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"Zohan" Not Silky Smooth, But Far from Sandler's Worst"

As the years go by, it seems that Adam Sandler's films become more . . . well, "mature" is hardly the right word to describe his films. But they sure are a lot more ambitious than in past years. One year removed from a rather pitiful attempt to send a message about homosexuality in "I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry," Sandler returns with another raunchy comedy with a message, entitled "You Don't Mess with the Zohan."

Upon first glance at a preview or the film's synopsis, one would probably wonder if Sandler was trying to get shot. A film making a parody of the two thousand-year war between the Israelis and the Palestinians; what good could come from that? Actually, Sandler, who collaborated on the script with SNL writer Robert Smigel and the seemingly everywhere Judd Apatow, manages to get his message out that isn't nearly as patronizing or phony as his previous film, and the message is pretty simple: peace. It works to varying levels and it doesn't overwhelm the film. Plus, quite a few of the jokes are quite funny.

Sandler plays Zohan, a superhuman Israeli counterterrorist who is so good at his job, he can take out a terrorist continent single-handedly, stop bullets with his nostrils and is impervious to pain. He can even cook and disco dance at the same time. Zohan, however, is fed up with the endless fighting between his people and the Palestinians. He would rather live out his dream of cutting and styling hair, in the fashions dictated in his 1987 Paul Mitchell book, because cutting hair is "safe. No one gets hurt."

Zohan's parents (Dina Doron and Shelley Berman) think that's a ridiculous idea and say so in an explicitly derogatory manner, so Zohan fakes his death in a fight with his terrorist arch-nemesis the Phantom (the hilarious John Tuturro) and flees to New York on a mission to make the world "silky smooth."

After getting laughed out of the Paul Mitchell salon, he lands a job at a Palestinian salon, run by the beautiful Dalia (Emmanuelle Chriqui, television's "Entourage"). Though inexperienced, Sandler brings big business to the shop by wowing the older ladies who frequent the establishment with his charisma and style. As well as his "special" treatment he gives his customers in the back room . . .

Zohan's past comes back to haunt him when a Palestinian cab driver (Rob Schneider, a regular in Sandler comedies) recognizes Zohan in the shop and stooges him off to the Phantom. Zohan must also deal

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