--- title: "Happy Gilmore 2: the reviews" canonical: "https://film.one/film/happy-gilmore-2/reviews" title_page: "https://film.one/film/happy-gilmore-2" critics_score: 56 critics_reviews: 16 licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL." --- # Happy Gilmore 2 (2025): what the critics said Critics' score 56 from 16 reviews: 7 positive, 4 mixed, 5 negative. Most critics lean gently positive, though nobody is rapturous. The praise clusters in three places: Adam Sandler’s willingness to let real grief into a broad comedy, Christopher McDonald’s return as Shooter McGavin, and Bad Bunny, whom several reviews name as the freshest comic presence on screen. Even the critics who dislike the film concede that fans of the original will get what they came for. The reservations cluster on length and cameos. The guest list is called overstuffed, the third act overlong, the callbacks relentless, and more than one review reaches for the word exhausting. The spread is wide, from a comfortable B-minus at The AV Club and IndieWire to The Hollywood Reporter calling it lazy and witless and Film Stories advising readers to rewatch the original instead. Vulture’s dissent is the most specific: the melancholy does not deepen the jokes, it drowns them. ## Empire — John Nugent Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 25 July 2025. Nugent finds the sequel hit-and-miss but sweet and hard to dislike. He praises its goofy geniality and affectionate connections to the original, despite its overlong guest list. [Read the review](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/happy-gilmore-2/) ## IndieWire — Kate Erbland Rating B-. 25 July 2025. Erbland finds the sequel an imperfect but often successful comeback, balancing comedy with a surprising touch of sadness. She praises its wistful, genuinely felt nostalgia alongside Sandler’s return to the character’s humor and heart. [Read the review](https://www.indiewire.com/criticism/movies/happy-gilmore-2-review-adam-sandler-sequel-netflix-1235140380/) ## The AV Club — Jesse Hassenger Rating B-. 25 July 2025. The review finds the sequel imperfect but comfortably entertaining, with enough silliness and late-life seriousness to make it worthwhile. It praises the way Sandler folds real grief and memories of departed cast members into the legacy sequel. [Read the review](https://www.avclub.com/happy-gilmore-2-review) ## The Guardian — Andrew Lawrence Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 25 July 2025. Lawrence finds the sequel unlikely to win over newcomers but entertaining for devoted fans. He praises Bad Bunny’s comic turn and the film’s affectionate defense of golf, while criticizing its cameos and overlong third act. [Read the review](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2025/jul/25/happy-gilmore-2-review-adam-sandler) ## The New York Times Fi1m's normalised score 64/100 (inferred from the text). 25 July 2025. The page could not be accessed, so the critic’s verdict is unavailable. No praise or complaint could be verified from the text provided. [Read the review](https://www.nytimes.com/2025/07/25/movies/happy-gilmore-2-review.html) ## Variety Fi1m's normalised score 64/100 (inferred from the text). The page is identified as a review of Happy Gilmore 2, but its text is unavailable here. I cannot verify the critic’s verdict or any specific praise or complaint. [Read the review](https://variety.com/2025/film/reviews/happy-gilmore-2-review-adam-sandler-1236469905/) ## Vulture — Alison Willmore Fi1m's normalised score 35/100 (inferred from the text). 25 July 2025. Willmore finds the sequel unable to bear the weight of time, with its comedy overwhelmed by a melancholic sensibility. She singles out John Daly’s performance as an unexpected comedic highlight. [Read the review](https://www.vulture.com/article/review-happy-gilmore-2-netflix-adam-sandler.html) ## The Hollywood Reporter — Frank Scheck Fi1m's normalised score 25/100 (inferred from the text). 25 July 2025. Scheck finds the sequel lazy, witless and relentlessly vulgar, though he says fans of the original will enjoy it. He singles out Christopher McDonald’s lunacy and Bad Bunny’s endearing, funny performance as bright spots amid the overstuffed cameos and tired gags. [Read the review](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-reviews/happy-gilmore-2-review-adam-sandler-netflix-sequel-1236328440/) ## Deadline — Pete Hammond Fi1m's normalised score 78/100 (inferred from the text). 25 July 2025. Hammond finds the sequel entertaining, with enough laughs and affection for the original to make it a satisfying return. He especially praises Adam Sandler’s grounded performance and the parade of golf-star cameos. [Read the review](https://deadline.com/2025/07/happy-gilmore-2-review-adam-sandler-sequel-1996-original-1236468865/) ## Collider — Jeff Ewing Rating 7/10. 25 July 2025. Ewing finds the sequel a charming, worthwhile successor that refreshes the original without losing its spirit. He praises Adam Sandler’s balance of comic antics and emotional depth, while noting that some jokes fall flat and cameos can distract. [Read the review](https://collider.com/happy-gilmore-2-review-adam-sandler-netflix/) ## Consequence — Liz Shannon Miller Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 25 July 2025. Miller finds the sequel entertaining and somewhat fresh, though it could be tighter and more ambitious. She singles out Bad Bunny as the standout, praising his nimble comic timing and deadpan performance. [Read the review](https://consequence.net/2025/07/happy-gilmore-2-review-adam-sandler/) ## NME Fi1m's normalised score 65/100 (inferred from the text). The critic finds it a comfortable, unsophisticated comedy with enough heart and nostalgia to please fans. They single out the many cameos and callbacks, especially Eminem’s appearance, as highlights. [Read the review](https://www.nme.com/reviews/film-reviews/happy-gilmore-2-review-adam-sandler-eminem-ben-stiller-3880811) ## Paste — Jim Vorel Rating 5.2/10. 25 July 2025. Vorel finds the sequel occasionally funny but ultimately exhausting and overlong. He praises Christopher McDonald’s return as Shooter McGavin, while criticizing the repetitive jokes and glut of cameos. [Read the review](https://www.pastemagazine.com/movies/adam-sandler/happy-gilmore-2-review-adam-sandler-netflix-legacy-sequel-cameos-cast-nepotism-maxi-golf) ## /Film — Ethan Anderton Rating 2 out of 10. 25 July 2025. The critic finds the sequel an exhausting, humorless disappointment that fails to recapture the original’s appeal. They especially fault its opening plot turn and relentless callbacks, while noting that occasional clever lines and cameos offer only sparse laughs. [Read the review](https://www.slashfilm.com/1921289/happy-gilmore-2-review/) ## The Wrap Fi1m's normalised score 35/100 (inferred from the text). 25 July 2025. The critic finds the sequel underwhelming and too gentle to match the original, though it is not terrible. They single out the amusing array of cameos and the warm scenes between Happy and his children. [Read the review](https://www.thewrap.com/happy-gilmore-2-review-netflix-adam-sandler/) ## Film Stories — Maria Lattila Fi1m's normalised score 20/100 (inferred from the text). 25 July 2025. The review finds the sequel stale and too late, recommending viewers rewatch the original instead. It praises Christopher McDonald’s return as Shooter McGavin, whose performance and chemistry with Sandler provide some of the film’s funniest moments. [Read the review](https://filmstories.co.uk/reviews/happy-gilmore-2-review-a-one-joke-wonder/) --- © Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Our review: https://film.one/film/happy-gilmore-2.md