movie review Running time: 114 minutes. Rated PG-13 (strong language, crude/sexual material, partial nudity and some thematic material). On Netflix.
It’s fitting that the sequel to Adam Sandler’s “Happy Gilmore” landed on Netflix.
Weird to think now, given its enduring popularity, but the 1996 comedy, although profitable, didn’t do huge box office at movie theaters. It settled for No. 38 that year.
Then, thanks to cable TV reruns at home, dumb fun “Happy” turned into an endlessly quotable 1990s classic. Teens loved it, which is not surprising considering Sandler has always been an overgrown kid.
The memorable lines are endless. “The Price is Wrong, b—h!,” “You suck, jackass!,” “Tap tap taparoo” — each one worthy of being slapped on a T-shirt.
So, the small screen suits “Happy.” The bigger question is: Did we need more “Gilmore” 29 years later?
Eh, not really. But, like the belligerent man who dreamed of being a hockey player and unwillingly ended up King of the Fairway instead, it’s here anyway.
Without question, the follow-up isn’t as hilarious as the original. Who honestly expected it to be? And a good 20 minutes could have been trimmed. But “2” is warm and comfortable, features another untethered performance from Sandler that only he can give, and is less lazy than I feared.
“Murder Mystery 2,” it is not. Phew.
Happy Gilmore takes up the clubs again 29 years later. Scott Yamano/Netflix
Back at the keyboard, co-writers Sandler and Tim Herlihy pump in a lot of fan service (just about every 1996 scene is replayed) and a little fan fury.
The film starts with a quick montage of what Happy’s been up to the past three decades — superstardom, product endorsements, trophies, a pack of wild kids, hosting “SNL” — and what happens to wife Virginia (Julie Bowen, back for five minutes).
That kicks things off on a somber note that’s darker than anything from the first film. Happy’s now a single dad who becomes an alcoholic and works at a grocery store.
When his dancer daughter Vienna (Adam’s actual daughter Sunny Sandler) wants to go to a pricey Parisian ballet school, he finally picks up the clubs again to foot the bill.
The film makes a controversial move with Julie Bowen’s Virginia. Scott Yamano/Netflix
Clearly, there is not much in the way of plot. Well, there is a overwrought thread about a sexed-up PGA competitor called Maxi Golf (perhaps that’s a dig at LIV). But it’s hard to root for the PGA like it’s some penniless underdog.
To puff things up, there are about 5 million celebrity cameos.
Really, if you make star spotting into a drinking game during “Happy Gilmore 2,” you’ll be dead by the credits.
Some of the core cast return: Christopher McDonald as Shooter McGavin, who’s released from an asylum, Ben Stiller’s Hal and Kevin Nealon.
Happy’s old nemesis Scooter McGavin (Christopher McDonald) returns. AP
But it’s the clown car full of newcomers, from Jon Lovitz to Eminem, who chew up the scenery beyond recognition. A peek at the madness: Bad Bunny, Happy’s soft-spoken new caddy, rubs honey all over Travis Kelce’s body during a fantasy sequence before Taylor Swift’s boyfriend is attacked by a bear.
The cast also adds plenty of real pro golfers, such as Jordan Spieth, Rory McIlroy, John Daly and Scottie Scheffler. You get the vibe that they all love the ‘96 movie.
The downside of having a cast of trillions, though, is that we never really get to know any of these new people. They jump in, crack a joke and beeline to craft services. A-listers constantly popping up like a long game of Whack-A-Mole grows gimmicky.
John Daly is one of several real golfers to appear in “Happy Gilmore 2.” AP
And, predictably, because Happy has already been the most famous golfer in the world, the ragtag road to victory doesn’t feel as euphoric as the last time.
Nothing does. Regular-guy Sandler is deservedly a favorite actor of the masses. However, the actor’s angry shouting and pummeling hecklers played better when he was a 29-year-old rebel from “SNL.” Now double that, he comes off more like Casey Affleck in “Manchester by the Sea,” only funny.
Still, “Happy Gilmore 2” works well enough for what it is. But, please, please, please, keep you hands off “The Wedding Singer,” “Billy Madison” and “The Waterboy.”
You can’t do it!
