You Don't Mess with the Zohan | Teen Ink

You Don't Mess with the Zohan

June 2, 2019
By MovieReviewer_18 ELITE, Short Hills, New Jersey
MovieReviewer_18 ELITE, Short Hills, New Jersey
678 articles 0 photos 8 comments

 You Don't Mess with the Zohan proves to be a surprisingly charming comedy that actually manages to touch upon real political issues and combines with Adam Sandler's love of nonsense to create a truly interesting adventure to behold. Zohan Dvir is a soldier that fights for Israel and is the country's first line of defense against any shape and form of terrorism. Zohan is beloved in Israel for defending the country, and he is one of the best at what he does, if not the best. He spends time using his elaborate training to ensure that the bad guys don't win, but even though he lives this violent, action-packed life, he actually is beginning to get sick of this life, simply because this isn't what he wants to do with his life. Zohan wants to become a hairstylist in New York. However, no one approves of this, since they obviously think that a tough, trained soldier like Zohan should be serving his country, not wasting his time cutting hair. Because of this, Zohan finally finds the perfect opportunity to leave his old life behind when he is battling his arch-nemesis, The Phantom, who happens to be a terrorist. While fighting in a sea, Zohan is able to fake his own death, giving him the ability to flee to New York City and do his best to accomplish his dreams. However, not only must Zohan struggle with a new way of life, but he must also once again battle with The Phantom, who discovers that he is still alive, and he must deal with racial tensions in America between Israelis and Palestinians. 


 You Don't Mess with the Zohan is an unpredictable adventure that proves to be quite the comedic tale. The beginning of the movie manages to smoothly introduce Zohan, as well as his skills as a soldier. However, the middle of the movie is definitely one of the weaker portions, but it still does manage to provide some hilarious scenes that make the watching experience that much better. The enticing ending of the movie may not be that exhilarating but it touches on real world political problems, like the unnecessary fighting between Israelis and Palestinians, which is something that most probably wouldn't expect from this otherwise goofy movie. The conclusion of the movie manages to wrap back together with the start to create a cohesive story throughout. 
 

You Don't Mess with the Zohan may be a mostly goofy movie, but that doesn't mean that it isn't fun or entertaining to watch. As a comedy, there are plenty of humorous scenes dispersed throughout the movie, and it shouldn't be that surprising to see that the movie has comedy on multiple depths and layers. The concept may seem like crude goofiness, but the movie actually has plenty of clever jokes that mostly include the movie making fun of its own characters and plot points, like how Zohan is one of the world's best soldiers but all he wants to do is cut hair, which isn't considered by many to be one of the most masculine things. 
 

Despite how viewers seem to enjoy You Don't Mess with the Zohan, it strangely isn't beloved by critics. Rotten Tomatoes gave the movie a poor 37%, and IMDb gave the movie a low 5.5/10. However, an outstanding 90% of Google users liked the movie, which should be enough to convince potential viewers, since how typical watchers felt is probably the most important statistic of them all, due to how that's the movie's target audience. 

You Don't Mess with the Zohan combines together action, drama, and comedy to create a surprisingly enjoyable adventure that will surely please. It will surpass any and all expectations, as it reintroduces audiences to the true extent of the American dream. Unlike Zohan, this isn't a movie that people don't want to mess with, but instead, this is one to watch. 


The author's comments:

"I just want to make people silky smooth!" - Zohan


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