By Katey Rich
When it comes to wide releases, there are two kinds of movies almost guaranteed to be attention grabbers. The first is the family-friendly animated adventure, particularly if it's been a long time since there was a movie that appealed to kids. And the second is an Adam Sandler comedy, no matter what the plot is. Both of those heavy-hitters will be coming to the multiplex this weekend, and Kung Fu Panda will do battle with You Don't Mess with the Zohan for box-office supremacy. The panda is the likeliest winner, but both of them are likely to come out of the weekend as happy campers.
KUNG FU PANDA. Opening in 3,600 theatres. In China's Valley of Peace, Po the Panda (Jack Black) wants to be a legendary kung fu fighter, but doesn't have either the strength or the skills. But when his village is threatened by the evil Tai Lung (Ian McShane), Po has the opportunity to join forces with his kung fu idols, The Furious Five (Angelina Jolie, David Cross, Jackie Chan, Lucy Liu and Seth Rogen). Dustin Hoffman also chimes in with the voice of the kung fu master, Master Shifu.
Most critics have fallen for this animated fable about believing in yourself, though our Daniel Eagan isn't exactly one of them. He writes, "On the one hand, it's refreshing to see an animated feature that doesn't rely on pop-culture references; on the other, Jack Black grunting and groaning for 90 minutes can test anyone's patience." Variety got a little antsy too, saying the movie "largely feels structured to accommodate the maximum amount of action, much of which is intended to be funnier than it is." But Owen Glieberman at Entertainment Weekly had a great time, writing, "Kung Fu Panda is light and goofy, yet the fight scenes, which are the heart of the film, are lickety-split mad fun." The Washington Post sees it as a kiddie alternative to another big hit out there right now: "Kung Fu Panda is as much fun as can be had at the movies right now, unless you have a lot of girlfriends and a shoe closet full of Jimmy Choos." "A surprisingly good film," writes The Arizona Republic.
YOU DON'T MESS WITH THE ZOHAN. Opening in 3,000 theatres. Zohan (Adam Sandler) is one of Israel's top Mossad agents, capable of taking down a whole village worth of Palestinian terrorists while protecting the children and even entertaining them. But when he decides to realize his lifelong dream of being a hairstylist, he fakes his own death and journeys to New York, where he winds up working at a Palestinian-owned hair salon. But when several of his old enemies track him down under his new identity, Zohan has to find a way for everyone to get along or fight back.
As far as most critics are concerned, this is just Sandler's same shtick with little to recommend it. Well, most critics except for me. "Maybe it's the over-the-top nature of the premise, Sandler's dedication to the character or contributions to the screenplay by man-of-the-hour Judd Apatow," I wrote, "but Zohan is gentler, sillier and overall better than most of what Sandler has made this decade." The Hollywood Reporter is almost as enthusiastic, writing, "What keeps the audience engaged is the obvious glee Sandler and the rest of the cast bring to their ludicrous yet grounded roles." The Associated Press is less convinced, especially when it comes to Sandler's performance: "We've never had much reason to think of him as a sex symbol -- or a commentator on global issues, for that matter -- but in Zohan, he almost transforms himself into both at the same time. Almost." The Arizona Republic thinks that "even the funny bits go on a tad long," and Entertainment Weekly writes, "the essential conservatism of the project guarantees that there are absolutely no surprises in a padded 112 minutes."
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