Adam Sandler’s Long-Awaited Follow-Up Suffers From A Bad Case Of Sequelitis

Glad Gilmore 2 could have its moments, however the movie buckles below the load of a case of sequelitis. Glad Gilmore 2‘s Netflix free up is after all right here after a virtually 30-year wait, with many keen to peer how the golfing professional’s adventure continues. My overview of Glad Gilmore proves I’m one such particular person, given my delight in the unique.
I’ve a large number of nostalgia-led love for Glad Gilmore, and I used to be, neatly, satisfied to find that the movie holds up on rewatch. I’ve been cautiously constructive about Glad Gilmore 2‘s tale. I admit that Sandler’s comedic profession since The Marriage ceremony Singer has incorporated extra misses than hits, however I was hoping Glad Gilmore 2 would retain the endearing attraction of its predecessor.
In many ways, the movie does precisely that. Unfortunately, Glad Gilmore 2 suffers because it tries to be larger and higher than the primary film. This permits Glad Gilmore 2 to tread new flooring, nevertheless it additionally makes it overly lengthy, extra unfocused, and extra beholden to Glad Gilmore cameos.
Some facets of Glad Gilmore 2 in reality paintings, however they’re slowed down via a scatterbrained narrative that can’t fit the primary film’s attraction and wit.
Glad Gilmore 2’s Tale Is Too Fractured
The Plot Is not Certain What To Focal point On
Clocking in at nearly half-hour longer than its predecessor, Glad Gilmore 2‘s greatest factor is its unfocused plot. The primary act had me. The movie establishes what Glad has been as much as for the remaining 3 many years, putting in place his circle of relatives lifestyles till a surprisingly stunning tragedy takes position.
Striking his daughter thru ballet college turned into Glad’s purpose, heartwarmingly replicating his motivation to avoid wasting his grandma’s area…
It took me some time to come back to phrases with the sudden plot level, however I in no time discovered its goal was once to tug Glad down earlier than development him again up. Sooner or later, striking his daughter thru ballet college turned into Glad’s purpose, heartwarmingly replicating his motivation to avoid wasting his grandma’s area within the first film.
On the other hand, the film’s 2d and 3rd acts introduce the theory of Maxi Golfing, a modernization of the game. After this, the movie turns into cut up between being a legacy sequel that repeats the primary film and a brand new tackle traditionalism vs. innovation. Each have their deserves and disadvantages, however Glad Gilmore 2 does no longer decide to both intently sufficient to really feel coherent.
The circle of relatives facet of Glad Gilmore 2 does paintings, from the position of Vienna, performed via Sandler’s daughter Sunny, to Glad’s 4 sons, who hilariously inherited his hockey participant’s mood. Julie Bowen’s Virginia is underutilized, however there is not any denying her section as every other motivation for Glad works to capitalize at the emotional nostalgia of the primary movie.
That stated, true emotion is missing as a result of the movie’s focal point at the Maxi Golfing subplot. This plot has some just right messaging, and the golfing cameos upload a pleasant traditionalist worth, nevertheless it results in the movie’s greatest factor.
Glad Gilmore 2 Tries To Be Larger Than Its Predecessor In Each and every Method
Best Including To The Unfocused Narrative
Glad Gilmore 2‘s insistence on being a larger sequel hinders it, with the Maxi Golfing subplot epitomizing this. On the other hand, it isn’t the one method Glad Gilmore 2 tries to outdo the primary film, which is itself an issue. Glad Gilmore 2‘s stage of cameos is in actuality baffling — from golfing stars to comedic actors and musicians.
The cameos started to frame on gratuitous…
A few of these cameos paintings, like Unhealthy Bunny, however the sheer choice of recognizable faces took me out of the film and proved distracting. The cameos started to frame on gratuitous, with such a lot of of them — similar to Austin Put up’s commentator — being there merely for the sake of it.
Unfortunately, they detracted from Glad Gilmore 2‘s plot, which additionally attempted to move larger. The Maxi Golfing match was once a laugh in many ways, however the grandeur and spectacle of it didn’t have compatibility the extra grounded tone that Glad Gilmore 2 was once placing by means of its circle of relatives subplot.
I perceive this was once the purpose, because the maximalism of golfing was once driven again in opposition to, nevertheless it was once nonetheless an excessive amount of and made Glad Gilmore 2‘s fractured narrative the entire messier.
Glad Gilmore 2’s Nostalgia Works Neatly, However It Frequently Does not To find A Reason why For Present
In relation to nostalgia for the primary film, there are some nice moments in Glad Gilmore 2. The “go back” of Gilmore’s caddie from the primary film, most effective this time as skilled golfer Will Zalatoris, was once hilarious and made for one of the most movie’s higher cameos. Ben Stiller’s Hal L. was once additionally suitably terrible within the sequel, together with his plot in fact tying into Glad’s personality arc somewhat well.
More often than not, regardless that, Glad Gilmore 2‘s nostalgia does no longer discover a explanation why to exist; Chubbs’ son, performed via Lavell Crawford, does no longer wish to be on this film in any respect, but Glad Gilmore 2 insisted on it purely to have the relationship to Carl Weathers’ personality.
Christopher McDonald returns as Shooter McGavin and is very good in his scenes. A graveyard battle makes for one in every of Glad Gilmore 2‘s funniest scenes and sentimental gags, however McDonald suffers from the movie’s fractured tale. McGavin must’ve had a larger position and, whilst he has his moments, is a wasted a part of Glad Gilmore 2.
General, I sought after to like Glad Gilmore 2. Unfortunately, it is only superb at highest. The movie has some components that paintings, however no longer sufficient to conquer its gratuitous cameos, its wish to be larger, or its wasted nostalgia and bloated runtime. Sadly, our lovely golfer could have been staying in retirement.
Glad Gilmore 2
- Unencumber Date
-
July 25, 2025
- Runtime
-
118 mins
- Director
-
Kyle Newacheck
- Manufacturers
-
Jack Giarraputo, Robert Simonds
- Glad Gilmore 2’s familial plotline works to recapture the primary movie’s center every now and then
- Glad Gilmore 2 has some hilarious moments, most commonly stemming from first movie nostalgia
- The movie has some fascinating remark on traditionalism vs. innovation
- A small handful of the movie’s cameos paintings, together with John Daly and Unhealthy Bunny
- Glad Gilmore 2’s narrative is some distance too unfocused for many subplots to land
- Glad Gilmore 2 falters below the load of looking to be larger than the primary film
- Glad Gilmore 2 has some distance too many gratuitous cameos that weren’t wanted
- Numerous nostalgic beats haven’t any true explanation why for present in Glad Gilmore 2