You Don't Mess With the Zohan 06/09/08

Looking back at my movie reviews I find that this is the first Adam Sandler movie I've ever officially critiqued. I haven't been too eager to see a Sandler film after I was hoodwinked into seeing 'Anger Management' which really sucked. It wasn't the bad taste that had killed it. Overall it was the incredible lack of creativity. Sandler has had a string of really lazy movies. I think 'Zohan' may be his most creative in years. For one thing his new character doesn't yell and scream in annoying rants like many of his characters. He still inflicts pain but it is calm and collected and because of this much more enjoyable. 
The story involves an Israeli counterterrorist played by Sandler who is superhuman at his job but who tires at the ceaseless violence in the Middle East. He one day fakes his death while fighting a superhuman terrorist played by John Turturro, escapes to the New York City, and follows his dream to become a hairdresser. There he falls for a Palestinian woman and is amazed to find that on the same street Israelis and Arabs coexist nonviolently. Cue the cultural stereotypes, funny accents, hummus, and goats. Still there seems to be a great deal of sincerity in the premise and I'm glad that Sandler had the guts to do it. 
The best thing about this movie is the action. Zohan and Turturro possess superhuman powers. They catch bullets, walk on ceilings, have enormous packages, etc. etc. etc. There is a scene where they face off each other and take turns screaming 'I feel no pain.' How they resolve the dispute involves one of the worst things you can think of. There is this magic aura around the movie where Zohan can do incredible feats and nobody seems to notice. He walks across the street to apply for the job at the salon and spontaneously breaks out into dance. He bangs scores of old ladies. He brushes his teeth with humus. All of this seems appropriate. 
I would only change one thing from this movie. There's a subplot that concerns a developer who tries to turn the street into a mall. He hires a bunch of redneck whiteys to incite the Israelis and Palestinians to fight each other. This was a mistake. I don't think they should be in the movie. That way you keep the conflict between the Israelis and Arabs where it would be more meaningful and it would shave the least funny ten minutes out of the movie. I also could have done without the overload of peepee jokes. I can take a load of them, just not an overload. I didn't mind the banging hot mamas scenes. 
I'd also like to mention actor Nick Swardson, a good character actor. He had basically one joke in this movie, but he must have made me laugh a dozen times. Rob Schneider wasn't bad also.