"Yes is the foot. Is the foot uppercut!"
Alright so the first time I saw a preview for this movie was when I went to the theaters and saw "The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian," and from the moment I finished seeing the trailer, I knew I HAD TO see this movie. It looked like a downright LAUGH RIOT! This was mostly the case, except for a couple of moments that leave you going "What?" or "Urrgh," lolz, and even THOSE moments even make you laugh at the amount of stupidity in them. Usually, I hate those kind of comedy movies. Hate them with a passion you could say, but this one didn't have ALL the supposedly funny moments be stupidly funny. Just a couple, and THAT I could live with. Who'd have thought that I'd actually find an Appatow film that I'd enjoy, huh? I know I didn't, but I also know that this is most likely the only one that I WILL like, and I gave it a chance because it was Adam Sandler's company that made it, and it starred Adam Sandler. I'm glad I DID give it a chance, too because it turned out to be hilarious. It is a direly crude comedy, and I'd expect no less from Apatow, but this one was pretty good. I recommend it to you now. lolz.
The director of this movie was Dennis Dugan, and he brings us a movie that makes us laugh our asses off, or at least I laughed my ass off (Well, not in the literal sense of course, but you know what I mean!!!!! LOLZ!!!!!) He does a great job, lending his vision for this hilariously written movie, and makes it great. Nothing too dumb or out of average, except the fact that they over exaggerated soem things, but that's alright too. The movie is cleverly written by Adam Sandler (Rock ON!!!!!), Robert Smigel, and..... Judd Apatow (Ugh, but he did alright.). Luckily Sandler and Smigel were there to take away from his stupidity. lolz. Theses three produced quite the funny movie, and it really makes you laugh. It's also a very original story too, even if it plays on certain stereotypes. I'm still trying to figure out whether or not the Israeli/Palestini Mariah Carey loving thing is a true stereotype or not, but it's funny anyway. lolz. They all four did great working together writing, and then bringing to life, such an awesome and hilarious movie. It really makes you laugh a lot.
The visuals of this movie are not really a giant basis for it, since the plot doesn't call for too many giant robots, mutated pirate fish, or blood sucking bat-humans, but the visuals that it does call for are done very well, and also make you laugh at how out of the blue most of it is, and how fantastically and unrealistically they make Zohan out to be the greatest soldier there is. That's another thing that's really funny about the movie. Some of the things that they have him do, things that show how skillful with the different weapons he uses that he is. One thing he does that's towards the beginning, is something I'll try to explain, but really you need to see for yourself. A man with a gun tries to shoot him, and he grabs the bullets out of the air and throws them aside, and when he gets to the guy with the gun, he rips the gun apart in about two or three seconds. It's hilarious. Also, he does pushups with his tongue. That's something that could be construed as interesting to see. lolz. One more scene he beats up these three dudes spraypainting stuff, and he does it in about four seconds, moving all blurrily and stuff. It's really funny. So the visuals of the movie, however strange and out of the blue they may seem, or how fantastical and unrealistic they are, are really funny to see, really well done, and really help to add more to the movie.
The storyline of this movie, as I pointed out earlier, looked hilarious when I first saw the trailer, and I was right to judge this book by it's cover (Have you ever noticed that that particular phrase is used only when you say something bad about stuff, LOLZ!!!!!). Like I ALSO pointed out, the story was extremely original, I mean how many movies about the most elite Iraqi counter terrorists turning into hair stylists have YOU seen? For me? There is not one movie about the most elite Iraqi Counter Terrorists turning into a hair stylist that I'VE seen anyway. lolz. This original movie has quite the interesting storyline. Israel's leading militant and mercenary has decided that he is sick of his countries fighting, and his being used for fighting, and decides to fake his own death, and move to America to pursue his dream, styling hair. When he arrives he is recognized immediately, and now must fight for his freedom, and his dream of making everyone silky-smooth. The movie really captures your attention from the beginning, by making you giggle a lot. Then it makes you outright laugh, and like my Dad read in a review in a newspaper "You'll laugh out loud, and then swear you'll never do it again, and then BAM, you laugh out loud again, starting the circle all over. lolz. Definitely an original, funny, and awesome storyline and movie.
