Looking back over fifteen years later, however, the film is a fascinating time capsule—and arguably one of the most audacious, if uneven, comedies of Sandler’s career.
Faking his own death during a firefight with his nemesis, the Palestinian terrorist known as "The Phantom" (John Turturro), Zohan escapes to New York City. He reinvents himself as "Scrappy Coco," a hairdresser at a struggling salon run by a beautiful Palestinian woman, Dalia (Emmanuelle Chriqui). Chaos ensues as he tries to hide his past, seduce older women with his "disco disco" moves, and stop a greedy mall developer from gentrifying the neighborhood. zohan film
Beneath the hummus-throwing fights, jokes about "fizzy bubblech" soda, and an absurd number of crotch-grabbing volleyball scenes, Zohan has a genuine (if clumsy) thesis: the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is absurd, and the average person on both sides just wants to live, work, and enjoy a good haircut. Looking back over fifteen years later, however, the