Sep 21, 2008 03:00 PM
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(Updated Sep 21, 2008 08:55 PM)
Sandler is back .. and how !
I am a big time Adam Sandler fan. He has been known to bring forth society issues and prejudices in his own funny yet firm way. Among all his movies I have seen including Zohan , I think I loved Anger Management and 50 First Dates the best.
That doesn't mean that the Zohan was not good. It was very entertaining. But let me , here, give a statutory warning, it is not everbody's cup of cake.
Slapstick comedy, which has always been a part of Sandler movies, has been blown up by leaps and bounds in this one. The whole plot revolves around an Israeli Special Forces Soldier (Sandler) who fakes his death so he can re-emerge in New York City as a hair stylist.
Like many of his movies it has a social message as well. It brings into light the paranoia, the Americans have for people of color neither white nor black. It also brings to light the ever continuing war between the Palestines and Israel.The movie also addresses stereotypes held by Americans regarding Middle Easterners and Arabs in particular.
Zohan is mistaken for an Arab by an angry commuter, who tells him to "get back to his pretzel stand". A traditionally clad and bearded Palestinan (Nasser) complains that all Arabs have been stereotyped as terrorists, but a fellow Arab points out that even he wouldn't get on the same plane as Nasser due to his appearance. Similarly, one of the Israelis complains to the Arabs that "people don't like us, because we look like you!"
Scattered amid the more puerile humor of the film are some "good and unexpectedly sophisticated jokes" revolving around Israel-Arab conflicts in the Middle East.One joke involves the frequent trading of prisoners from Israel with prisoners held by Arab states or groups, another is about preparations for future fighting even as peace talks are ongoing. Some material is taken from Israeli culture, including a running joke about hummus and a supposedly Israeli orange soda called "Fizzy Bubblech".
This movie has witnessed a lot of mixed reviews. Like I mentioned, it's not veryones piece of cake.
On the positive side, TIME claimed the film to be a "laugh riot", and Roger Ebert of the Chicago Sun-Times gave the film 3 out of 4 stars. David Edelstein of New York Magazine went as far as to say "Adam Sandler is mesmerizing" and A.O Scott of The New York Times said it was "the finest post-Zionist action-hairdressing sex comedy I have ever seen". Entertainment Weekly gave the movie a C+ grade, calling it "another 'mess' from Sandler".
Well a mess or whatever else .... I absolutely loved the movie and though Sandler's given better movies but I thought the movie was adorable.