Starring in the lead role of his company's movie, is Adam Sandler, playing Zohan Dvir, an Israeli Counter-Terrorist. Zohan Dvir is his country's best and most elite mercenaries, and when he is taken from his vacation, he decides that he has had enough of his country's fighting, and sets plans to capture back a terrorist that was traded, named "The Phantom." He feigns being blown up, and immediately heads to America where he will pursue his dream of becoming a hair stylist, but everywhere he turns everyone laughs at the haircut he gave himself, since his Paul Mitchell book was so outdated. He does good though, finding a job on the Israeli/Palestinian block, on the Palestinian side. At first he was leary of going to work on his enemy's side, but he decides that since he came here to get away from all of the fighting, then he'd just get used to it. What he finds there is not what he wanted, but he is eager to prove himself. He starts out sweeping up hair, catching it all as he falls, until one day, when one of the workers quits, he gets the chance to prove himself, and cuts another woman's hair, and then, well, uh, "Bangs her," to use his words, as it is a compliment supposedly where he is from. Soon his reputation is made known, and women from far and wide come to get a haircut, and uh, get banged. Well as was inevitable, Zohan is recognized by a Palestinian with a grudge against him, and must also fight off a tyrannical corporate manager to keep his freedom in his country, but as he soon begins to realize, he cannot, uh, bang his customers anymore because he has begun to fall in love with his manager, and thinks that she is "The One." Adam Sandler is my other favorite comedy actor, by other I of course mean the fact that I said Mike Myers was one of my two favorite comedians in my review for "The Love Guru." In this movie he makes Zohan what he is, and he does great. He makes the characters seemingly nice and goodhearted actions all the more funny, and makes the character what he is. I think that no one else could have made this character what Adam Sandler did. He creates a character that is both believable and convincing, as well as one you can sort of relate to (You know, following your dreams and everything.), as well as a character that you can feel for, since he is so tired of all of his country's fighting. He was definitely a great casting choice for this role.
Starring in this movie as the villain, and seemingly downright bad guy, is John Turturro, and his character is called "The Phantom." "The Phantom" is one of Palestine's biggest hitman/mercenaries. Sort of the Palestinian Zohan, if you will, and at the beginning we find that Zohan was pulled off of his vacation to hunt down and track "The Phantom." "The Phantom" was previously captured and jailed by Zohan, so to Zohan it was quite the surprise to hear that they traded "The Phantom," who was quite possibly Palestine's greatest weapon, for some random and weak other prisoners. Now "The Phantom" is on the run again, and is being chased by Zohan. However, when Zohan finally catches up to "The Phantom," "The Phantom runs, and gives Zohan a run for his money. When "The Phantom" ends up getting on a speed boat thingy, he runs and Zohan of course catches up, soon, they begin fighting, and play an interesting match of Grenade Ping-Pong, resulting in Zohan's death. Now, "The Phantom" is a Palestinian hero, and revered by everyone, even opening a chain of Palestinian fast food restaurants. Soon however, "The Phantom" learns that Zohan is not dead, but for some reason faked his death, and ran away to America. His hero position is jeopardized, and he heads to America to finish this once and for all. Though I do not know who John Turturro is, he does a great job in this movie, and makes this character hilarious, while at the same time relatively menacing. He gets down the character's emotions, as well as his feelings at being named a hero perfectly, and that makes the character even more funny. I'm sure that no one else could take this role either, and that's what else is great. He was definitely another great casting choice for this movie.
