You Don't Mess with the Zohan

You Don't Mess with the Zohan has quietly become one of the more dependable comedies currently available in Australia on Amazon Prime Video and BINGE, and in the US on Hulu. It says what it needs to say in one sitting, no filler. A 6/10 rating says what the writing already makes obvious: this one works. Adam Sandler sets the tone, and the rest of the cast matches it scene for scene. Put it on tonight on Amazon Prime Video and see for yourself.

You Don't Mess with the Zohan is not trying to be everything to everyone, and that focus is exactly what makes it work. Sharp writing and a well-matched ensemble are what separate You Don't Mess with the Zohan from the crowd. An Israeli counterterrorism soldier with a secretly fabulous ambition to become a Manhattan hairstylist. Zohan's desire runs so deep that he'll do anything -- including faking his own death and going head-to-head with an Arab cab driver -- to make his dreams come true. Adam Sandler and Emmanuelle Chriqui lead a cast with the timing to make it work. You Don't Mess with the Zohan came out in 2008. You Don't Mess with the Zohan earns its laughs from character rather than situation, which is why it does not wear thin the way pure farce tends to. There is real craft here, even in the moments that do not fully land.

Comedy fans looking for a reliably funny watch will find it in You Don't Mess with the Zohan. It stands on its own even without an obvious comparison point. Best experienced as a single, sustained watch from start to finish. Adam Sandler's comic timing carries it through its weaker moments. The kind of comedy you recommend to someone who claims they do not watch much.