Happy Gilmore 2

Summary

Pop Culture Happy Hour: Episode Summary – "Happy Gilmore 2"

Released on July 30, 2025

Hosts and Guests:

• Stephen Thompson (Host)
• Trevel Anderson (Journalist and Host of Black Queer Canon)
• Rhianna Cruz (Freelance Music and Culture Journalist)

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Introduction to "Happy Gilmore 2"

In this episode of Pop Culture Happy Hour, Stephen Thompson delves into the much-anticipated sequel, "Happy Gilmore 2", streaming now on Netflix. Building upon the legacy of the original cult favorite, the sequel promises a blend of nostalgia, fan service, and an array of cameos from the worlds of golf, music, and sports media.

Stephen Thompson [00:22]:

"Now the rowdy golf comedy gets a belated sequel on Netflix full of callbacks, flashbacks, fan service and so many cameos from the golf world and beyond. But how does it compare to the original?"

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Plot Overview of "Happy Gilmore 2"

"Happy Gilmore 2" revisits the titular character, portrayed once again by Adam Sandler, who is now a father of five. The film takes a somber turn early on, with Happy's beloved wife, previously played by Julie Bowen, tragically dying in a golf accident. This loss propels Happy into a downward spiral of heavy drinking, abandoning golf, and losing his fortune. Motivated by the urgent need to fund his daughter's ballet education, Happy returns to the sport, now dominated by the extreme and tumultuous Maxi Golf League. The sequel is peppered with numerous cameos, including prominent figures like Bad Bunny as Happy's new caddy, and nods to the original rivalry with Shooter McGavin, played by Christopher McDonald.

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Guest Perspectives on "Happy Gilmore 2"

Rhianna Cruz’s Review

Rhianna Cruz offers a nuanced take on the sequel, highlighting both its strengths and shortcomings.

Positives:

• Innovative Concepts: Appreciates the introduction of the XFL-inspired Maxi Golf League, finding the fusion of golf with extreme sports conceptually fun.
• Cameo Performances: Enjoys certain cameos, notably Eminem, and the montage scenes that add excitement to the golfing sequences.

Notable Quote [04:12]:

"I thought the concept of an XFL for golf was kind of fun. I enjoyed the montage scenes, which I found very fun and exciting."

Negatives:

• Tone and Pacing: Criticizes the film's initial 80 minutes for being overly self-serious, causing a stark contrast to the original's lightheartedness.
• Overreliance on Nostalgia: Feels the constant callbacks and flashbacks to the first movie make the sequel feel convoluted and heavy.
• Fan Service Missteps: Believes the extensive reliance on cameos feels forced and doesn’t resonate as intended.

Notable Quote [05:16]:

"The original movie is so breezy and funny... this one felt very convoluted and a little bit heavy on its reliance of nostalgia."

Trevel Anderson’s Review

Trevel Anderson shares his critical perspective, emphasizing the sequel's failure to capture the original's charm.

Positives:

• Selective Highlights: Mentions enjoyable moments, such as Lavelle Crawford's portrayal of Chubbs' son and Kim Whitley's role in Happy's AA meetings, appreciating their humor and one-liners.

Notable Quote [05:52]:

"I just kept asking myself, why? Why are we here? Why are we watching American Ninja Warrior meets golf."

Negatives:

• Lack of Humor: Feels the movie struggles to elicit laughs, contrasting sharply with the effortless comedy of the original.
• Excessive Complexity: Points out that the sequel attempts to juggle too many elements, leading to a disjointed narrative.
• Forced Cameos: Criticizes cameos like Bad Bunny's, finding them unfunny and out of place.
• Nostalgia Overload: Similar to Rhianna, Trevel believes the film's heavy reliance on nostalgia detracts from its overall impact.

Notable Quote [07:34]:

"I wanted to laugh and I didn't laugh."

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Comparative Analysis: Original vs. Sequel

Both guests agree that "Happy Gilmore 2" falters in comparison to the original, primarily due to its tonal inconsistencies and overcomplicated storyline.

Stephen Thompson [05:16]:

"There is not a moment from that movie, I feel like that is not reflected in some way in this film... it feels too long. It feels sort of labored."

