Dennis Dugan (BIG DADDY, HAPPY GILMORE) directs this comedy co-written by Adam Sandler, Judd Apatow, and Robert Smigel. Disco- and hummus-loving Zohan (Sandler) is the Israeli army's best weapon. He can single-handedly take out terrorists and swim like a dolphin, and still find time to charm the ladies. But this lethal weapon is tired of fighting Palestinian terrorists like the Phantom (John Turturro). He has bigger dreams: he wants to cut and style hair. Unfortunately, once Zohan arrives in New York City with a new look straight out of the 1980s and an assumed identity after faking his own death, his lack of experience gets him laughed out of salon after salon. Finally, Dalia (Emmanuelle Chriqui), a Palestinian salon owner, gives him a shot, and the older patrons love him. But just as Zohan is hitting his stride, Salim, a Palestinian New York City cabbie (Rob Schneider) recognizes him, and suddenly the Zohan's dream is in jeopardy.
To confuse matters more, there is a Trump-like developer (Michael Buffer) who is trying to clear out the Manhattan neighborhood where Israelis and Palestinians peacefully coexist in order to build a mall. A bulked-up Sandler is amusing as Zohan, and this is Schneider's best performance in years. Despite the extreme stereotyping, there is an underlying message about the futility of war and fact that people really are, after all, just people. The film is peppered with brief appearances from a menagerie of celebrities, including Chris Rock, Dave Matthews, Charlotte Rae, Kevin James, John McEnroe, Mariah Carey, George Takei, and Bruce Vilanch. Lainie Kazan and Nick Swardson also star in this film as a mother and son who befriend the new immigrant.
DVD Features:
Region 1
Keep Case
Unrated
Anamorphic Widescreen - 1.85
Full Frame - 1.33
Audio:
Dolby Digital 5.1 - English, French
Subtitles - English, French - Optional
Additional Release Material:
Featurette:
1. Zohan's Doubles
2. News On 3: Breaking News Reports
3. Getting Sticky
Distributor Notes: Comedy superstar Adam Sandler is back - and funnier than ever - as The Zohan, the finest counterterrorist agent the Israeli army has. That is, until he fakes his death and travels to Manhattan to live his dream...as a hairdresser. Now this skilled fighting machine who used to clip bad guys is out to prove he can make the cut as a top stylist. All goes silky smooth until his cover is blown when he's recognized by a Palestinian cab driver (Rob Schneider). Now, The Zohan must fight to live a peaceful new life in New York in this razor-sharp action-packed comedy from Adam Sandler, Robert Smigel, Judd Apatow and Dennis Dugan.
Source: Sony Pictures Home Entertainment
Executive Producer
Barry Bernardi: Producer
Executive Producer
Robert Smigel:
Director of Photography
Michael Barrett: Director of Photography
Review 1:
"[A] lot of the crude bodily-function jokes are actually pretty funny, not least because they are supplemented by more hummus-based humor than you might have thought possible."
Source: New York Times
06/11/2008
Review 2:
"[F]unnier than most of the early Sandler vehicles....Sandler deserves credit for trying to mine a serious subject -- the Israeli-Palestinian conflict -- for comic relief."
Source: USA Today
06/06/2008
Review 3:
3 stars out of 5 -- "Co-written by mirth mogul Judd Apatow, this vehicle flaunts Sandler's most appealingly silly character since HAPPY GILMORE."
Source: Total Film
p.153 01/01/2009
Review 4:
3 stars out of 5 -- "Be it playing over-the-top Bondian heroics or wooing shop owner Darlia, Sandler mixes sentiment and silliness into an engaging confection."
Source: Empire
71 09/01/2008