Happy Gilmore 2 is the upcoming sequel to Adam Sandler’s beloved ‘90s comedy, and I’m hoping that it will mark a much-needed return to form for the popular actor. While Sandler has undeniably starred in plenty of great movies over the past few years, these have mostly been dramas. Uncut Gems, Hustle, and Punch-Drunk Love are the best of the best, and these are all projects where he doesn’t get to be as funny as I know he can be. Adam Sandler’s funniest movie moments often come in films that are otherwise pretty underwhelming as a whole.
Happy Gilmore is such a brilliant comedy that knows exactly how to balance the line between outlandish gags and raw, vulnerable characters we can genuinely connect to. If Happy Gilmore 2 manages to accomplish the same time, it will be Sandler’s most engaging project in a very long time. Adam Sandler’s more serious acting roles are undeniably brilliant, but he deserves a chance to star in an excellent comedy once again.
Adam Sandler Hasn’t Made A Great Comedy Since The Wedding Singer
The Wedding Singer Is Another Near-Perfect Comedy
While there have been plenty of Adam Sandler comedies throughout the early 2000s for which certain audiences will have soft spots, it’s been a long time since the actor starred in a genuinely great comedy that viewers will come back to over and over again. The original Happy Gilmore is a perfect example: it’s filled with pitch-perfect jokes, the performances are consistently entertaining, and it has a powerful message that’s woven into the innovative comedy.
All of this contributes to why Happy Gilmore is still often considered among Adam Sandler’s best movies. Still, there’s another project from the late ‘90s that deserves to be in the conversation. The Wedding Singer continued Sandler’s streak of excellence in 1998, providing audiences with another project that expertly toes the line between comedy and romance with sharp writing, poignant character work, and two excellent performances from Sandler and Drew Barrymore. Unfortunately, none of Sandler’s post-1998 movies have managed to capture that same raw charm.
To be fair, Sandler has made some successful comedies since The Wedding Singer that have their own sets of supporters. The Waterboy and Big Daddy weren’t well received by critics, but audiences enjoyed them. The majority of his other comedies since then have not worked for a variety of reasons, whether it’s poor writing, unfunny jokes, or being uninspired.
|
Adam Sandler Comedies After The Wedding Singer |
Rotten Tomatoes Scores |
|---|---|
|
The Waterboy |
34% Critics / 71% Audiences |
|
Big Daddy |
39% Critics / 74% Audiences |
|
Little Nicky |
22% Critics / 55% Audiences |
|
Mr. Deeds |
22% Critics / 59% Audiences |
|
Adam Sandler’s Eight Crazy Nights |
13% Critics / 50% Audiences |
|
Anger Management |
42% Critics / 59% Audiences |
|
50 First Dates |
45% Critics / 65% Audiences |
|
Spanglish |
54% Critics / 60% Audiences |
|
The Longest Yard |
32% Critics / 62% Audiences |
|
Click |
34% Critics / 66% Audiences |
|
I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry |
15% Critics / 69% Audiences |
|
You Don’t Mess With the Zohan |
38% Critics / 45% Audiences |
|
Bedtime Stories |
27% Critics / 55% Audiences |
|
Grown Ups |
10% Critics / 62% Audiences |
|
Just Go With It |
19% Critics / 59% Audiences |
|
Zookeeper |
14% Critics / 41% Audiences |
|
Jack and Jill |
3% Critics / 36% Audiences |
|
That’s My Boy |
21% Critics / 51% Audiences |
|
Grown Ups 2 |
8% Critics / 53% Audiences |
|
Blended |
15% Critics / 64% Audiences |
|
The Cobbler |
10% Critics / 36% Audiences |
|
Pixels |
18% Critics / 46% Audiences |
|
The Ridiculous 6 |
0% Critics / 36% Audiences |
|
The Do Over |
9% Critics / 42% Audiences |
|
Sandy Wexler |
27% Critics / 39% Audiences |
|
The Week Of |
26% Critics / 35% Audiences |
|
Murder Mystery |
43% Critics / 46% Audiences |
|
Hubie Halloween |
52% Critics / 38% Audiences |
|
Murder Mystery 2 |
46% Critics / 45% Audiences |
The best comedy he’s made since then, arguably, is You Are So Not Invited to My Bat Mitzvah. The 2023 coming-of-age comedy starred Sandler’s daughter and received very positive reviews, sitting at 91% on Rotten Tomatoes. While Sandler does his part to deliver a few laughs, he’s not the star of the movie. It doesn’t fully fulfill the desire for a great Adam Sandler-starring comedy then.
It Would Be Terrific If Happy Gilmore 2 Lives Up To Adam Sandler’s Comedic Talent
The Film Needs To Take Advantage Of Sandler’s Comedic Gift
However, if there was ever a movie that seemed tailor-made for Adam Sandler’s comedy comeback, it’s Happy Gilmore 2. The actor is undeniably one of the biggest comedic talents of his generation, but his movies simply have a habit of falling flat with the writing and storytelling. It would be great if Happy Gilmore 2 finally realized that Adam Sandler isn’t enough to make a film successful on its own – there needs to be a level of craft and writing ability on display that’s been missing from the rest of his filmography.
Many of Sandler’s most recent projects have flown completely under the radar, landing on streaming services without any fanfare and getting buried under an ocean of mixed reviews.
Happy Gilmore 2 will also have the added benefit of being a sequel, which makes it a must-watch for fans of the original movie. Many of Sandler’s most recent projects have flown completely under the radar, landing on streaming services without any fanfare and getting buried under an ocean of mixed reviews. Happy Gilmore 2 won’t have that problem, and if the studio really focuses its energy on marketing this as Sandler’s big comeback, it could be a huge hit.
Happy Gilmore 2’s Trailers Have Been Encouraging
The Trailer Seems Just As Funny As The Original
So far, Happy Gilmore 2 has done a great job of building anticipation for the new project. The trailer includes some brilliant jokes and succinctly establishes what the sequel is going to be about, offering first glimpses at the supporting cast – which includes comedy veterans such as Julie Bowen and Ben Stiller, with more to come in the finished product. With Happy Gilmore 2‘s July 2025 release on Netflix rapidly approaching, hopefully it sparks a much-needed return to form for Adam Sandler.