Shared Criticisms:

• Excessive Length: The sequel's extended runtime contributes to a diluted comedic effect.
• Inappropriate Emotional Weight: Introducing heavier themes and grief shifts the film's tone away from the original's simplicity and humor.
• Ineffective Nostalgia: Constant references to the first movie hinder the sequel's ability to stand on its own.

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Fan Service and Cameo Utilization

A significant portion of the discussion centers around the film's fan service and cameo appearances.

Trevel Anderson [10:19]:

"It's number one on Netflix right now as we record this, so apparently lots of fans... but... what is happening?"

Key Points:

• Target Audience Confusion: The multitude of cameos caters to a broad spectrum of fans, making it unclear which fanbase the film primarily serves.
• Quality of Cameos: Many guest appearances lack depth, with performers who may not have the acting prowess to enhance the narrative meaningfully.
• Nostalgic vs. Current Relevance: While some cameos resonate with long-time fans, others feel random and disconnected from the core story.

Rhianna Cruz [12:53]:

"I rock with that, you know?"

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Impact of Streaming on Reception

The accessibility of "Happy Gilmore 2" on Netflix influences its reception and perception.

Stephen Thompson [13:07]:

"You didn't have to pay $25 to go see it in a movie theater."

Key Insights:

• Passive Viewing: Being on a streaming platform allows viewers to watch the film casually, often leading to a passive engagement that doesn’t hold attention as tightly as a theatrical release.
• Perceived Value: The ease of access might contribute to the perception that the sequel doesn’t need to meet the same standards as a box-office release, leading to lower expectations and a more lenient reception.

Trevel Anderson [13:46]:

"I think they just throwing money at certain kinds of creators to do work."

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Final Thoughts and Conclusions

Both guests express a lukewarm to negative reception of "Happy Gilmore 2," citing its inability to capture the original's magic, overcomplicated plot, and ineffective fan service. While certain elements like the Maxi Golf League and specific cameos provide moments of enjoyment, they are overshadowed by the film’s broader shortcomings.

Rhianna Cruz [15:12]:

"I think this movie could have really trimmed some fat and been funnier."

Trevel Anderson [16:19]:

"Happy Gilmore 2... just didn't feel worth it for me."

Stephen Thompson [16:19]:

"But it's Happy Gilmore. You get to see your buddy Happy Gilmore again. Yay."

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Engaging with the Audience

Listeners are encouraged to share their thoughts on "Happy Gilmore 2" via Facebook, Letterboxd, and NPR's Pop Culture platforms to foster a broader conversation around the film.

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Note: This summary intentionally excludes the podcast's advertisements, introductions, and outros to focus solely on the content discussions surrounding "Happy Gilmore 2."

Transcript

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[Stephen Thompson]

Since Happy Gilmore gave Adam Sandler one of his best loved movie roles and became a source of sports memes decades later. Now the rowdy golf comedy gets a belated sequel on Netflix full of callbacks, flashbacks, fan service and so many cameos from the golf world and beyond. But how does it compare to the original? I'm Stephen Thompson. Today we are talking about Happy Gilmore 2 on Pop Culture Happy Hour from NPR.

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[Stephen Thompson]

Joining me today is journalist and host of the podcast Black Queer Canon Travel Anderson. Hey Trevel.

[Trevel Anderson]

Hello. Hello. Thanks for having me.

[Stephen Thompson]

It is a pleasure. Also with us is freelance music and culture journalist Rhianna Cruz. Hey Rhianna.

[Rhianna Cruz]

Hey Stephen. Happy to be here.

[Stephen Thompson]