Emanuelle Chirqui stars in this movie as the love of Zohan Dvir's life, Dalia. Dalia owns a Salon on the Israeli/Palestinian street, on the Palestinian side when a man claiming to be named Scrappy Cocoa from Australia/Tibet comes in wanting a job, and having absolutely no experience in the haircutting business. She has some sympathy for the strange man, and allows him to come into her business to work as a sort of lacky, cleaning up hair and the likes, cleaning things for no pay. However, when one of her employees quits, she begins to worry, since their new landlord is charging her a higher price every day out of the blue so that she will sell out to him, and allow her store to be put in the big mall that the landlord wants to build and put the other stores out of business, but she won't let them. However, one of her customers decides that she wouldn't mind having Zohan cut her hair. Dalia decides it's going to have to work, and hopes for the best. It turns out great, and soon she has many customers coming to get their hair cut by Scrappy Cocoa, as well as get a little something something. lolz. She is really happy, and she notices, too, that Zohan seems to have really fallen in love with her, and she pulls away, ignoring the fact that she is falling in love with him as well. Emanuelle Chirqui, whoever she is, lolz, does a great job in this movie as well, playing her character wonderfully, and making it a very good performance. She delivers all of the characters emotions, worries, and feelings very well, and helps to make the character funny, even though her character is a character that is mostly funny because of how she reacts to everything that Zohan does. She definitely makes this a convincing and believable character, as well as one that you can really feel for (In and of her feelings that she should pull away to avoid any pain.), as well as one you can relate to (Being afraid of the pain, and all that.). She was definitely another great casting choice for this movie.
Starring in this movie, surprisingly, is Rob Schneider, one of my least favorite actors (Even though he seems to be in every movie that Adam Sandler ever does), and he plays the other bad guy, the Palestinian with a grudge, named Salim. Salim was once part of a Palestinian village that was raided by Zohan Dvir and his cohorts. He was not taken, but he ended up throwing a shoe at Zohan anyway, Zohan offered him lenience, but then Salim spit in his face, and Zohan nearly knocked him out, and then took his Goat. The Goat that Salim loved so very much. Now Salim has run away to America to get freedom from all the fighting in his country. He now works as a disgruntled taxi driver/telemarketer, and he is sort of living a good life. He at least makes a living. That is, until he spots the legendary, and supposedly dead, Zohan Dvir working at a Salon on the Israeli/Palestinian street, on the Palestinian side, and he immediately sets to finding a means of eliminating him, but when he cannot, he sets to blackmailing "The Phantom," since "The Phantom" is supposed to have killed Zohan, and become a big hero to their people. He succeeds, but still tries to find the means of ending his hated nemesis, Zohan. He enlists the help of two of his Palestinian buddies, and wants to have them in on his profits as well, no matter how dim witted he was in negotiating with "The Phantom." Though I dislike Rob Schneider, he does a good job in this movie, and plays the character well. He makes all of the characters dislike, worries, and anger at not getting what he wants faster very believable, and he even makes the character funny. He delivers a concincing and believable performance, as well as one you can relate to sort of (You know you've wanted revenge before!!!!! LOLZ!!!!!), and feel for, sort of (Since he lost his best friend [The Goat. LOLZ!!!!!]). He was yet another great casting choice for this role.
All in all this movie was definitely as funny as it looked, and it definitely looked hilarious. Not a five star movie, of course, but one that is definitely worth the watch. The directing of this movie was done perfectly by someone who has great vision for what he's trying to create, using what he got from someone's written work, and creates it well. The writing of the movie is also definitely done by people who know exactly what it is that they're doing, and also do it very well, giving us a hilarious, as well as very interesting, and original movie, that'll definitely make us laugh. The visuals of this movie, though not the main focus of it, definitely are done well, and sort of tie the movie together, making things even funnier, if that is, indeed, possible, since the movie was already funny to begin with. The storyline of this movie, as I've previously stated, is quite hilarious, and definitely makes you laugh. As well, the story is also, as I've ALSO previously mentioned, incredibly original, which is something that you don't see in movies lately, ESPECIALLY, comedy movies. The acting in the movie pulls everything together, and the performances done by all the actors and actresses are ones that are incredibly believable and convincing, as well as ones that you can, on different scales, able to relate to, and/or feel for. So yeah, I do recommend this movie. It's very funny, and will keep you interested and laughing throughout the whole thing. There is even a cameo from the beautiful singer, Mariah Carey, and she has a pretty funny part in it. I'm definitely glad that My Dad bought me this for my Birthday because it turned out great, and is now one of my new favorite Adam Sandler movies, up there with "Big Daddy" and "The Water Boy!!!!!"
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