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USA Today
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- USA Today
'Happy Gilmore 2' is absolutely wonderful
The legacy sequel has transformed itself into one of the ugliest reanimations in modern Hollywood, the crass puppetry of a once-beloved corpse dancing to the same song-and-dance that made it so cherished in the first place. Shame-soaked nostalgia dollars flutter about like ugly butterflies in a trash garden, destined to put on the same "dead dog and dead pony" show for fearful audiences afraid of any ounce of originality until the unforgiving entertainment machine runs out of caskets to mine and the whole movie world falls off a cliff. And then there's Happy Gilmore 2. Leave it to Adam Sandler, perhaps the most beloved American entertainer this side of Mickey Mouse and Tom Hanks, to putt the golf ball through the most byzantine mini-golf fun house from Hell and nail the shot to keep himself under par. Happy Gilmore 2 is just baked with too much love to reek of what dooms its colleagues. In one way, you could view Happy Gilmore 2 as a triumph of affable stupidity, a sequel so awash in the hallmark Sandler rage-man physical comedy that it manages to feel fresh... if only because Hollywood has practically abandoned the genre entirely for "comedic" superhero movies that smirk at the screen as if any insinuation of comedy at all is some sort of naughty cooke jar-snatching that big daddy corporation didn't see while reading the newspaper... the kind that would make even Wade Wilson blush. Last summer's Deadpool and Wolverine actually owned its identity of being a straight-up comedy as opposed to something dreadful like Thor: Love and Thunder (shutters in Zeus), but even then, it was still a Deadpool and Wolverine movie. Marvel putting out the biggest comedy of the decade so far just feels wrong, even if the movie was indeed funny. Yes, a Happy Gilmore Netflix movie in 2025 replete with countless cameos from golf professionals, Sandler regulars, podcast hosts and sportscasters plays to the broadest audience possible. The humor is wack-a-mole wide, the callbacks to the original so plentiful and obvious that you can almost count this as a double-bill on Letterboxd with just one sit on the couch. However, everything feels hand-stitched, as if an entire community of people who love Happy got together and crafted a big quilt to wrap themselves in nearly 30 years later. The warmth radiates from the screen. Unlike a big-budget Hollywood legacy blockbuster where nostalgia cuts the checks and the corporate "reverence" for what came before feels AI-generated to appeal to the most shameless part of our brains' art-processors, Happy Gilmore 2 feels pleasantly overstuffed out of adoration. Sure, most of the film is flatly ridiculous, the lowest-hanging fruit basket being passed around for everyone to take one and pass it down. Characters punch and choke each other out of sheer glee; another drinks hand sanitizer to get a buzz. One man on a beach thinks he's watching a Happy Gilmore golf match on television, but in reality, it's just a rock in a makeshift box. One character goes to the bathroom in a mailbox. Like all of Sandler's movies, the cheap joke is the best joke, and the school cafeteria belly laughter is real and wonderful. Think about the star for a moment and where he is now. After years and years of pushing it away, Sandler's recent forays into auteurism have fulfilled the tantalizing promise of Punch-Drunk Love and Funny People. Even in his screwiest of comedies, he showed off the volcanic range and crestfallen heart of a truly generational actor. Uncut Gems in particular felt like an answered prayer. Watching the Sandman getting sandbagged down with heartless 2010s Netflix comedies made you question if he had finally just settled. The grand pleasure is that Happy Gilmore 2 shows that even a new Sandler Netflix comedy can make you scream-laugh to the point of waking up your dog and bothering your neighbors. By plowing shamelessly into the original film beat-for-beat but still awakening something oddly profound on the passage of time with how so many of the 1996 film's actors have departed from this golf course for the other, Happy Gilmore 2 plays as both a Happy Madison fan convention smorgasbord and a group hug for the past, present and future. Happy Gilmore 2 also arrives like a godsend in a world where studio comedies have fallen to the wayside. Consider that modern comedy has mainly shifted into other genres and into the indie space, where witty banter and situational ironies tend to rule the day. They're incredibly funny, but the other side of the spectrum, the kind that studios used to pump out in the summer with the Sandlers of the world for mass appeal, have nearly gone extinct. Perhaps that makes a big, doofy Happy Gilmore sequel all the more commendable with its themes of mourning the people we've lost and saving the traditions we care about while we have them. The film's villain is a tech-bro who wants to turn golf into a glitzy rizz-fest with color-run fireworks and brash stunts to appeal to the TikTokers and Twitch streamers who don't have time for the love of the game. As much as you absolutely cannot read any supremely deep text in a movie where a honey-drenched Travis Kelce gets attacked by a bear in Bad Bunny's "happy place" dream, you feel the Sandler-dad wisdom trying to slap around the