You Don't Mess with the Zohan

Spanks - 2.5

Director - Dennis Dugan

Writers - Adam Sandler, Robert Smigel, Judd Apatow

Starring - Adam Sandler, John Turturro, Emmanuelle Chriqui, Nick Swardson, Rob Schneider

Release Date - 6 June 08

MPAA Rating - PG-13

Even though this film is a comedy, it is also shows talks of racism, and how messed up things are in Israel with the Arabs and Israelis. The film does not live up to previous Adam Sandler movies made back in the 90s in laughs. This is, however, his first film I have seen since Mr. Deeds. It was stupid, but funny, but not as funny as Harold & Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay.

You Don't Mess with the Zohan follows Zohan Dvir (played by Adam Sandler trying to sound like Borat) who leaves the Israeli Special Forces to move to New York City to work as a hair stylist for Paul Mitchell. He gets thrown out of Paul Mitchell's and goes to work for Dhalia Hakbarah (played by the super hot Emmanuelle Chriqui), the palestinian who owns the salon across the street from his cousins electronics store. Meanwhile Salim Husaamdiyaa (Rob Schneider) has moved to New York and finds out Zohan is there and he calls Zohan's nemesis The Phantom to tell him Zohan is in New York. Then there is Mr. Walbridge, the rich developer who wants to turn the Isreali/Arab community of New York into the first mall with its own roller coaster.

The funniest character in the movie is The Phantom. John Turturro is a great actor who is always plays a secondary character. The film has cameos by Chris Rock, Kevin Nealon, George Takei, Mariah Carey, and John McEnroe to name a few. The films message is peace. Will it come down in history as the movie that united Israel and Palestine? Most likely not, but it will shed some light on the problem in the Middle East to the young followers of Adam Sandler.