IMDb > You Don't Mess with the Zohan (2008)
You Don't Mess with the Zohan
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You Don't Mess with the Zohan (2008) More at IMDbPro »

Photos (see all 90 | slideshow) Videos (see all 24)
You Don't Mess with the Zohan (2008) -- You Don't Mess with the Zohan - 30 second spot
You Don't Mess with the Zohan (2008) -- Clip: Hezbollah Hotline
Kung Fu Panda (2008) -- As "You Don't Mess With The Zohan" and "Kung Fu Panda" debut in theaters simultaneously, film critic Jess Cagle tells which flick is likely to win in this comedy showdown at the box office.
You Don't Mess with the Zohan (2008) -- You Don't Mess with the Zohan Trailer
You Don't Mess with the Zohan (2008) -- An Israeli Special Forces Soldier fakes his death so he can re-emerge in New York City as a hair stylist.

Overview

User Rating:
5.7/10   45,457 votes
MOVIEmeter: ?
Down 16% in popularity this week. See why on IMDbPro.
Director:
Dennis Dugan
Writers (WGA):
Adam Sandler (written by) &
Robert Smigel (written by) ...
more
Contact:
View company contact information for You Don't Mess with the Zohan on IMDbPro.
Release Date:
6 June 2008 (USA) more
Genre:
Action | Comedy | Drama more
Tagline:
Lather. Rinse. Save the world. more
Plot:
An Israeli Special Forces Soldier fakes his death so he can re-emerge in New York City as a hair stylist. full summary | add synopsis
Plot Keywords:
more
Awards:
1 win & 1 nomination more
NewsDesk:
(86 articles)
First Teaser For Adam Sandler's Grown Ups
 (From Screenrush. 13 November 2009, 3:25 AM, PST)
Movie Trailer: Adam Sandler’s New Comedy Grown Ups
 (From Slash Film. 12 November 2009, 4:49 PM, PST)
User Comments:
Not as bad as everyone says. more (318 total)

Cast

  (Cast overview, first billed only)

Adam Sandler ... Zohan Dvir

John Turturro ... The Phantom / Fatoush

Emmanuelle Chriqui ... Dahlia
Nick Swardson ... Michael

Lainie Kazan ... Gail

Ido Mosseri ... Oori

Rob Schneider ... Salim
Dave Matthews ... James
Michael Buffer ... Walbridge
Charlotte Rae ... Mrs. Greenhouse

Keana Texeira ... Rock-throwing Girl

Sayed Badreya ... Hamdi

Daoud Heidami ... Nasi

Kevin Nealon ... Kevin
Robert Smigel ... Yosi
more

Additional Details

MPAA:
Rated PG-13 for crude and sexual content throughout, language and nudity.
Parents Guide:
View content advisory for parents
Runtime:
113 min
Country:
USA
Language:
English | Hebrew
Color:
Color
Aspect Ratio:
1.85 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
SDDS | Dolby Digital | DTS
Certification:
Australia:M | Singapore:NC-16 | USA:PG-13 (certificate #44058) | Ireland:15A | UK:12A | Sweden:11 | Finland:K-13 | Canada:14A (Alberta/British Columbia/Manitoba/Nova Scotia/Ontario) | Canada:G (Quebec) | Switzerland:12 (canton of Vaud) | Switzerland:12 (canton of Geneva) | Netherlands:12 | South Korea:15 | Philippines:PG-13 (MTRCB) | Germany:6 | Hong Kong:IIB | Malaysia:U | Portugal:M/12 | Norway:11 | Argentina:16 | India:A (cinema release) | Peru:14 | Austria:12 | Denmark:7 | Iceland:10 | New Zealand:M
Filming Locations:
Backlot, Universal Studios - 100 Universal City Plaza, Universal City, California, USA more
Company:
Happy Madison Productions more

Fun Stuff

Trivia:
The Arabic text on The Phantom's head band spells SH-B-H, or 'Shabbah'. more
Goofs:
Continuity: When Zohan paralyzes the child in the barber chair by pinching his shoulder, the child falls forward with his hands in his lap. Moments later, the comatose child is shown with his hands cushioning his face. more
Quotes:
[first lines]
Danny: You don't mess with the Zohan!
more
Movie Connections:
References "2006 World Series of Poker" (2006) more
Soundtrack:
Hine Ani Ba more

FAQ

Is there a scene after the credits?
What are the differences between the theatrical version (pg-13) and the unrated version later released on dvd?
A NOTE ABOUT SPOILERS
more

User Comments

   (Comment on this title)
203 out of 328 people found the following comment useful.
Not as bad as everyone says., 8 June 2008
7/10
Author: Michael M. from United States

While I've never been a -huge- fan of Adam Sandler's films, I have watched them and laughed throughout most of them. I'm the type of guy who enjoys some slapstick, some raunchy humor, and a lot of zanyness.

I went into Zohan not expecting anything but pure frivolous humor. You don't go into films like this with any expectations, and I think that's where a lot of the reviewers prior to myself went wrong. They went in expecting to see an evolution of Sandler's humor, and while I would say that Zohan raised the bar a tad, it's still Adam Sandler. Yes, it's going to have a corny ending, a lot of physical humor, and a healthy dose of humor aimed at the more intelligent in the crowd as well.

Overall, I couldn't stop giggling, laughing, and chuckling throughout most of the film. After a long streak of not seeing any humor films, I thought it was the perfect thing to bring me back to comedies. The last few years, especially, have been incredibly lackluster in regards to comedies (if that's what evolution of the genre is, count me out, by the way), and I found Zohan refreshing.

I think another thing a lot of the other reviewers missed, is that the film in no way expected to take itself seriously. The only serious moments were cheesy, predictable, and ultimately corny, which is irony in itself and only contributed to my bemused chuckling. Yes, a lot of the humor bordered on racial stereotyping, there were a lot of over-the-top accents and allusions to the Middle East, so if you're the type to get touchy about that, feel free to skip. I found it to be a rather hilarious joke on the seriousness that everybody applies to the stereotyping. The stereotyping is, actually, rather fair and towards the end even shows plenty of "good stereotyping" (as accurate as stereotyping ever is, which is to say, rarely).

Really, the film laughs at itself. Are there some bum moments? Certainly, but it seems that's been the case for almost every film I've seen in the last few years, but it was grand seeing the cast and crew not try to make this the 'next great comedy' and just have a buttload of fun.

And if the cast and crew are laughing at themselves (which you can clearly feel through the screen), you can't help but laugh with them.

If you want to spend an hour or two snickering and have an open mind, give Zohan a shot. Don't expect an evolution of comedy. Don't expect the bar to be raised, because that's not what this film was trying to do. It was trying to be ridiculous and make people utter that ever so fantastic groaning-giggle followed by the heart chuckle.

Don't let the other critics fool you, they've probably forgotten the meaning of the word 'satire'.

Was the above comment useful to you?
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Message Boards

Discuss this movie with other users on IMDb message board for You Don't Mess with the Zohan (2008)
Recent Posts (updated daily)User
I can't believe anyone disliked this film! VercettiUK
On a lighter note caymancic
Maybe I missed it but is there no Funniest Line thred going...? The_Movie_Whore
NO ONE CAN CATCH PHANTOM!! WOOO Midge82
Adam Sandler's worse movies (TOP 5) felipe-andreazzi
Can we list all the instances of hummus used 'creatively'? frugillaria
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