young'uns a bit to appreciate the old ways and cherish the familial bonds that keep them aflame. Happy Gilmore 2 is the funniest movie of the year so far by default, if only because no other movies really try to go for laugh-a-minute comedy like this any longer. The new Naked Gun movie will surely challenge it, but why can't the audiences of today get their own Happy Gilmores and Frank Drebins to cherish anew? It's an unfortunate irony that the surest bet at getting a major comedy project off the ground in 2025 is to dust off an old character and put a new shine on them to appeal to nostalgic business sense. No, Happy Gilmore 2 can't stand shoulder-to-shoulder with its predecessor because that's outright impossible. However, it can bundle in the laughter in equal measure and mess around so much with the very nature of a legacy sequel that some of its most shameless callbacks feel inspired, almost a parody of its serious brethren. Yes, there is infinitely more integrity with Chubbs Peterson having a son who works at a mini-golf course who also has a fake hand than whatever the Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning hook was with Shea Whigham being Jon Voight's kid out of nowhere. Those two movies mirror each other. Tom Cruise's sacrifice-for-the-movies adrenaline and Christopher McQuarrie's James Cameron/Brian De Palma-tinged set-piece excellence go blow-for-blow with Sandler's ageless comedic timing and immaculate facial expressions and his and co-writer Tim Herlihy's masterful ability to mine nonstop gags out of the most ludicrous visuals. Watching Cruise's underwater submarine ballet in the latest Mission: Impossible is incredible; watching golfer John Daly try to drink booze out of an antique cuckoo clock is, too. Where Happy Gilmore 2 succeeds and the latest Mission: Impossible fails all has to do with the approach. The latter is bound to sincerity in its most cringey throwbacks because it's downright, well, impossible to wink a bit at the audience at how silly this all is. A Sandler comedy has the freedom to have its nostalgia cake and throw it across the room to instigate a food fight. During a scene at a graveyard, headstones of characters long gone from the original start popping up in spades. A few of those would have induced eye-rolls; a bunch of those, even of the most random side characters, makes for great meta-humor. Comedies give you the ability to check yourself a bit, as the wedgie-giving ombudsman comes in to readily acknowledge a lot of this is looney tunes. A streak of sadness dyes the current, as the reason Happy falls off the golfing map is the kind of shock revelation a Happy Madison production probably doesn't aim for 10 years ago. The world kept spinning while Gilmore was swatting golf balls with a hockey goon's might, and it wasn't always kind to our favorite golfer like we might have hoped. Dad-Sandler has always been the most sentimental version of himself, and his kids aging right in front of his eyes and starting to leave the nest seems to weigh on him and his renewed take on Gilmore. This and Wes Anderson's excellent The Phoenician Scheme both dive into similar subject matter with equal gusto, of a father reckoning with his children and his place in providing for them. There's a world-weariness to Happy this time around in the way Sandler carries him that both compels the film's most jarring narrative choice and grounds some of the film's far, far sillier antics. That approach gives Sandler's performance added gravitas and the entire film around him a paternal watchfulness that would've played as unearned earlier in his filmography. There is no doubting Sandler's commitment to the project as you might could have in the past; he's all in, and so is everyone around him. The older Sandler has gotten, the more his traveling-theater approach to making movies has taken on new meaning. Even in his biggest comedic misfires, the community Sandler keeps with him on his Happy Madison projects has always endeared. He takes care of his own, and that love shows through here more so than in any other project he's ever worked on. The rampant cameos would be gratuitous if the people staffing them didn't seem so genuinely thrilled to be there. Christopher McDonald's Shooter McGavin getting dragged back into the fold would feel forced if McDonald didn't treat the role like it was the true opportunity of a lifetime. There's no way in heck Verne Lundquist wears that blazer in the film's third act if he's not tickled to be back in this world. Heck, all of the brand-name golfers in the cast seem to relish the chance to act with Sandler and actually buy into the material. Do you know how much of a comedic achievement it is that three of the funniest people in this movie are Daly, Scottie Scheffler and Will Zalatoris? Daly plays with the kind of comedic fire that we sometimes praise to the extent of pushing them into awards talk; he's really that inspired with his fearlessness to be as zany as possible. Sure, Happy Gilmore 2 is still a legacy sequel at its core, replete with brand endorsements and adorned with Super Bowl-commercial rascality. However, it's the rare legacy sequel that feels purposeful and human-driven. The film reaches for real profundity, as much as you can find in a Happy Madison movie. It's a movie with a good soul, as affably crude and dingy as Sandler's landmark works and operating with the same level of zeal. Does all of