If anything You Don't Mess With The Zohan is a throwback to Sandler's less intelligent comedies like Billy Madison, Happy Gilmore, The Waterboy and then he started to find a niche in a different type of comedy with truly funny and often moving performances like Click, and The Wedding Singer. Zohan is probably just a little more his geeky childish side and holds no punches against the people in question much like he did last summer with I Know Pronounce You Chuck and Larry which did nothing for the gay community but poke fun at their lifestyle and Zohan does precisely the same thing with the middle Eastern community. That being said I don't really offend easily so it didn't bother me that much although I think it's a sore spot for the world right now. The movie around is ridiculous, corny, gross, dumb, poorly played out and yet somehow not the biggest waste of my time in the last week. Somehow it manages to be tolerable probably because of Sandler who is talented and probably because it does make you snicker at times even if you don't want to admit it. Remarkably a film like this would usually show the truly funny parts in the trailer and for the most part that is true BUT those same parts are still pretty funny in the movie too.
Adam Sandler plays Zohan an anti-terrorist expert who is basically a one man army. He can do just about anything but all he wants to do is leave war behind and cut and style hair "make it silky smooth." Sandler is....Sandler. I mean Zohan is kind of a funny character in a stupid over the top, high school play kinda way but yet he's watchable. The ridiculous stunts and CGI special effects that make him unhuman are mostly stupid but honestly I think that's the point. Over the top is funny...sometimes. Outside of Sandler the film is chock full of cameo faces to make up the rest of the crew. John Turturro (who is way too talented to be in this) is forgettable as Zohan's arch nemesis The Phantom. Emmanuelle Chriqui is beautiful but doesn't really stand out as Zohan's boss and love interest Dalia. Rob Schneider manages to get another job via his buddy Sandler as a middle Eastern terrorist who manages to insult every aspect of Middle Eastern culture and they just go too far with the jabs. A high point of the film is infamous boxing announcer Michael Buffer as a crazed and evil real estate developer. He is awesome as a bad guy and really terrific in the role!! Kevin Nealon shows up for a small cameo as does Charlotte Rae (Mrs. Garrett anyone on Facts of Life?) 82 years old she is!! Then check out this cameo list of guest stars...Mariah Carey in a fairly large role, Chris Rock, John McEnroe, George Takei, Bruce Vilanch, and the amazing Henry Winkler. So if you see Zohan it will be to check out all the cool cameos cause it won't be for true laughter.
The reason I'm not shredding You Don't Mess With The Zohan is simple...the film is exactly what they meant it to be. They made it bad, they knew it was over the top, crude, stupid humor and ninety million bucks says everyone thinks thats okay so who am I to argue? Plus somehow I didn't walk out of it wishing I had that hour and a half back as stupid as I felt it was. Director Dennis Dugan also worked with Sandler on Chuck and Larry and this film does exactly the same sort of thing although I THINK Chuck and Larry was slightly, minutely more intelligent than this. So if you like Sandler's more stupid comedy than Zohan is for you but if not then steer clear because this one is a stinker of a so called comedy that you won't miss much by missing this summer. I can't believe The Love Guru could be worse than this but we will see. 5/10
Adam Sandler plays Zohan an anti-terrorist expert who is basically a one man army. He can do just about anything but all he wants to do is leave war behind and cut and style hair "make it silky smooth." Sandler is....Sandler. I mean Zohan is kind of a funny character in a stupid over the top, high school play kinda way but yet he's watchable. The ridiculous stunts and CGI special effects that make him unhuman are mostly stupid but honestly I think that's the point. Over the top is funny...sometimes. Outside of Sandler the film is chock full of cameo faces to make up the rest of the crew. John Turturro (who is way too talented to be in this) is forgettable as Zohan's arch nemesis The Phantom. Emmanuelle Chriqui is beautiful but doesn't really stand out as Zohan's boss and love interest Dalia. Rob Schneider manages to get another job via his buddy Sandler as a middle Eastern terrorist who manages to insult every aspect of Middle Eastern culture and they just go too far with the jabs. A high point of the film is infamous boxing announcer Michael Buffer as a crazed and evil real estate developer. He is awesome as a bad guy and really terrific in the role!! Kevin Nealon shows up for a small cameo as does Charlotte Rae (Mrs. Garrett anyone on Facts of Life?) 82 years old she is!! Then check out this cameo list of guest stars...Mariah Carey in a fairly large role, Chris Rock, John McEnroe, George Takei, Bruce Vilanch, and the amazing Henry Winkler. So if you see Zohan it will be to check out all the cool cameos cause it won't be for true laughter.
The reason I'm not shredding You Don't Mess With The Zohan is simple...the film is exactly what they meant it to be. They made it bad, they knew it was over the top, crude, stupid humor and ninety million bucks says everyone thinks thats okay so who am I to argue? Plus somehow I didn't walk out of it wishing I had that hour and a half back as stupid as I felt it was. Director Dennis Dugan also worked with Sandler on Chuck and Larry and this film does exactly the same sort of thing although I THINK Chuck and Larry was slightly, minutely more intelligent than this. So if you like Sandler's more stupid comedy than Zohan is for you but if not then steer clear because this one is a stinker of a so called comedy that you won't miss much by missing this summer. I can't believe The Love Guru could be worse than this but we will see. 5/10