You Don’t Mess With the Zohan (PG-13)
2 1/2 stars
Israeli soldier Zohan (Adam Sandler) fakes his own death so he can pursue his passion of hairstyling in New York. There he takes work in a salon owned by a beautiful Palestinian woman (Emmanuelle Chriqui) and eventually rekindles his feud with his old nemesis, Phantom (John Turturro).
Big question: Can a script co-written by Sandler, Robert Smigel and Judd Apatow help “Zohan” improve upon the atrocious “I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry”?
Catch it: The film will do absolutely anything for a laugh — from Zohan using a cat as a hacky sack to his extensive wardrobe of Mariah Carey T-shirts — and another winner always follows the many groan-inducing misfires. (How about a moratorium on Mel Gibson gags?) “Zohan” won’t make you feel very good about your own intelligence, but it is the funniest Adam Sandler movie since “Big Daddy.”
Bottom line: For the drunken college guy in all of us.
– – –
REWIND
MATT’S PICKS FOR WHAT’S STILL PLAYING
Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (PG-13)
3 stars
Hopefully we can all move like that when we’re older than 60.
The Fall (R)
2 1/2 stars
Looks great. Nothing more.
Sex and the City (R)
2 1/2 stars
Actually not so bad. Really.
The Strangers (R)
2 1/2 stars
Ninety minutes of people being tortured. Fun!
– – –
QUICK PICKS
The Promotion (R)
1 1/2 stars
Who’s in it: Seann William Scott, John C. Reilly, Jenna Fischer, Fred Armisen
What it’s about: Two assistant grocery store managers duke it out for a managerial position.
Worth watching? “Guess we’re supposed to find humor in the minutiae of supermarket management.” [ CHRISTY LEMIRE, AP ]
Shotgun Stories (PG-13)
3 stars
Who’s in it: Michael Shannon, Douglas Ligon, Barlow Jacobs
What it’s about: The sins of the father are visited upon two sets of half-brothers.
Worth watching? “Equal parts Southern gothic, Shakespearean tragedy and Raymond Carver-esque character study.” [ JEFF SHANNON, SEATTLE TIMES ]
Bra Boys (R)
2 1/2 stars
Who’s in it: Russell Crowe narrates this doc
What it’s about: This documentary follows the lives of the “Bra Boys,” the notorious surfing tribe from Australia’s Maroubra Beach.
Worth watching? “An engaging surfing doc.” [ Matt Pais ]
