You Don't Mess With the Zohan (2008)
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An IDF super soldier fakes his death to pursue his dream of becoming a hairstylist in the United States.
The story
Zohanele "Zohan" Dvir is an IDF commando known for his superhuman traits who is tired of the Israeli-Arab conflict. He dreams of leaving the military to become a hairstylist in the United States, despite his parents' disapproval. After a confrontation with his arch-rival, Fatoush "Phantom" Hakbarah, Zohan fakes his own death and smuggles himself to New York City. There, he adopts the name "Scrappy Coco" and attempts to find work at a local salon. After a series of events, he finds a job at a salon owned by a Palestinian woman, where his skills begin to gain recognition.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
Zohanele "Zohan" Dvir, an IDF commando with superhuman abilities, fakes his death after a fight with his rival, Fatoush "Phantom" Hakbarah, to move to New York City and become a hairstylist. He adopts the name "Scrappy Coco" and eventually finds work at a salon owned by Dalia, a Palestinian woman. His skills cause the business to prosper, drawing the attention of a developer, Grant Walbridge. Meanwhile, Phantom learns Zohan is alive and prepares to find him. Zohan falls in love with Dalia but fears their different backgrounds will cause conflict. When a conflict breaks out in their neighborhood due to a group of white supremacists hired by Walbridge, Zohan and Phantom must work together to stop the arsonists. They succeed, Walbridge is arrested, and the neighborhood is rebuilt as a shared mall. Zohan and Dalia marry and open a salon together, while Zohan's parents eventually approve of his new life.
- First release year
- 2008
- Runtime (minutes)
- 113
- Production countries
- United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Dennis Dugan
- Writers
- Adam Sandler · writer; Robert Smigel · writer; Judd Apatow · writer
- Cast and characters
- Adam Sandler · Zohanele "Zohan" Dvir; John Turturro; Emmanuelle Chriqui · Dalia; Nick Swardson; Lainie Kazan; Rob Schneider
- Genres
- satirical; action; comedy; black comedy
- Themes
- identity; pacifism; cultural conflict
- Tone and mood
- satirical; comedic
- Premise and plot tags
- superhero; hairdressing; political satire
- Source material / true-story basis
- The story of Nezi Arbib, an Israeli soldier who moved to southern California and opened a hair salon.
- Reception
- The film received mixed reviews from critics but was a box-office success, gross of $204 million worldwide.
- Reported review scores
- Rotten Tomatoes · score: 37% · review count: 189; Metacritic · score: 54 · scale: 100 · review count: 37
- Production trivia
- The film was delayed after 9/11 because the subject was considered too sensitive.; The film features elements from SNL sketches 'Sabra Shopping Network' and 'Sabra Price Is Right'.; The film poked fun at the popularity of hummus in Israeli culture.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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