You Don't Mess With The Zohan

I was going to launch into a scathing attack on this film, but a funny thing happened on the way to the review...

I realised I'd rather enjoyed this.

Most Adam Sandler films I can take or leave. Happy Gilmore is probably my favourite and while this film isn't that memorable, it is certainly funny in places and well written. The physical gags are pretty good as are a lot of Sandler's lines.

Gets a tad preachy towards the end and has the usual slushy ending, as you'd expect.

Score: C Enjoyable and quite funny in places.

OQ: OK! I have your mother one more time and we go!

Trivia:

• Co-writer Robert Smigel revealed that the movie was mostly written in the year 2000, but it was delayed after 9/11 due to the terrorist themes in the film.
• Adam Sandler's character Zohan was loosely based off of a real-life hairstylist named Nezi Arbib in Solana Beach of San Diego, California. Sandler and the film crew came to the stylist (who was in fact a former Israeli soldier turned stylist) in order for Sandler himself to learn different hairstyling techniques and mannerisms.
• Throughout the film, Zohan and other Israeli characters use various Hebrew words and phrases. These include, but are not limited to, Aba - Father; Ima - Mother; B'seder - Okay; and Faygelah - Homosexual.
• Sandler's longtime friend and former college roommate, Eric Lamonsoff, who was previously mentioned in both The Wedding Singer (1998) and Click (2006/I), makes his debut film appearance as Hamdi's Passenger.
• Most of the guns used by the Zohan and the terrorists in the film are weapons manufactured by Israeli Military Industries (such as the Uzi submachine gun, Galil assault rifle, and the Jericho 941 and Desert Eagle handguns).
• The Arabic text on The Phantom's head band spells SH-B-H, or 'Shabbah'.
• Adam Sandler's daughter, Sadie, and wife, Jackie, make an appearance at the end of the movie. His daughter is seen taking a "Goat Ride", while his wife holds onto her.