About this episode
Because Apparently We’ve All Had Enough Capes and Spandex
This week on the podcast, Brian and Darryl are talking Fantastic Four: First Steps, Happy Gilmore 2, Movies we want to catch at the theater for the rest of 2025, and the latest Superhero Showdown at the Box Office.
Episode Index
Intro: 0:07
Box Office Showdown: 10:49
Movie in the Back Half of 2025: 20:45
Happy Gilmore 2: 33:27
Fantastic Four: 45:22
Superman vs. Marvel’s First Family at the Box Office
Superman grabbed a bigger domestic haul, but First Steps showed stronger international momentum and may signal better legs in overseas markets.
Superman Box Office https://www.boxofficemojo.com/release/rl1543340801/?ref_=bo_hm_rd
Fantastic Four: First Steps Box Office https://www.boxofficemojo.com/release/rl2429649665/?ref_=bo_hm_rd
Remaining 2025 Must-Sees at the Theater
Darryl:
Tron: Ares
Avatar: Fire and Ash
Nobody 2
The Running Man
MK 2
Predator: Badlands
Weapons
Caught Stealing
The Long Walk
Brian:
Caught Stealing
The Naked Gun
Tron:Ares
Mortal Kombat 2
Predator: Badlands
Weapons
Twinless
The Running Man
The Toxic Avenger
TMNT 35th Anniversary Release
Happy Gilmore 2 (2025)
Summary
Nearly three decades after winning the Tour Championship, Happy (Adam Sandler) is now a grieving widower and alcoholic. To pay for his daughter Vienna’s ballet school in Paris, he returns to pro golf—and chaos ensues. The film leans hard into callbacks, celebrity cameos, and legacy sequel nostalgia. ?
Director: Kyle Newacheck
Writers: Tim Herlihy & Adam Sandler ?
Cast:
Adam Sandler as Happy Gilmore
Julie Bowen as Virginia Venit
Christopher McDonald as Shooter McGavin
Ben Stiller as Hal L. (in sobriety group leadership)
Bad Bunny as Happy’s new caddy
Benny Safdie as golf mogul Frank Manatee
Additional Cast: Sunny Sandler (Vienna), Sadie Sandler, Travis Kelce, Margaret Qualley, John Daly, Rory McIlroy, Eminem (cameos), and more sport & music legends ? ?
Production Notes:
Produced by Happy Madison and STX Films, filmed in North Jersey over fall 2024; directed by Newacheck with music by Rupert Gregson-Williams. The production is built around cameo-heavy nostalgia and real-world athletes. ?
Budget: Estimated at $30 million, modest compared to legacy sequel standards. ?
Distribution: Released globally via Netflix on July 25, 2025. ?
Reception:
Critics remain divided—mixed reviews on Rotten Tomatoes (65%) and Popcornmeter (~70%). Praise comes for Sandler’s commitment and cameo spectacle; criticism centers on overreliance on callbacks, tonally uneven storytelling (including a shocking death), and lazy legacy sequel tropes. Some outlets called it a “cinematic disaster,” while others sa
