Happy Gilmore 2 has finally arrived on Netflix, and the much-anticipated Adam Sandler sequel’s Rotten Tomatoes score is shockingly close to the original’s. The new movie brings back much of the cast from the 1996 film, and crafts a legacy story about Happy returning to golf in order to fund his daughter’s ballet classes.

The Rotten Tomatoes score for Happy Gilmore 2 is finally here, and, at the time of writing, it is a surprisingly decent 58% with critics based on the first 19 reviews, alongside a 72% audience score. This places it just below the 1996 original, which currently holds a 63% critic score and an 85% audience score.

While even the strongest reviews are not effusive, it seems that the film is connecting exactly as it needs to for most viewers. Richard Crouse called it “A mix of heart, rage, and silliness,” while Kevin Slane of Boston.com described it as “A little bit flabbier, a little bit shabbier, but still undeniably funny after all these years.”

Granted, the other 42% of the reviews are negative, with some being quite strong. The Daily Beast writes the film could be seen as “the least inspired film in the actor’s canon, if not all of movie history.” Other negative reviews, including from Film Feeder, criticized the movie’s “overly keen fondness of the original film,” calling it a “distracting annoyance.”

What This Means For Happy Gilmore 2

This Response Is Strong For An Adam Sandler Netflix Film

Overall, the temperature on the film is mostly mild, but this is good for Adam Sandler in 2025. The actor’s recent career has seen Sandler making many Netflix movies, and several of these comedies have been poorly received. Movies like The Ridiculous 6 have scored low on Rotten Tomatoes, earning 0% with critics and 37% with audiences.

While the score for Happy Gilmore 2 is not incredibly high, it does speak to decent reception for the new film. The score being so similar to the original Happy Gilmore shows that the sequel is connecting exactly how it needs to, and those who enjoyed the first film will also be pleased with the sequel.

This is the best result that could be asked for. Happy Gilmore has been doing well on Netflix in the lead-up to the sequel, and it is now clear that the bulk of audiences who have anticipated the new film will come out of it feeling satisfied. This is a great step for Sandler’s career.

Our Take On Happy Gilmore 2’s Rotten Tomatoes Score

More Sequels May Be In The Actor’s Future

Happy Gilmore is a strong film, and it’s exciting for so many that the actor has returned to this iconic role so many decades later. I, like many, genuinely prefer the older films in Sandler’s body of work, which included such hits as The Waterboy and Big Daddy.

With reviews for Happy Gilmore 2 being decent, the streaming success of the film is all but ᴀssured. With reviews like these, the new comedy could wind up being Sandler’s biggest Netflix hit yet. If this is the case, more sequels to classic comedies might be the best next step for Sandler.

All kinds of new stories with familiar Sandler characters could be told on Netflix in the coming years. Hopefully, the decent scores for Happy Gilmore 2 are just the first step on a path for Adam Sandler that could see the star returning to more of his most beloved characters and projects from throughout the years.

Source: Rotten Tomatoes