Hotel Transylvania

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At first glance, Hotel Transylvania might strike you as your usual family-oriented computer-animated movie. But it actually breaks new ground in terms of computer animation. But more on that later.

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It doesn't break new ground in castle design, though.

Grown Ups

I can just imagine Adam Sandler saying, "My bosses at Happy Madison want me to make a new movie, even if I am part of the board. But what I'd really like is to go on vacation. And maybe flirt with Salma Hayek. I know! I'll just round up the old gang, get some lousy script where we get to go to a lake house, then make a movie. That way, I'll be hitting two birds with one stone!"

So Adam Sandler rounds up the entire gang. He calls Rob Schneider, and tells him, "Hey Rob, we need your insane sexual humor in this film." Then he calls David Spade and says, "Hey David, your career needs to be resurrected, I can help you with that." Then he calls Chris Rock and tells him, "Hey Chris, we need one black guy in this movie, wanna come? You're not allowed to make racist jokes, though." Then he calls Kevin James and says, "Hey Kevin, we need a fat ass in this movie, and Tom Arnold is too old. We need someone around our age, even if you're not as famous as us." Then he calls Salma Hayek, and offers her a part, but of course he doesn't mention his hidden agenda. And he starts flirting from the first phone call.

Of course, Steve Buscemi is part of the old gang, but Adam Sandler tells him, "Hey Steve, I want you to be in this movie, but you've grown old, really, bug-eyed and ugly, so I can't give you a lead part. You can have a supporting part though. How about one of the villain bullies?"

And that, ladies and gentlemen, is how they made Grown-Ups.*


*Actual conversation may differ.


*some info from IMDb
pic from daemonsmovies.com


Rating: Five out of ten.

You Don't Mess With the Zohan

One riotous laugh-out-loud movie.

Adam Sandler's Happy Madison production comes up with a noticeably intelligent comedy, and they definitely didn't hold back on the sex jokes. Zohan Dvir is Israel's modern-day superhero, a counter-terrorist who gets tired of the 2000-year old conflict in the Holy Land and decides to pursue his dream of styling hair in New York City. It may seem like a shallow plot, but it is actually inspired by the famous Arbib brothers, all former Israeli soldiers-turned-hairstylists (they still run the salons Shampoo and Shampoo Too in West Hollywood).


The script's no-holds-barred humor (sexually, politically, and racially) is a result of the comic brilliance of three distinguished comedians today: Sandler, Saturday Night Live writer Robert Smigel, and of course the popular Judd Apatow. But of course, it's the crazy performances of the actors that breathe life into the script.

Adam Sandler plays the Zohan perfectly, in a role tailor-made for him and his Jewish roots. Along with John Turturro as Phantom the terrorist, and joined by Rob Schneider as the cab driver Salim, the three buddies reunite once more, and make comic acting seem effortless (which, to them, it probably is). Nick Swardson is quite funny as Michael, the clueless New Yorker who takes Zohan in, and Emmanuelle Chriqui sizzles the screen as the hairdresser Dhalia. Filipino-American actor Alec Mapa also gets some screen time as the hairstylist Claude.

Speaking cameos abound in this movie, starting with Michael Buffer himself (you'd half-expect him to suddenly shout "Let's get ready to rumble!") as the tycoon Walbridge; the musician Dave Matthews as James; Chris Rock as a Jamaican taxi driver; and the following play themselves: actor Kevin James, tennis great John McEnroe, actor George Takei, and diva Mariah Carey herself.

Again, expect a lot of sex jokes, political jokes, and racist jokes, all tastefully done, and you'd be surprised how many times you'd catch yourself laughing out loud.


Rating: Four stars.