Read anyRoger Ebertreview of anyAdam Sandler-led film from the 1990s and 2000s, and you may get a sense of how the critical community felt about the actor and his unique brand of lowbrow comedy. In short, Sandler’s films, includingBilly Madison,Happy Gilmore,I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry, andJack and Jill, were reviled by critics, even though audiences took a liking to this weird man-child with a goofy voice. Nowadays,you’ll find critics embracing him, neglecting any notion of Sandler as thebane of every critic’s existencefor 20 years.Sandler’s recent film,Happy Gilmore 2, now out on Netflix, has generally won over the court of public opinion despite being as silly and nonsensical as its predecessor and every Sandler comedy. What changed? Well, the actor, for one, but more notably, the industry, which has abandoned his style of glossy studio comedy, and we all miss them.
Adam Sandler Has Matured in Recent Years
Rather than attempt to make himself into something more prestigious in his late ’50s, especially after years of gainingadoration for his dramatic workinPunch-Drunk LoveandUncut Gems, Sandler has embraced all the things that critics hated about his earlier films. The likes ofMurder Mystery,Sandy Wexler,Hubie Halloween, andHappy Gilmore 2are just as dumb, cameo-riddled, and glorified vacations as his previous movies. Still, people seem to at least mildly champion these movies as charming entertainment.
Happy Gilmoresits at61% on Rotten Tomatoes,which is a stellar improvement overJack and Jill’s 3%,Grown Ups 2’s 8%,Chuck and Larry’s 15%, andThe Ridiculous 6’s shocking 0%. In an age of sell-outs and people desperately adapting to the times, Sandler has remained the same, so what has changed? Well, for one,the softer critical reception to his films is perhaps a reflection of the actor’s evolved screen persona, which has moved past the angry man-child ofMadisonandGilmore, which spoke to the toxicity of Gen X’s suppressed angst and hostility. Now 58 years old,Sandler is a family man with mellowed comedic sensibilities, andGilmore 2revolves heavily around reconnecting with his children andredeeming himself for his past mistakes.
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Enter Sandman.
Sandler’s sincere dad energy in his recent work is far more digestible than the insane aggression he embodied during his peak of popularity.Each of his movies from the last few years carries a complete lack of self-consciousness about being silly romps, something the most cynical critics can get behind. The “problematic” element in the Sandler oeuvre, seen in the prevailing homophobia inChuck and Larryand the offensive portrayal of Native Americans thatmiredThe Ridiculous 6in controversy, has been sanded down in more wholesome efforts likeHubie Halloween.The 2020 Netflix release complemented his status as one of the preeminent “nice guys” in Hollywood, the rare celebrity without any vanity as he walks around in public wearing baggy basketball shorts.
The Warm Reception to ‘Happy Gilmore 2’ Speaks to Nostalgia for Studio Comedies
There’s no denying that critics, by and large, have softened on Adam Sandler in recent years. Art is subjective, but it’s hard to argue that any of the aforementioned Netflix movies have more artistic panache than his reviled 2000s films. These movies aren’t necessarily better —critics and audiencesjust miss studio comedies.With the ever-changing and collapsing film landscape, we’re prone to reclaim things from decades prior as artistic gems, even though they were disregarded upon release (the Star Warsprequels being the clearest example). During his peak, Sandler was just one of many comedy stars making lowbrow, juvenile, and over-the-top movies with big ensemble casts. No matter who the star was — Sandler,Ben Stiller,Vince Vaughn,Jim Carrey— everyone went to see these movies, and it befuddled critics.
Nowadays, there are hardly any studio comedies (hopefully that will change with the rave reviews forThe Naked Gun) and certainly few who can drive a mass audience to theaters. Despite being a mainstay for Netflix,Sandler keeps chugging alongdoing what made him famous, while his peers have moved to television, directing, or semi-retirement. The glut of superhero/IP-centered movies has not only dominated the box office, but they’ve also swallowed up the comedy genre. It’s rare to come across a studio “comedy” film that doesn’t feature guns or a third-act action climax.
Nostalgia is immensely powerful. It can allow Adam Sandler, a perpetual punchline for any critic, to become a respectable, if not cherished, figure.Happy Gilmore 2probably doesn’t deserve a free pass,let alone critical acclaim, but its favorable reception is wishful thinking on the part of all critics and audiences that, with enough appreciation, we’ll return to a place where studio comedies are omnipresent. We made fun of him for years, but now everyone is singing the praises of Sandler despite putting out the same nonsense 30 years later.If you stick around long enough, you’ll eventually buy everyone’s love.
Happy Gilmore 2
