It has been well over a year since I last felt the need to write about a Netflix comedy. And when I last did in May 2024, it was for less than flattering reasons. Yep, “Unfrosted” was horrendous.

Thankfully, after 14 months since I panned Seinfeld’s Pop-Tart film, I have something positive to blog about in the realm of Netflix comedies. I watched “Happy Gilmore 2” over the weekend and when I turned off the TV I didn’t necessarily feel like I lost two hours of my life.

“Happy Gilmore 2” wasn’t perfect but I did enjoy it.

As a pre-teen, I watched “Happy Gilmore” with my friends over and over. I can actually close my eyes and find myself in the basement of my best friend’s house watching the film late at night.  “Happy Gilmore” would continue to elicit laughs from me as it lived on via cable TV for years and years. Even if the infamous line of “the price is wrong, b!@#$” was censored, I would always watch.

So I was both excited and a little nervous when it was announced that “Happy Gilmore 2” was in production. Would it do the original justice? Would it be one of Sandler’s redeeming Netflix projects or one of his bombs? Would it be watchable?

In my opinion, “Happy Gilmore 2” hit the mark. Was it a perfect film? Nope. But what I think made it a worthy sequel was solid performances from the stars of the original. Adam Sandler (Happy), Christopher McDonald (Shooter McGavin), and Ben Stiller (Hal L.) didn’t mail it in. They dug deep and pulled out the redeeming qualities of their respective characters from 30 years ago and brought them to life once again. Credit the writers for developing their characters accordingly and setting them up for success. The personalities, mannerisms, quirks, and inside jokes of those characters from “Happy Gilmore” were resurrected and amplified for the sequel.

I thought “Happy Gilmore 2” did a terrific job of capitalizing on what made the stars (Sandler, McDonald, Stiller) from the original so iconic.

If the characters of Happy, Shooter, and Hal L. weren’t so spot-on for “Happy Gilmore 2,” it wouldn’t have mattered that an astonishing 70+ people made cameos. But since the foundation was rock steady, the appearances of athletes, influencers, washed up actors, musicians, and more made the movie a lot of fun. I am sure all of us looked up the cast after the movie to keep track of everyone who made cameos. And, if you are like me, I am sure you saw a couple names who appeared in the movie who you didn’t immediately recognize (I am talking about you, Eminem). From the Sandler shoo-ins like Dan Patrick and Rob Schneider to the complete randoms like Kelsey Plum and Guy Fieri, the movie kept you on your toes each time someone new came on screen.

Another part of the film done to perfection was the nostalgia factor. Beyond the performances of the cast, everything from the score to the “happy place” scenes to the flashbacks were done in a way that made the original so charming. The distinctive “Happy Gilmore” instrumental was strategically placed, the dreamy “happy place” scenes were on-point, and the flashbacks gave honor to the original while effectively showing its age as the picture quality was so different. Extra points for the flashback scenes that weren’t in the original movie but were made in modern time using cutting edge technology to show Sandler and other characters exactly as they looked 30 years ago.

Finally, and probably most importantly, the movie was damn funny. The jokes were paced well and took wide aim. There were laugh out loud moments and then instances where Sidney and I simply looked at each other and smiled. My favorite scenes included the gold jacket dinner, Happy’s first couple rounds after he returned to the tour, and the cemetery brawl. 

But as I mentioned, the movie wasn’t perfect. I didn’t care much for Happy’s wild sons nor his extensive alcoholism. Speaking of alcohol, it might have just been me, but I didn’t find the running gag of Happy pounding booze via the camouflage of everyday objects to be that funny. Also, I think John Daly would have served just fine as a cameo instead of an actual role.

However, the part that I felt did some damage to the watchability of the film was the showdown with Maxi Golf. At that point, “Happy Gilmore 2” became way too gimmicky and unbelievable. In fact, I found it cringeworthy. The movie would have been better without such a drawn-out competition that bordered on complete fantasy and made me embarrassed for the PGA superstars who took part in it.

All that said, “Happy Gilmore 2” was saved because it ended on a strong note. With his children taken care of, the ending scene was sentimental. All the deceased characters are shown in the sky and the credits roll as Sandler walks along a country road after his electric vehicle won’t start. I wouldn’t say a tear rolled down my eye but I thought it was a fitting way to end the film.

Go ahead, indulge yourself and watch “Happy Gilmore 2.” I think it appeals to many different audiences. For someone like me, it is the nostalgia. For a younger crowd, the cameos will engage them. For my dad and father-in-law, the roles played by past and present golfers will keep them interested. Trust me, the price was right on this one. Don’t Blink.