it work as well as it could? Nah. Does every joke land? Probably not. Is it messy? Most certainly; all of Sandler's comedies have been to a degree. However, it's still so much better than so many other films like it. The world is a better place when Sandler is making comedies like this. Hubie Halloween felt like a nice change of pace, and Happy Gilmore 2 feels like the grand return to that high-wire fire hydrant style of Sandler funny business. It's painfully fully and surprisingly wistful for its place in time. We need Sandler to keep tapping into his dramatic potential; it's why his decision to work with Noah Baumbach again on Jay Kelly is so encouraging. However, we also need Sandler firmly planting his feet in the comedic worlds where he's the smartest idiot in the room with a heart of gold, and we all love him for it. Watching Sandler succeed with everyone cheering him on as those signature Happy Gilmore needle drops hit might make you just a wee bit misty... and not because it's an uncaring algorithm programming "Nostalgic Feelz" for the most basic audience possible. When it's earned and it's real, there's nothing like going back to your happy place with the people you love.
Wales Online
14-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Wales Online
Wrexham star comes clean on dressing room's brutal treatment of Hugh Jackman
Wrexham star comes clean on dressing room's brutal treatment of Hugh Jackman Hugh Jackman is one of many A-list celebrities to have visited Wrexham since the club was bought by Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney, but it didn't go down well with the players Hugh Jackman's visit to Wrexham with Ryan Reynolds didn't go to plan (Image:) A former Wrexham captain has revealed how Hollywood heavyweight Hugh Jackman faced a surprisingly cool response from players after a visit to the team's changing room. The Welsh club has become a magnet for star visits ever since actors Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney took over in February 2021. The Racecourse Ground has welcomed many celebrities from Tinseltown, with appearances from Eva Longoria, Channing Tatum and Paul Rudd. Comedy legend Will Ferrell also raised some laughs when he greeted the squad in February 2023. However, ex-Red Dragons skipper Ben Tozer has now shared how an encounter with Jackman received a less warm reception. Jackman, who featured alongside Reynolds in last year's Deadpool and Wolverine movie, was present in August 2023 hoping to see Wrexham triumph in their first match back in the EFL for 15 years. Despite the hype around the season opener in League Two, Phil Parkinson's team were beaten 5-3 at home by MK Dons. Following the disappointing result, the players weren't particularly sociable as Jackman ventured into the dressing room. Tozer, who recently hung up his boots, spoke about some of the star-studded visits while talking to Sky Sports Radio. He said: "The one where I had to pinch myself was when Will Ferrell walked in the dressing room before a game. I was like, 'I have to shake and bake with that guy,' because of Talladega Nights. Former Wrexham captain Ben Tozer admitted Jackman didn't get the warmest reception from the players (Image: Matt Lewis - The FA via Getty Images ) "But unfortunately, when Hugh Jackman came into the dressing room, he got the cold shoulder because we'd lost the game. He walked in and no one was bothered. Everyone was just a bit like, 'Can you get out please? We don't want anyone in here.'" Jackman, who is a self-proclaimed fan of the club, posted a heartfelt tribute to Wrexham on Instagram in July 2023. He said: "You don't even have to like @vancityreynolds. @wrexham_afc @wrexhamfx is the people, the town, the heart, the show that is balm for the soul." In the past, Jackman spoke of how he was inspired by Reynolds' acquisition of Wrexham and was nearly convinced to buy a football club himself. Watch Welcome to Wrexham season 4 on Disney+ from £4.99 Disney+ Get Disney+ here Product Description Welcome to Wrexham is back on Disney+ for a fourth season. Fans can watch the series with a £4.99 monthly plan, or get 12 months for the price of 10 by paying for a year upfront. During an interview on the BBC's Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg, Jackman said: "I will admit to you that when Ryan [Reynolds] bought that team, I did get more than one offer from rivals of that team for £1 to come in as a co-owner and it did seriously tempt me." He then jokingly added: "This whole thing of outsiders coming in and buying football teams, it feels a little, I don't know, easy. I have decided to go one step further, I am actually going to try out for the team." Article continues below Although Jackman resisted the temptation to buy a football club, he and Reynolds recently joined forces in a different sporting venture, acquiring the BONDS Flying Roos sailing team in June. The Australian outfit competes in the international SailGP contest, which has also garnered attention from other celebrity backers, such as Real Madrid star Kylian Mbappe and actress Anne Hathaway. In a joint statement, Reynolds and Jackman said: "We're incredibly excited to set sail together in this new adventure. Hugh brings a deep love for and pride in his home country as well as being an avid fan of sailing. He will also be bringing his overly clingy emotional support human along for the ride. Apologies in advance to Australia."
