Plenty of laughs

You Don't Mess With The Zohan (2008)
Cast: Adam Sandler, John Turturro,
Rob Schneider
Director: Dennis Dugan
Running Time: 113 mins

In this typically Sandler/Schneider comedy, Sandler plays an invincible Mossad agent named Zohan who stages his own death at the hands of his arch enemy The Phantom (John Turturro) in order to sneak himself out of the Israeli secret service. He then smuggles himself to America where he seeks to fulfil his dream as an unconventional hairdresser under the name Scrappy Coco. Zohan is first unsuccessful in his attempts to make a name as a hair dresser and ironically lands a job at a Palestinian salon.

However, Zohan's problems seem to follow him there as a Palestinian cabby (Schneider) recognises the former special agent and seeks revenge from Zohan for kidnapping his goat. The 'Phantom' is also present in New York as the owner of a successful fast food chain and is suspected to be the one causing the tension between the Palestinians and the Jews from either sides of the road.

The film is packed with racial slurs and sexual connotations while being heavily laced with disgusting scenes and revolting ideas; overall it's typically Adam Sandler. Zohan's unconventional methods in which he performs sexual favours along with his haircuts and the fact that almost all his customers are old ladies on the wrong side of sixty is enough to turn anyone away from the film. The comedy is nothing short of what can be expected from Adam Sandler and is relentless with its torrent of racially charged cheap humour.

Even though the film does ultimately share a message of racial unity and the futility of racism, it certainly does take a long and sometimes insulting road to do so. Sandler's teenage fan base will certainly not be complaining even though the Academy I'm sure would have shuddered. I know I didn't expect anything better from Sandler. The film does however have plenty of laughs in it as its story, I'm sure you can imagine, permits plenty of fun and comedy. The film may not be as funny as expected especially after previous laugh riots such as Little Nicky and The Longest Yard.

Adam Sandler plays the egoistic and stunningly out of fashion hairdresser/ Mossad agent in an unusually Will Ferrell type of role. Sandler who is usually known for portraying mentally challenged or clumsy characters plays an invincible special agent who has a strange fetish for very ugly women and 70's disco music.

Of course he does a decent job at extracting the laughs from the crowd while his co-stars Schneider (The Animal) and Tuturro (Secret Window) deliver the necessary over acting to portray their characters in comic fashion. Zohan's love interest and salon owner Dhalia is played by the beautiful Emmanuelle Chriqui who seems completely unperturbed by Zohan sexual theatrics in her salon. Her character is predictable, one dimensional and as expected does not require a great job of acting. Chriqui certainly obliges the audience in all three of those expectations.

Still the film almost seems like a desperate final resort in extracting the smallest ounce of comedy from a story with very little subtly or sensitivity and hence lots of comic value. The plot seemed potent with comedy but ultimately the film gave the impression of nothing more than a cheap spoof. Maybe that's what it was but then what it was trying to spoof was unclear. Was it Munich-type-films or was it the entire conflict itself?

The film also seemed completely unplanned as the plotline almost appeared to be created along the way while the script shared the same principle. Having said that it does have a positive side to it as Sandler's obvious comedic experience is splashed on to the script with great effect in certain scenes. Even though the film will surely be well received by Sandler fans and delivers everything that was expected of it, You Don't Mess with the Zohan is certainly not the funniest comedies to be released this year but is very close to being the most pointless.

However, for those who enjoy watching a politically incorrect, racially charged jester at work with no apparent boundaries, this movie will certainly be enjoyable.