Great. Glad to have you both. So, Adam Sandler starred in the original Happy Gilmore as an aspiring hockey star who discovers that his killer slap shot translates into a killer golf swing. Along the way, he meets the love of his life, wins a gold jacket, and humiliates his rival Shooter McGavin, played by Christopher McDonald. The film was a solid hit in its time, but it's become a cult favorite thanks to endless runs on basic cable and streaming. Now Netflix is bringing us a full length sequel in which Happy Gilmore is a father of five. In the films opening moments, his aforementioned sweetheart from the first film, still played by Julie Bowen, dies in a golf accident. This leads Happy to hit the skids, drink heavily, give up golf, and lose his fortune. When he learns that his beloved daughter needs a lot of money to go to ballet school, he rededicates himself to golf, a sport that's got its own trouble thanks to the upstart Maxi Golf League, which combines golf with extreme sports. There's no sense in running down every single person or every single golfer who shows up in Happy Gilmore 2. This movie is stuffed with cameos from golf, from music, from sports media, you name it. Happy's new caddy is played by Bad Bunny, and that's just the beginning. Naturally, Shooter McGavin figures into the plot, too. Happy Gilmore 2 is streaming on Netflix now. Rihanna, I'm going to start with you. What did you think of Happy Gilmore 2?

[Rhianna Cruz]

All right, well, let me start with the positives. Okay. I thought the concept of an XFL for golf was kind of fun. I enjoy that conceptually. I thought some of the cameos were pretty humorous. You know, your mileage may vary with certain ones, but I thought Eminem, for example, was great. And I enjoyed the montage scenes, which I found very fun and exciting. You know, like when he's golfing, it's fun. But I think largely my issue with this movie is that by the time the movie starts cooking, we're already like an hour 20 in, right? This movie has a lot of things that I find wrong with, like the modern comedy in general, but specifically legacy sequels where, like, it's not really goofy. It's trying to be self serious for the first 30 minutes. Really, it kind of made me sad at points because you're watching Happy Gilmore become an alcoholic and it's like, oh, this is kind of a lot. It kept showing clips of the first one throughout the whole movie, which made me remember how breezy and funny.

[Stephen Thompson]

So much weaving in of that original.

[Rhianna Cruz]

Movie because the original movie is, like, enjoyable, you know, and breezy and funny and the way that 90s comedies are where it's kind of very simple. This one felt very convoluted and a little bit heavy on its reliance of nostalgia. I'm kind of mixed on it. Mostly bad. But I did enjoy the golfing part of it all. I think it's the most dynamic aspect.

[Stephen Thompson]

Of the movie when your most dynamic aspect involves golf.

[Rhianna Cruz]

Dude.

[Stephen Thompson]

I know, I'm sorry. I'm just kidding.

[Rhianna Cruz]

No, you're right.

[Stephen Thompson]

Not a golfer. All right. How about you, Treyville?

[Trevel Anderson]

You know, I would like my two hours back. You know, I mean, I will say I did have some highlights. Personally, for me they were Lavelle Crawford, who plays, you know, Chubbs son these years later. Hey, you gotta put a little mustard on that ball so it doesn't get stuck where the pirate had his booty.

[Stephen Thompson]

And to hold.

[Trevel Anderson]

Yeah, the ho. Get at it, Kitty. I also liked Kim Whitley, who's one of the AA people in Happy's AA meetings.

[Stephen Thompson]

Happy freaking Gilmore. I can't believe you be hitting the bottle too.

[Trevel Anderson]

They had great one liners that, you know, got a chuckle out of me. But for the most part of the movie, I just kept asking myself, why? Why are we here? Why are we watch watching American Ninja Warrior meets golf. And I know folks love Adam Sandler. He's got that mega deal over at the Netflix. But I remember the original movie, right? And it was so funny, it was so comedic. It was a simple storyline. Like you mentioned Rihanna and this one just felt like they were trying to do too much. Like I couldn't laugh even at the absurdity of Bad Bunny being the caddy, right? Like, it just wasn't funny to me. And I hate Happy Gilmore. Used to be one of those movies that was always on TBS or TNT that would just always be on. That's how many of us fell in love with it. But I just was like I wanted to laugh and I didn't laugh.

[Stephen Thompson]

It's interesting. My relationship with Happy Gilmore has mostly played out from a great distance. The original run of kind of Adam Sandler comedies kind of missed me a little bit. They came at an age when I thought I was too cool for them. And it wasn't really until it became this meme generator and this kind of beloved sort of cult classic among certainly among gol, but definitely among just like your basic cable watchers as well. For me, the original didn't necessarily feel like it was setting a massively lofty standard to start with. It's kind of artless. It's pretty simple. It's very Short, which I think works to its favor. And then in kind of coming back and revisiting it. And when I say revisiting it, I mean it treats the original like this sacred text that has to be called back constantly in flashback after flashback after flashback. There is not a moment from that movie, I feel like that is not reflected in some way in this film, whether in the form of a joke. You know, this actor has died, and so here is this actor's son. That plays out multiple times. This doesn't let you forget a second of the original. It feels too long. It feels sort of labored. It's weighted with more grief than I kind of expected from the first Happy Gilmore movie, which in some ways is inevitable in that, like, Carl Weathers has died. Like, several of the people that you love from the first movie have since passed on, but then they kill the Julie Bowen character for essentially no reason.