Time of India
12-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Time of India
Ben Affleck and Jennifer Garner enjoy a family time at Red Sox game after Jennifer Lopez's revenge song; fans ask 'Are they back together?' -WATCH
Former Hollywood power couple Ben Affleck and Jennifer Garner are back in the headlines, this time for their cute video and photos that emerged online from their family day out. Ben and Jen, former regulars at the Red Sox games, got a warm welcome back to the stadium as they attended the match with their two kids. The spotting comes just days after Jennifer Lopez debuted a new emotional ballad widely interpreted as a 'revenge song' post-divorce. — RedSox (@RedSox) Affleck and Garner, were seen sitting together with kids Fin and Samuel on either sides, watching the Boston Red Sox as they took on the Tampa Bay Rays. The couple, whose friendly gestures sparked romance buzz, were seen smiling away as they enjoyed the match from their front-row seats and joked with their kids. The family was captured on camera, sharing light-hearted moments during the game. They were even briefly featured on the jumbotron screen, sparking off romance speculation once again. 'Are they getting back together?' A fan asked. While another gushed about their newfound friendship. While Affleck and Garner have found themselves linked up once again, the actress has reportedly moved on with businessman John Miller. Meanwhile, as far as Ben's ex-wife, Jennifer Lopez, is concerned, she was in the news lately for her new music. The singer dropped 6 new tracks, one of which, titled 'Wreckage of You,' has been described as a 'very emotional, empowering song about walking away from a relationship and coming out stronger.' On the work front, Ben was recently seen in 'The Accountant 2', while Garner made her return to the big screen as Elecktra in 'Deadpool and Wolverine'.
Daily Mirror
25-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
Wrexham given clear warning as Paul Mullin shown door despite Ryan Reynolds love
A former Wrexham manager has told club officials they could live to regret a key decision made during the summer transfer window following a notable departure from the Racecourse Wrexham have been told they could live to rue the day they let star striker Paul Mullin leave on loan. Having netted an impressive 110 goals in 172 matches for the Red Dragons, the 30-year-old is now set to lace up his boots for Wigan Athletic in League One next season. Since his arrival at Wrexham in July 2021, Mullin has been instrumental in the team achieving three successive promotions, taking them from the National League to the Championship. Despite being friendly with club co-owners Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney, he was cast out of first-team action by manager Phil Parkinson towards the tail end of their League One campaign last term. He experienced a rough patch of form earlier in the season, with only a trio of league goals to his name following back surgery last summer. New signings Sam Smith and Jay Rodriguez were brought into the fold by Parkinson in January, which helped seal promotion to the Championship in April. After Mullin's season-long loan move was confirmed on Monday, Parkinson hailed it as a "good opportunity" for him to secure regular playing time. However, former Wrexham boss Dean Saunders insisted that he would've kept Mullin in the ranks after backing him to come good next season. Speaking to talkSPORT shortly before the loan was announced, the ex- Wales and Liverpool striker said: "I wouldn't let him go and I wouldn't go if I was him. Wrexham are going places and you never lose your eye for a goal. "As strikers, you lose the eye of the tiger for a bit, but it comes back. Paul Mullin lost the eye of the tiger and got a few injuries, but he'll never lose his eye for a goal and he will score goals in the Championship." Mullin has become a familiar face after appearing regularly in the Welcome to Wrexham documentary and even had a cameo in last year's Deadpool and Wolverine film, following an invite from Reynolds. While he still has two years remaining on his contract in North Wales, it remains up in the air if he'll play for the club again. After his transfer to Wigan, he expressed sadness about how things ended and admitted that the limelight that came with being a Wrexham player was sometimes difficult to deal with. "It