You Don't Mess With The Zohan Review

For every interesting role Adam Sandler has taken in recent years, he seems to feel obliged to follow it up with one of his trademark brainless comedies. Hence, his disturbing role in the brilliant "Punch Drunk Love" was followed by "Mr Deeds" and last year's "Reign Over Me" preceded "I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry" by a matter of months. For Sandler devotees though, a new film from his Happy Madison stable represents a major cinematic event, regardless of the quality. It has become a formula as predictable as the Bond franchise, the audience anticipating a mix of toilet humour, comedic violence, a sentimental romantic subplot and the obligatory star cameos from the Sandler comedy troupe. In Sandler's case, familiarity appears to have bred success rather than contempt, as his films have grossed close to $1.5 billion in the United States alone. "You Don't Mess With the Zohan" has continued this financial trend but looks set to court controversy with its contentious premise.

Sandler plays the titular Zohan, an almost superhuman Israeli commando, who dreams of becoming a hairstylist in New York. Despite his jaded feelings towards the military, he takes on a mission to assassinate a Palestinian terrorist named Phantom, played with anarchic glee by John Turturro. However, rather than completing his mission, Zohan turns his back on his country and fakes his own death in order to head to America for his new life.

Fans of Sandler will always find something to enjoy in his films, as they are ostensibly fans of him rather than his work. These comedies are sold on personality above all else and the likes of "Happy Gilmore" and "The Waterboy" were certainly guilty pleasures. On this occasion, the flippant treatment of such serious subject matter makes the experience of viewing Zohan guilty, but not a pleasure. Racial stereotyping and questionable politics are a distraction from the unpretentious fun that is at the centre of all Sandler's most popular films.

There are laughs in Zohan, mainly in the middle section as our protagonist begins to realise his dream of making the world 'silky smooth'. However, although Sandler clearly knows his audience, he still doesn't provide enough here. His performance is so overpowering that it comes at the expense of everything else in the film, upsetting the balance quite spectacularly. His romance with Entourage's Emmanuelle Chiriqui lacks the chemistry so apparent in Sandler's collaborations with Drew Barrymore and is wholly unconvincing.

A few laughs to be had, if you can overlook the politics, but "You Don't Mess With the Zohan" won't win Sandler any new fans and will almost certainly disappoint the converted.