After winning hearts in the 1996 film, Happy Gilmore, the OG cast and some new additions are back with Happy Gilmore 2. The film was released on July 25, 2025, and stars Adam Sandler in the titular role. The film has opened to mixed reviews, which isn’t unusual, since the original also received both praise and criticism. However, is the second instalment better than Happy Gilmore, is it worth watching and will there be a third movie? These are some of the questions that have been swirling around in viewers’ minds. Here’s an analysis of both films.
Happy Gilmore 2 tries hard to play on the nostalgia of the first film
The 1996 film, Happy Gilmore, wasn’t a blockbuster when it hit the cinemas. However, when the film premiered on Cable TV, it became an instant hit. Many fans also claim that Happy Gilmore is a good re-watch, and the comedy gets better every time you watch it. As a result, many of the film’s dialogues became iconic and made it into everyday vocabulary. And this is where the issue with Happy Gilmore 2 starts.
The second instalment is filled with throwback scenes and dialogues. It tries to repeat the same comedy and punchlines that made people laugh in 1996. Which also makes Happy Gilmore 2 a movie strictly for the fans. One has to have watched and re-watched the original a number of times to catch many of the comedy elements in Happy Gilmore 2. The sequel tries to build on the love of people for the first movie and has nothing strictly of its own to offer.
Happy Gilmore 2 is still a better sequel than most other second instalments
It has now become a standard practice to capitalise on the popularity of cult films by making a sequel and trying to replicate the same enthusiasm among fans. Most of these sequels fail since their storyline counters the character arcs that were loved in the original. In that sense, Happy Gilmore 2 isn’t better than the first film, but it is better than the sequels of other cult films. The characters naturally behave as you would expect them to after 29 years. Though (spoiler alert!) the part where ‘Virginia’s character is written off within the first 5 minutes of the film makes for a strange turn of events.
Netizens think Happy Gilmore 2 is better than expected
Adam Sandler’s films could be a hit or a miss most of the time. They could either become cult classics, or could end up in the never-watch-this-again list, there’s no in between. Moreover, after the consistent failure of sequels, most people did not have high expectations from this second instalment. However, a lot of viewers are surprised that the film wasn’t as bad and was a worthwhile watch. One Reddit user wrote after watching Happy Gilmore 2:
“Watched it this morning because I have a ton of nostalgia for the first one. I was expecting the worst but thought it actually ended up being pretty decent. I wasn’t sure about the direction it was taking at first but it eventually found its footing and got pretty fun.”
Several other users also shared the opinion that Happy Gilmore 2 isn’t a bad sequel for a legacy movie. Hence, this film can be watched and enjoyed by people who are fans of Happy Gilmore. The original lore of the first film continues into the second instalment as well, so you can find out more about what happened to your favourite Happy Gilmore characters after 29 years. However, it isn’t a good stand-alone movie and needs the backing of the plots that were established in the original.
Will there be a Happy Gilmore 3?
Happy Gilmore 2 was released almost three decades after the original. But would fans have to wait that long for another third movie? Well, Netflix hasn’t announced any plans for a third movie yet, but the post-credit scene hints towards another possible storyline. The last scene is quite open-ended and could be developed into another film. However, ‘Happy Gilmore’s storyline has ended with this sequel. Meanwhile, the post-credit scene focuses on another character. So, people are speculating that if the comedy golf-drama storyline is continued further, then it will have another protagonist, rather than Adam Sandler’s ‘Happy Gilmore’.
Which one did you like better between Happy Gilmore and Happy Gilmore 2? Share your reviews with us.
Also Read: Real-Life Partners Of The ‘Happy Gilmore 2’ Cast, This Actor’s Wife Had A Cameo In The Film