the original. As evidence, the Rotten Tomatoes fan score was only 63%, whereas the original earned an 85%.