You Don't Mess With The Zohan

Dennis Dugan

BY Brendan WillisPublished Jun 5, 2008

After a string of mediocre PG-13 comedies (and the excellent drama Reign Over Me), Adam Sandler has returned to the R-rated, over-the-top humour for which he is famous. While You Don’t Mess With The Zohan doesn’t deliver the uncontrollable belly laughs of Billy Madison or Happy Gilmour, it makes up for its lack of big-time comedy by providing one of the most consistently funny scripts in years, created by the powerhouse writing team of Sandler, Robert Smigel (creator of SNL’s Saturday TV Funhouse cartoons) and Judd Apatow (Knocked Up, 40 Year Old Virgin).

Sandler takes on the role of Zohan, an Israeli counter-terrorist agent who’s equal parts Jack Bauer and James Bond. After years of fighting an endless war, Zohan decides to fake his own death and escape to America to pursue his true passion: hairdressing. But, when Zohan is recognised by a man he once slighted back home (Rob Schneider), his old life comes back to haunt him in the form of his arch-nemesis: the Phantom (John Turturro).

Since there are two types of people in the world —Adam Sandler fans and other people — any fans who may be dating or married to the latter will be happy to know that a lot of the humour in You Don’t Mess With The Zohan will appeal to all but the most virulent Sandler haters. There is still a lot of Sandler’s typically absurd and offensive humour throughout but it is tempered by straightforward laughs that everyone can enjoy, as well as some light-hearted, quasi-political commentary that, thankfully, won't interrupt your fun with serious thinking.

You Don’t Mess With the Zohan is worth the price of admission for anyone needing a good, long laugh but, like most comedies, it will have trouble competing with the big budget effects blockbusters hitting theatres in the coming weeks.

Unfortunately while you might not mess with the Zohan, Indiana Jones, The Hulk, Batman and Hancock will no doubt kick his ass around the box office.
(Sony)

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