Why are Saturday Night Live veteran has run his own entertainment company, Happy Madison Productions, which has a reputation for making accessible comedies with questionable humor and predictable gags. Sandler is a capable actor who knows the industry inside and out, which makes Happy Madison's formulaic collaborations with Netflix so disappointing.
Sandler's most visceral and enduring films released before he founded Happy Madison Productions. After starring in the hilariously simple-minded comedy Billy Madison, the Sandman teased his promising future with the 1996 golf movie Happy Gilmore, a film that established the former SNL star as a viable lead actor. With The Wedding Singer, written by frequent collaborator Tim Herlihy, Sandler stepped up his game opposite Drew Barrymore and displayed his versatility and vulnerability as a performer. Two decades later, it's that sense of character authenticity that's missing from Happy Madison Productions.
In Big Daddy, a pre-Happy Madison movie, Sandler fused his brand of zany comedy with a relatable story about parenting and self-doubt. And then he began producing his own movies. Within five years, Sandler's films have been downright embarrassing, yet remain popular amongst subscribers. So, what message does that send to informed movie fans who expect more from the Sandman? Happy Madison's Netflix era reveals that they're content with receiving big paychecks, keeping the gang together, and re-hashing old and often lazy jokes for a world of Netflix streamers who value familiarity and nostalgia over innovation and creativity.
The 2020 film Hubie Halloween, Sandler provides a caricature of his pop culture persona, and then incorporates convenient call-backs to mid-'90s films like Billy Madison and Happy Gilmore. The overall quality is much better than clunkers like The Ridiculous 6 and The Do-Over, but Hubie Halloween makes is painfully clear that Sandler is preparing to rely more on legacy and nostalgia than narratives that have something deeper to say about life, love, or loss.
Happy Madison films don't suffer from Sandler's need to always include his friends and family. In fact, Sandler may even believe that the collective familial element grounds his comedies with heart. But there's a difference between assembling the usual crew for wacky yet entertaining narratives and investing time in the occasional script that deviates from the norm. Adam Sandler is doing just fine, and his films are ideal for locked-down streamers who just want to laugh for 90 minutes. But as the industry continues to evolve, Happy Madison should occasionally prioritize a narrative that feels authentic to modern culture.