REVIEW: HAPPY GILMORE 2

3/5

Gilmore Guys

118 Mins. Starring: Adam Sandler, Julie Bowen, Christopher McDonald, Benny Safdie, Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio, John Daly & Ben Stiller. Screenplay: Tim Herlihy & Adam Sandler. Director: Kyle Newacheck. On: Netflix.

No word of a lie. In my twenties, I once asked a girl on a night out if she wanted to come back to mine and watch Adam Sandler's 'Mr. Deeds'. No euphemism. It was kind of like that scene in 'Lethal Weapon', except she was a potential love of my life, not a lady of the night. And that's exactly what we did. No deed done. Just 'Mr. Deeds'. And you know what? It was a great night. I regret nothing. Even if needless to say, in terms of love, that was all she wrote. FOOOOORE-king hilarious! Happy-go-lucky Adam Sandler is back on Netflix, like 'The Ridiculous Six' never happened. Following his brilliant basketball 'Hustle', and in-between murder mysteries with Jennifer Aniston, he tees off with another sports comedy. But one you might recognize more with all the familiar, famous faces coming back. 'Modern Family's' Julie Bowen, 'Meet The Parents' star Ben Stiller and Christopher McDonald's Shooter. Yep, that's right, folks! 'Happy Gilmore' is back on the range, minus the hockey shtick (but you won't give a puck), but still in the Bruins jersey you can't miss and better not diss. The hype is as real as the amazing way it was announced on Netflix's 'Tudum' showcase. As the streaming service gives us 'Happy Gilmore 2', like it did fellow SNL alum Eddie Murphy's long-awaited 'Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F' sequel, that came to America last year.

Netflix owe him one. Have you seen how good the anxiety-attack of a movie 'Uncut Gems' is? This one mines gold, raw and uncut too, as Sandler faces one of those directors in Benny Safdie's funny foil. The man whose character 'Oppenheimer's' wife refused to shake hands with plays someone that will have you singing Sting's 'Don't Stand So Close To Me' on repeat. Safdie wants to create a more exciting golf league that looks like something cooked up by the YouTube generation Paul brothers pissing energy drink. Hey, I love golf just as much as I love baseball, but I know both of them can be relaxing at times, which is code for boring. But it didn't work for 'South Park' creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone's (taking it to Trump) hilarious 'BASEketball' (how dare you claim my sport needs refining, like a four-point line), and it won't work here. Especially when you have the links of some classic course cameos we shouldn't say, but would openly pay to see.

On the green, there are even more entertaining appearances. So much so, we'll only reveal what's opened in the credits. But the real star of the show is the caddie played by Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio ('Bullet Train'), AKA Bad Bunny. If not for golfing legend, John Daly, living in Sandler's basement. Kyle Newacheck's ('Murder Mystery') film, off a golf card script from Sandler and Tim Herlihy, is terrific like the Happy Madison productions it shatters your screens with. As a matter of fact, you may just drop your smart one with one-liners delivered with usual Adam angst. Let's hope he gets to sing at weddings soon too, as love still stinks, and I'm sure Sandler's got Drew Barrymore on speed dial. This might have come out of the same new films for Fridays that the 'First Steps' of the newest Marvel movie came out, but this doesn't mean 'Doomsday' for 'Gilmore', girls. It's still a fantastic fore. Look in the clouds for this love letter to the crocodile, and the late, great Carl Weathers (rest peacefully). A hole in one. Now that's what she said. TIM DAVID HARVEY.

Further Filming: 'Happy Gilmore', 'Hustle', 'BASEketball'.