Big Daddy 2 (2025)

It’s been over two decades since Big Daddy gave us one of Adam Sandler’s most unexpectedly heartfelt performances, wrapped inside his trademark immature humor. Now, in Big Daddy 2, the years have passed, but Sonny Koufax hasn’t exactly matured in the traditional sense—thankfully for us. Instead, he’s found himself in a brand-new role that nobody could have predicted: honorary grandfather.

The film opens with a gut-punch of reality: Julian (Cole Sprouse), the once wide-eyed boy Sonny raised by accident, is now a grown man facing the hardest chapter of his life. An unexpected loss leaves him a single father, and when the weight of responsibility threatens to crush him, there’s only one man he can think to call. Enter Sonny—still wearing baggy T-shirts, still making questionable decisions, and still somehow radiating the kind of chaotic comfort Julian needs most.

From the very first scene, Sandler slips back into Sonny’s sneakers like no time has passed. His comedic rhythm remains sharp, but age has added an extra layer of warmth and vulnerability. Sonny’s methods—whether it’s feeding the toddler chocolate-chip pancakes for breakfast or letting bedtime stories devolve into wild, self-indulgent tangents—are predictably ridiculous. Yet beneath every poor choice is an unshakable love, the same quality that made him unforgettable in the first film.

Cole Sprouse delivers one of his most mature and nuanced performances yet. His Julian is a man caught between grief and hope, desperately trying to hold it together for his child while figuring out what kind of father he wants to be. Sprouse plays beautifully against Sandler’s chaos, giving us a generational push-and-pull that’s both hilarious and heartfelt. Watching them together feels like revisiting a family you’ve known for years—one that still fights over the dumbest things but would go to war for each other in a heartbeat.

Joey Lauren Adams reprises her role as Layla, and if Sonny is the unpredictable storm, Layla is the anchor keeping everyone from blowing away. Her grounded advice often serves as the emotional compass of the story, and she brings a wisdom that balances out the comedic madness. Layla’s dynamic with both Sonny and Julian is refreshingly genuine, showing that love in a family doesn’t always have to follow bloodlines—it’s about showing up.

The humor is pure Sandler territory—absurd scenarios, physical comedy, and lines so inappropriate you laugh before you realize you probably shouldn’t. Playground politics are turned into full-blown wars, diaper disasters escalate into slapstick chaos, and one scene involving Sonny at a “Parents & Tots” yoga class had the entire theater in stitches. But like the original, the comedy never undermines the heart; it enhances it, reminding us that laughter is often the glue that holds families together.

Director Dennis Dugan, returning to helm the sequel, smartly avoids the trap of trying to simply recreate the first film. Instead, Big Daddy 2 expands on its core theme—family is what you make it—and examines it through a new lens. Sonny isn’t just helping Julian survive fatherhood; he’s confronting his own aging, his sense of legacy, and the question of what kind of influence he truly wants to leave behind.

Visually, the film has a softer, warmer palette compared to its predecessor, underscoring its more reflective moments without losing the punchy energy of its comedy. The soundtrack mixes nostalgic late-’90s throwbacks with upbeat contemporary tracks, perfectly matching the film’s balance of old and new. It’s a reminder that while the world changes, some bonds—and some bad habits—stay exactly the same.

What stands out most is the movie’s emotional honesty. There are moments when the laughter dies down, and we’re left with raw conversations between characters who genuinely care about one another. In one particularly moving scene, Sonny tells Julian, “I didn’t know what I was doing back then. I still don’t. But I knew I loved you. And that’s all that mattered.” It’s a line that captures the entire spirit of the series: imperfect people trying their best, and sometimes succeeding in the most unconventional ways.

For longtime fans, Big Daddy 2 is a warm reunion, a reminder of why we fell in love with these characters in the first place. For newcomers, it’s a standalone story with enough humor, heart, and absurdity to win over anyone. It’s not flawless—some gags overstay their welcome, and a couple of emotional beats could have been explored more deeply—but its charm is undeniable.

In the end, Big Daddy 2 proves that growing up doesn’t mean growing dull. Parenting might not come with a manual, and grandparenting even less so, but with love, laughter, and just the right dose of madness, even the most unlikely families can make it work. ★★★★☆ (8.1/10) — chaotic, touching, and absolutely worth the wait.