You Don't Mess with the Zohan

(USA, 2008, 112 minutes)

An Israeli super-spy fakes his own death so he can start a new life in New York — as a hairdresser. So-so star comedy that doesn't draw as much mileage as one would like from its inspired premise and would require a firmer directing hand (and some quality control) to pull it off successfully; but the sheer outrageousness of the concept and the glee with which the cast throws himself into it go some way to making it tolerable.

Columbia Pictures presents, in association with Relativity Media, a Happy Madison production. Starring Adam Sandler; John Turturro, Emmanuelle Chriqui, Nick Swardson, Kevin Nealon, Lainie Kazan, Ido Mosseri; and Rob Schneider. Directed by Dennis Dugan; produced by Adam Sandler, Jack Giarraputo; written by Adam Sandler, Robert Smigel and Judd Apatow; music by Rupert Gregson-Williams; director of photography, Michael Barrett; production designer, Perry Andelin Blake; costume designer, Ellen Lutter; film editor, Tom Costain.