[Rhianna Cruz]

Exactly.

[Stephen Thompson]

I mean, Julie Bowen is still a working actress. She pops up in kind of dream sequences throughout the film. But so, like, you're giving this character all this grief over a decision you yourself made. Yeah, I agree that it picks up considerably in its second half. I actually thought the maxi golf league stuff was pretty funny. I thought having, like, an extreme sports golf league presided over by Guy was, like, the sort of ridiculously stupid thing that, A, might happen and B, I might actually watch.

[Trevel Anderson]

I'd watch it in real life, to be clear.

[Rhianna Cruz]

Oh, absolutely.

[Trevel Anderson]

I would absolutely watch it in real life.

[Rhianna Cruz]

Yeah.

[Stephen Thompson]

You're definitely supposed to root against Maxi Lee Rawley.

[Trevel Anderson]

Exactly, Exactly.

[Stephen Thompson]

But I'm not sure they didn't come up with something that looks way more fun.

[Rhianna Cruz]

Yeah, that last round I was wrapped, you know, I was like, this is really ingenious golf course design.

[Trevel Anderson]

Agreed, agreed, agreed.

[Stephen Thompson]

I think it's really hard to talk about a movie like this without talking about fan service. This is. I've seen reviews of this film that were like, oh, it's just fan service. And it's sort of like, of course it's just fan service. How could it be anything but? Do you feel like the fan service here felt cynical? Did it feel like a labor of love? Did it seem like people were having fun?

[Trevel Anderson]

I think the main question I had was, which fans are we servicing? You know what I mean? Because, I mean, it's number one on Netflix right now as we record this, so apparently lots of fans, but we've got all of these golfers, all of these sports people. Travis Kelce pops up somewhere. Eminem pops up somewhere. Kid Cudi pops up Somewhere random. What is happening?

[Rhianna Cruz]

Random.

[Stephen Thompson]

Really Underused? Yes.

[Trevel Anderson]

Well, absolutely. But it just. None of the cameos and the bits and pieces that felt like fan service felt like the right thing. Thing that I, at least as a fan of the original, wanted. You know what I mean? It just didn't hit for me.

[Rhianna Cruz]

There were one or two things that I connected with, but granted, I watched the first happy Gilmore like 3 weeks ago and I was like, wow, this is so funny. So maybe I'm not the clientele that they're looking to service. I have nostalgia in the sense that, like, I watched the first one and I was like, they don't make movies like this anymore.

[Stephen Thompson]

Right?

[Rhianna Cruz]

But I don't know anything about golf. I have no idea who the famous people in golf are. I. I don't know.

[Stephen Thompson]

Oh, they're all in this movie except for Tiger woods, literally.

[Rhianna Cruz]

Well, exactly. And the only golfer I know is Tiger Woods. So I know that the original Happy Gilmore has caught on a lot in golf circles. And people in the golf world are like, this movie is amazing. It does such a service to the sport of golf. This is like weighted, you know, you see like a golf dude and an extra second is spent on their face before you switch a shot. And again, that goes back to like the. The length of the movie. Like, clearly this is supposed to mean something to somebody, but I am that target person.

[Trevel Anderson]

And you can feel that. You can feel those moments that you are left out of whatever the joke is or the surprise cameo is supposed to be.

[Stephen Thompson]

One pro tip, if you're trying to figure out whether somebody is a cameo or not, is ask yourself, can they act? Not every golfer is a great actor.

[Rhianna Cruz]

Yeah, well, I mean, they're not us two. It's golf, right?

