Kathmandu:

There are movies that are aimed at the intellect. There are movies that are aimed at the heart. When Adam Sandler does his one hit a year film, for Sandler-ites it’s aimed much lower down. Belly laughs about sex and in Zohan secret agents stuff make for silliness you will laugh at while you’re watching but forget soon.

Sandler, who knows exactly which funny bone to tickle, is joined by the incredible John Apatow in bringing us this laugh-a-minute bit of stupidity.

Sandler does the situation comedy with secret agents and super villains; you get Zohan the secret agent, and Turturro playing the Phantom, a baddie, who is as funny sometimes as Sandler’s Zohan.

I guess when you’re making an Adam Sandler movie with Aptow and gang, you’re having a ball and a few bangs to boot.

But allow Hollywood insider Kit Bowen, “Sandler is arguably one of the smartest movie moguls in Hollywood. As a writer/star/producer, he knows exactly who his audience is and gives them exactly what they want and expect — for better or worse. In this case, it’s slightly better than most. He is Zohan, a super-skilled, super-buff — and many times, super-naked — Israeli Mossad agent, who can stop the bad guys with one swift kick and woo the ladies with his amazing butt muscles. But he’s tired of fighting and secretly wants to be a hair stylist, so he fakes his death and heads to New York under the alias ‘Scrappy Coco’ to live out his dream. Of course, his past catches up with him, especially after he gets a job at a salon run by the beautiful Dalia (Emmanuelle Chriqui), who also happens to be Palestinian. No matter, he is soon a huge success with the older lady clientele for his, er, unique sensual hairstyling techniques, if you get my meaning. But Zohan’s past eventually catches up to him, just as he realises he can’t make the ‘bang boom’ with anyone else but Dalia.

“Adam Sandler can just add Zohan to his repertoire. Actually, it’s been awhile since we’ve seen Sandler play someone this over-the-top — and it’s kind of refreshing. The actor obviously had to really work out to get the Zohan physique, and he puts himself out there, quite literally, in more ways than one. (Disco dancing while barbequing fish in the nude is gutsy!) Sandler also enlists the help of some of his cronies, particularly Rob Schneider, who plays a Palestinian cab driver, of all things. Nah, that shouldn’t piss off anyone. Chriqui from HBO’s Entourage is very cute and a worthy love interest, but it’s really all the older ladies who get the true benefits of Zohan’s mojo, including Lainie Kazan, playing the mother of one of Zohan’s friends. And then there’s John Turturro, who sheds all seriousness as a known terrorist and Zohan’s nemesis, The Phantom. I guess after he did Transformers, Turturro figures he can keep up the silly antics.

Sandler also teams up once again with his old director pal, Dennis Dugan — the same guy who has guided Sandler in his hit comedies Big Daddy and Happy Gilmore. Obviously, it’s a synergy that works, but Dugan usually doesn’t have to do much more than point the camera. With Zohan , however, Dugan has to incorporate some special effects (Zohan flying through the air, for example) as well as some action stunts. It looks like they had more fun this time around. If you’re not a fan, however, you might still enjoy some of it — even if you roll your eyes.”