was sad to leave there with how it ended," Mullin told Wigan's club media. "That happens in football and you leave clubs, but just the way it's gone has been quite disappointing. "But one door closes and another one opens. I'm ready for a new chapter and I'm so buzzing to be here and go out and play every week for Wigan. It's been quite hard and strange to be honest, at times. "When we were playing in the National League, because of who the owners are and because of the attention we had at the club after the documentary, I ended up probably getting a lot more attention than many players who play in the Premier League and are a lot better at football than me. "That was quite strange to accept, but I'm one of those people where I just get on with it. I just try be myself and roll with it and found it quite funny. It's an absolute privilege that anybody would ever stop me in the street to speak to me and take a photo." Join our new WhatsApp community and receive your daily dose of Mirror Football content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice. Sign up to our newsletter! Wrexham is the Game is great new way to get top-class coverage Wrexham AFC is the arguably the fastest-growing club in the world at the moment thanks to a certain Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney. The Dragons have achieved two consecutive promotions and are cheered on by crowds from not only North Wales but also from all over the globe, thanks to the success of the Disney+ documentary 'Welcome to Wrexham'. But does it have a dedicated, quality source of information piped through to your inbox each week, free of ads but packed with informed opinion, analysis and even a little bit of fun each week? That's where Wrexham is the Game steps in... Available every Wednesday, it provides all the insights you need to be a top red. And for a limited time, a subscription to 'Wrexham is the Game' will cost fans just £15 for the first year.
Yahoo
11-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Brian Wilson, Beach Boys co-founder, dead at 82
Brian Wilson, founding member of the Beach Boys and pop music innovator, has died. He was 82. The legendary singer and songwriter's family confirmed his passing through social media. "We are heartbroken to announce that our beloved father Brian Wilson has passed away," the post read. "We are at a loss for words right now. Please respect our privacy at this time as our family is grieving. We realize that we are sharing our grief with the world." More from GoldDerby 'Deadpool and Wolverine,' 'Thunderbolts,' 'The Last of Us' lead the 2025 Critics Choice Super Awards nominations Oscar winner Zoe Saldaña on Pixar's first Mexican-Dominican animated lead in 'Elio': 'The future of America are Latinos' 'RuPaul's Drag Race': Onya Nurve and Jewels Sparkles dish their 'ride of a lifetime,' stolen jokes, and turning drag 'inside out' The post was signed "Love & Mercy," a nod to Wilson's single from his debut solo album. No cause of death was announced. In early 2024, shortly after the death of his second wife, Melinda Ledbetter, it was revealed that he had been diagnosed with dementia. Wilson, originally from Hawthorne, Calif., scored three No. 1 hits with the Beach Boys, including "I Get Around," "Help Me, Rhonda," and "Good Vibrations." He was perhaps just as well known for his work in the studio, evolving the sound of pop music and rock and roll to incorporate more elaborate productions featuring complex harmonies and orchestration. For as seismic as Wilson's impact on the music industry inarguably was, he went under-recognized by awards bodies. A nine-time Grammy nominee, he only scored his first win in 2005 for Best Rock Instrumental Performance with "Mrs. O'Leary's Cow." Wilson won his second of two Grammys eight years later for Best Historical Album with The Smile Sessions. Alongside the Beach Boys, Wilson was a 1988 inductee into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and a 2000 inductee into the Songwriters Hall of Fame. "One Kind of Love," the song he wrote for the 2014 biopic Love & Mercy starring Paul Dano, earned him a Golden Globe nomination. Best of GoldDerby Billboard 200: Chart-topping albums of 2025 Billboard Hot 100: Every No. 1 song of 2025 The B-52s' Kate Pierson talks Rock Hall snub, influencing John Lennon, and fears a solo album would be a 'betrayal' to her band Click here to read the full article.
