You Don't Mess with the Zohan (flim): a perfect example of Sandler

in getyerlearnon •  6 years ago 

When this movie was released in 2008 I have to admit that I was already burned out on Sandler movies. Therefore I didn't actually watch it until some students of mine were laughing their butts off at the computer during lunch break. They were watching clips from this movie and well, the kids were not wrong, it was funny.

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Sandler plays the lead role of Zohan Dvir and is a commando for Israeli special forces or something like that. It doesn't really matter. Basically he is superhuman performing such impossible acts like telepathically controlling his own severed hand to win a battle and then reattaching the hand and swimming faster than a jetski.

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Despite his abilities and obvious value to the military he secretly longs to fulfill his dream of moving to New York City to become a hairdresser. Realizing that the military will never let him go he fakes his own death and sneaks into the cargo hold of a plane heading to New York. While below he changes his look and also does some styling work on a few dogs that are down there with him.

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Once arriving in New York, Zohan has changed his name to "Scrappy Coco" (see above picture,) and slowly has to come to terms that he is not a superstar in USA and no one wants to hire him. Eventually the tables turn (as you would expect) and there ends up being a localized Palestinian / Israeli conflict in his neighborhood that eventually Zohan and his arch-nemesis "the Phantom" have to sort out using their superpowers.

I realize after spell-checking my work that I probably haven't made the film sound very good because to be honest I don't know how to describe it. I just know this: The film is absurd but in a good way. This is one of my favorite later Sandler movies because it is so over the top and it also kind of pokes fun at stereotypes of Israelis and Palestinians but in a good-natured way such as the fact that they are putting hummus on everything and everyone really really likes Mariah Carey and hacky sack.

Trust me on this: You will laugh if you watch this. Also, this kind of returns to something i as writing about a few articles ago about how Sandler knows how to make money using this very specific formula. This movie was only considered a "moderate success" by making a mere $100 million.

7.5 / 10

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Adam Sandler is a legend.. Happy Gilmore and Billy Madison are classics. Times have changed, in my opinion movies in the 90s and early 2000s were the best years.

You definitely named the two of the three best Sandler movies (I would include the Wedding Singer), with Happy Gilmore being my favorite.

These were the Sandler movies before the plots got so convoluted. After these movies, the jokes were still great, like in the Zohan, but you lost any sense of a character based meaningful story. (I am not including Sandler's sincere dramas, which aren't funny).

On a personal note, Jim Carrey's "Dumb and Dumber" was the funniest nineties movie lol.

I suspect though, that your sense that movies were best in the '90s is simply a function of a fondly remembered youth. We attach to the pictures and books and tv that we remember from our young days a nostalgia that makes them seem the best. We become like our parents, shaking their heads and telling us that nobody is as funny as Jerry Lewis or The Rat Pack used to be.

Truth is, in the seventies, Mel Brooks and Gene Wilder created a laugh riot in Blazing Saddles, and John Belushi was a king in Animal House.

And in the eighties, Bill Murray RULED in Caddyshack, Stripes and Ghostbusters. And I loved how, hearing the word "Surely" in "Airplane," Leslie Neilson's pilot so dryly would say: "Don't call me Shirley."

And more recently, "The Hangover" movies have killed me with laughter, including and especially in the post credit scenes, recapping their bachelor party antics! And there's Melissa McCarthy in "Spy," and Kevin Hart in anything.

Funny remains funny, but the heart is where our youth was. :)

Hello @thejohalfiles I see you good people, always give big vote to others, you want to share with others, hopefully your good fortune to be your life

Now that sounds really funny, but at the same time cool....
Never heard about this movie, but i'll love to check it up; i could laugh my ass off as well 😀

I like that movie .

And I'm Israeli ,
Its so God damm funny.

And Also I Forgot To Give You My 100 % Upvote For this post. NOW, i done this.

Hiii... Gooddream

Good And Perfect Review.Whenever You Give more 7 or 7 Rank to Movies. It is always good to see. Your judgement always perfect.Great job.

I've been a fan of Adam Sandler for much of my life. . . all the way back to his SNL and 'Airheads' days. I've seen him go through many phases, from some great films like 'Punch-Drunk Love,' 'Reign Over Me,' and 'Big Daddy' to some of his lower-end films like 'Eight Crazy Nights' and 'Little Nicky.'

'You Don't Mess With the Zohan' is not one of his best films, but it's still enjoyable. Personally, I'd place it along the comedic quality of 'Billy Madison'. . . contains mostly sight gags and juvenile humour. But, c'mon. . . sometimes that's what we need. Our world is going to Hell, so shouldn't we have some relief from the pain and torment we must witness on a daily basis? No. It's not a great film. But it's funny and stupid and entertaining. And that's the reason to see it. . . don't expect a comedic masterpiece like 'His Girl Friday' or 'Forrest Gump.' Expect what the film actually is and accept it as such. . . if it's not for you, then it wasn't MEANT for you.

@gooddream I think the funniest comedy of all time played by Adam Sandler is Blended. This movie is a romantic comedy film directed by Frank Coraci.

It's about two families who happen to be vacationing in the same place. Both families are equally single parent. Uniquely they have been met in a blind date. Children's actions and holiday conditions in Africa make this film very neat and enjoyable to watch with family.

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He is an amazing actor shining with full light.Adam Sandler is my favorite actor
@gooddream

When this movie was released in 2008 I have to admit that I was already burned out on Sandler movies.
hahaha I'm still burned out on Sandler movies hahaha. I have to say that my favorite sandler movie is Spanglish, maybe because the plot don't gravitates around him. I haven't seen this yet.
When this movie was released in 2008 I have to admit that I was already burned out on Sandler movies.
hahaha I'm still burned out on Sandler movies hahaha. I have to say that my favorite sandler movie is Spanglish, maybe because the plot don't gravitates around him. I haven't seen this yet.

This movie seems to be interesting, I wonder why I haven't watched it yet! but yes the way you had described it had made me curious to watch the movie. You are a good critic

this movie has its good moments, but it is pretty bad. review CHIPS (the one from 2017) or 'hot shots' in stead.