Cast: Adam Sandler, Rob Schneider

Director: Dennis Dugan

Screenplay: Robert Smigel, Judd Apatow

Running time: 1 hr 26 mins

Genre: Comedies



CRITIQUE:


We, the human species of rational minds, are more than capable to distinguish a movie that is so-good-because- it’s-funny from a movie that is so-funny-because-it’s-so-bad. This Adam Sandler’s latest outing, bringing you the news unapologetically, belongs to the latter disaster. From its title that seems to have been picked up straight from a park playground, this is nothing short of ridiculous. It has the features of a typical Sandler movie – sex gags, fart jokes, slapstick antics – but this time, a lot weaker and brow-raising rather than face-smiling. For what supposed to be a hilarious film, with a material that emanated from the outrageousness of culture clashes of the Middle East and America, it falls flat on its face, hardly picking itself up from the pointlessly unfunny opening montage (the titular Zohan strutting like a Baywatch hero) to the development of its plot (cue hair-stylis- cum-shagging-machine Zohan zooming to America, fisticuffs down, scissors up and a whole lot of noise). One could easily judge this as Sandler’s frailest movie affair.


Shockingly, the name Judd Apatow, the comedic panache behind the gems THE 40-YEAR OLD VIRGIN and KNOCKED UP, is attached with the co-writing duties when everything that seems to come out from Zohan’s mouth is dull. This cataclysm can perhaps be blamed to Sandler himself, an obsessor of comedy formula that sheds off its fun factor along the years. For what is presented here looked rather like Sandler’s answer to BORAT and the shenanigans at the Lakeside, with added contemporary political subtext of terrorism and the neverending issues between Israel and Palestine. The result is an uneven film that tries very hard to be funny, as aimless as what it’s trying to say, whether to adore the diva-esque Mariah Carey (here appears as cameo) or fight rednecks and do a Harlem brawl. And those sexual innuendoes in a hair salon are not funny at all.


VERDICT:

No apologies needed Sandler – but this tosh has got to be stopped. A film that’s meant to deliver humour ends up gross, turgid, and downright daft for the dull-brained.



RATING: F