dierregi
While I was watching this movie, I thought about the enraged reviews it probably generated. The plot is about a super-Mossad agent (the titular Zohan), who lives in Israel but is fed up with killing and just wants to be a hairdresser. He fakes his death and moves to New York City, where Palestinian and Jewish people live more or less peacefully in the same area. There, he starts working for a Palestinian girl who owns a hair saloon, falls for her and has to face his past. Obviously, one does not watch a Sandler's movie expecting a serious plot, and with Apatow as one of the scriptwriters the level went down even further. I am not a fan of either but I watched the movie on TV hoping for some fun. Turns out that apart from too many juvenile sex jokes and one unforgivable scene with a cat, the story was entertaining in a politically incorrect way. The plot makes fun of several stale movie clichés, such as the indestructible action hero, the irresistible lover, the deadly Arab terrorist, the hummus-eating Jews, etc
On the other hand, some of the jokes were of poor taste or simply idiotic, like the one with the cat.Despite the predictability of the plot and the crudeness of the scenario the movie might deserve a bit more than 1 point, for the following reason: the Zohan is a ridiculous but deadly killing machine and so is his Palestinian counterpart, the Phantom, but once they move far enough from the source of their problems, they do not want to fight anymore. This is clearly simplistic, but just for a moment I thought that the world would be a better place if people would let go of whatever reason they think they have to go on killing. Wouldn't it be better if life was a farce rather than a tragedy?
tdrish
Adam Sandler is golden when it comes to playing the part as the comical, funny dork that he is. You Don't Mess With The Zohan is NOT comical, and not funny at all. He may be good in some comedies, but he cannot act to save his soul. In this atrocious feast, he tries to play as an Isreal. It doesn't work. He becomes a hair stylist who bangs old chicks. Sound great? I haven't seen all of Sandlers flicks, but this was by a land slide his worst film I have ever seen him in. One scene shows him shooting a fish out his ass. How intelligent. I don't think I laughed once. Any one who watches this should be embarrassed. Case closed.
Anssi Vartiainen
A late 00s Adam Sandler film where an Israeli special ops superhero decides to quit with the constant fighting and move to America in order to become a hairdresser. In his own words he's there to make everything "silky smooth".Yeah, it's silly. But I cannot claim that it does not have certain charm of its own. Adam Sandler's particular style of comedy suits silly, over the top plots like this and the movie is self-aware enough to dance around most of the obvious pitfalls.That being said, the movie is pretty painful no matter how you take it. The Jew jokes are plentiful and quite obvious, the Palestine jokes are even worse and the whole premise of there being quite literal superhumans fighting on both sides of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict makes a mockery of the whole thing. Granted, I do admire the way the film eventually makes its case for mutual appreciation and tries to show the similarities between the two peoples. But it's still pretty painful most of the time.I do admit that I like this film, albeit in a guilty pleasure kind of way. It's nonsensical and stupid, but in a funny way. Adam Sandler has made much worse films in my opinion.
Python Hyena
You Don't Mess With the Zohan (2008): Dir: Dennis Dugan / Cast: Adam Sandler, Jon Turturro, Emmanuelle Chrique, Rob Schneider, Nick Swardson: Hilarious film about achieving your goals in a different destination. Adam Sandler plays Zohan, an Israeli counter terrorist who fakes his own death, only to embark on his dream in America as a hair stylist. While formula in structure director Dennis Dugan creates his best film to date after having made such embarrassments as Big Daddy and Problem Child. The terrorist jokes are hilarious but the sexual jokes are more stomach turning than funny. Sandler creates one of his best comic characters. Zohan desires to start new and reinvent himself with a more positive image. Jon Turturro steals scenes as a terrorist who secretly desires to be a shoe salesman. Emmanuelle Chriqui plays Zohan's love interest in what first gets drown in formula romantic clichés until a secret is revealed that adds a peaceful spin on the circumstance. Rob Schneider is hilarious as a Palestinian cab driver who holds a grudge against Zohan after losing his goat. He will inform Turturro of his whereabouts although that gains him even less respect. Nick Swardson plays a friend whom Zohan hooks up with and like anything Swardson does, he fails to be normal. Lots of gravity defying special effects are featured throughout as well as a message of starting over. Score: 9 / 10
AD