[Stephen Thompson]

We've alluded a couple times to children of beloved characters from the first movie. This film also contains several of Adam Sandler's real life kids. And you know, he's certainly not the first person in movies to trot out his kids in the interest of, I guess, carrying on the brand or whatever.

[Trevel Anderson]

Why not hire your kids, okay? Give them their credit. Why not?

[Stephen Thompson]

Was the presence of his children better or worse than the presence of M. Night Shyamalan's daughter in Trap?

[Rhianna Cruz]

Right, Like, I see that and I'm like, oh, right, like you're just like riding for your children. Like, I rock with that, you know?

[Stephen Thompson]

You know, it's funny Trevel mentioned this is two hours. I want my two hours back. That's really what we've invested in this movie. We didn't Unlike, say, Anchorman 2, we didn't have to go to theaters.

[Trevel Anderson]

True.

[Stephen Thompson]

To see Happy Gilmore 2. And I'm wondering if that changed the viewing experience or changed the calculus of whether or not you would recommend this movie. And obviously, Treville, wanting those two hours back tells me your answer to this question, but does the fact that this is on streaming make it feel a little bit more like you can take it or leave it? If you're a Happy Gilmore fan, this isn't asking that much of you.

[Trevel Anderson]

Yes, it does make it different. Stephen, you're not wrong. Okay. Cause I didn't have to pay $25 to go see it in a movie theater. Right. And then I really would have been mad. I do think it's like one of those movies you can, you know, put on in the background. You don't really need to pay attention until the last 30 minutes or so. And then you really get the core of action in the. But I also think that that is just, like, not a reason to be making movies because people can, you know, we can just throw it up on the streaming service and they don't have to leave home, so it doesn't need to be good. I think that's the problem. You know, they just throwing money at certain kinds of creators to do work. That we should be clear, it's number one on Netflix. It's probably gonna be number one on Netflix for a little bit longer because people love that man. And by that man, I mean Adam Sandler. And I used to be a huge fan of Adam in his comedy. That string of 90s movies that you mentioned, Steven loved them. Waterboy. Come on. Okay, classic. The Wedding Singer, Jesus. Have Mercy. Favorite, you know, but this just feels. I don't want to say it feels like a money grab or it feels like an easy thing, but it just didn't feel worth it for me. But again, it's on streaming, so, you know, put it on while you're dozing off, going to bed.

[Rhianna Cruz]

Yeah, I think the streaming definitely allows for a passive watch. And I really don't hate late career Adam Sandler. I found Hubie Halloween to be quite funny, personally, and I like Adam Sandler. Largely. I think this movie just felt a little loaded. And I do. Going back to your question, Steven, if it was in a theater, would it be leaner? The answer is probably. They repeat the plot beats of this movie over and over again. Right? Because they're probably like, oh, the average.

[Stephen Thompson]

Watcher of this movie, your attention is probably flagging exactly.

[Rhianna Cruz]

Like, they're watching it in two sittings. You know, surely they don't remember the first Happy Gilmore because they watched it while they were falling asleep on the couch. You know, like, stuff like that. Because I don't think a good comedy of this caliber should be nearing two hours, personally, especially because the first Happy Gilmore is so lean. And I think this movie could have really trimmed some fat and been funnier.

[Trevel Anderson]

Agreed.

[Stephen Thompson]

But it's Happy Gilmore. You get to see your buddy Happy Gilmore again. Yay. All right, well, we want to know what you think of the about Happy Gilmore 2. Find us on Facebook at facebook.com PCHH and on [e-mail] NPRpopculture we'll have a link in our episode description that brings us to the end of our show. Trevel Anderson, Rhianna Cruz, thanks so much for being here.

[Trevel Anderson]

Thank you, Stephen.

[Rhianna Cruz]

Happy to be here.

[Stephen Thompson]

And just a reminder that signing up for Pop Culture Happy Hour plus is a great way to support our show and public radio. And you get to listen to all of our episodes sponsor free. So please go find out more at plus.npr.org happyhour or visit the link in our show notes. This episode was produced by Liz Metzger, Janae Morris and Mike Katsif and edited by our showrunner, Jessica Reedy. Hello. Come in. Provides our theme music. Thank you for listening to Pop Culture Happy Hour from npr. I'm Stephen Thompson and we will see you all next time.

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