Adam Sandler in You Don't Mess with the Zohan (Columbia Pictures)
By Vikram Bhoyrul
As soon as I saw the title Happy Madison Productions, I thought, "Here we go again. Another typical Adam Sandler movie." After watching You Don't Mess with The Zohan (opening June 6 throughout San Diego), I realized that to a large extent my initial predictions were right. There was a happy ending and once again the good guy character played by Adam Sandler defeated all odds as he lived the lifestyle of his dreams. What made this movie worthwhile was that Sandler took humor to a different level than we have seen him do in the past. He was far more sexual, and touched on current events such as the crisis in the Middle East. Although he was by no means accurate (he was supposed to be Israeli but his accent sounded kind of French) and employed Arab stereotypes, he was still funny. The movie was not a family movie but it grabbed the attention of the audience very well. The continuous use of hummus, disco dances, intimate scenes with elderly women, and sex jokes made for a good laugh.
Overall You Don't Mess with the Zohan (rated & PG-13 for crude and sexual content throughout, language and nudity) was better than I expected but I don't think it's something I could watch more than once or twice.
Vikram Bhoyrul is a senior at The Bishop's School in La Jolla. For years film has been a passion of his. Besides Star Wars, his favorite movies are Children of Men, Cinderella Man, Life of Brian, and without question The Lion King. He would also like to become a journalist when he grows up. His goal is to become an influential network anchor. In his free time he likes running, singing, watching Fresh Prince of Bel Air, and cooking. At high school, he is the editor of his own school newspaper, and in college he wishes to major in journalism.
