YOU DONT MESS WITH THE ZOHAN

YOU DON’T MESS WITH THE ZOHAN

Starring: Adam Sandler, John Turturro, Rob Schneider
Written by: Adam Sandler, Robert Smigel, Judd Apatow
Directed by: Dennis Dugan

“You Don’t Mess with the Zohan” is the latest from Adam Sandler and stars Adam as the title character ‘The Zohan’. ‘The Zohan’ is a Mossan agent, a one man fighting machine, with unbelievable skills and talents, an Israeli anti terrorist machine, who has single handedly captured the most feared Palestinian of all ‘The Phantom’, (John Turturro) only to find out he has been swapped for two Israelis captives, and needs to be recaptured. All the Zohan wants in life is to leave Israel, move to New York and cut hair – to make people ‘silky smooth’, but unsurprisingly is laughed at by the few people he confides this secret in.
The first 30mins or so of the film showcases The Zohan’s incredible skills and his final battle with nemesis ‘The Phantom’, where he fakes his own death and holes up in the cargo of a plane bound for New York.
In New York, he gets laughed out of every salon he enters, looking for a job, so in desperation, he starts working for a Palestinian hairdresser, with obvious hesitance on his side, although not hers as he tells her he’s half Australian, half Mount Everest, and learns his trade there whilst also servicing the elderly lady customers in ways they weren’t expecting. He brings new life to a salon going out of business and as a result of this is recognised by some Palestinians who want to capture him and bring glory to themselves and shame to the Phantom, as everyone believes the Phantom killed the Zohan.
The film is typical Adam Sandler, so you get what you expect. The first half or so was crude as anticipated, but surprisingly funny. The latter half of the film dissolved into Adam’s personal attempt to sort out world peace, and fell rather flat on its face.
Not a must see film, probably one for the Sandler fans – it does exactly what it says on the tin.