Review of You Don't Mess with the Zohan (2008) by Palmer R — 13 Jun 2011

Being Jewish, I instantly give all of Adam Sandler's films the benefit of the doubt, since, let's face it, he's the most famous Jewish actor in the world right now. The People of the Book adore his films the same reason why most black people I know adore Tyler Perry films.

So when Sandler finally makes a movie about the Jewish version of James Bond, as ridiculously stupid and unfunny it can get, I can't help but like this.

In other Sandler films, his religion is either briefly mentioned or ignored. Here, it forms the core of this extremely badass, but perverted character. The Zohan is Israel's greatest secret agent, obsessed with his own private parts (even more than he's obsessed about sex, since he's not choosy who he has it with as long as it's female). He's attacked by some supervillain terrorist called the Phantom, and he moves to New York City randomly to become a hairdresser.

How the hell does a connection between Israeli secret agent and hairdresser even exist? Sandler somehow found it. He goes to work for a Palestinian barber shop (although the actress who plays the owner is actually Jewish AND Israeli. I checked), the Phantom gets a wind of it, and by a weird circumstance an anti-Semitic mob somehow makes things better for once.

Admittedly, Sandler goes a littler too far. The Zohan has a lot of sex in this movie, especially with extremely old women, operating as a barber and a man whore. He's so stuck up that when he finds out that he's fallen for the extremely hot owner of the barber shop, he makes this little gem: "I will only grow stiff for you." It's so dumb that you start laughing.

That humor makes up the majority of the film, but compared to other Sandler movies that, despite my similarities with him when it comes to religion, I could not like (Anger Management, Click), Zohan is among the better ones. Other good ones like The Waterboy, I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry, and Grown Ups have the same kind of humor, and when Sandler does what he does best, it's shallow but good humor.

Rating: B-.