DVD reviews: You Don't Mess With The Zohan | The Incredible Hulk

Published on Friday 3 October 2008 17:07

YOU DON'T MESS WITH THE ZOHAN (12) £19.99

Director: Dennis Dugan

Running time: 113 minutes

**

There's a canyon-sized dichotomy in the mainstream film market these days. Adam Sandler repeatedly makes infantile films which leave critics scratching their heads as to how the projects even get off the boardroom doodle pad. And then there is the general public's appetite for his films, which sees him hit the top five of the box office chart almost every time. Here Sandler plays an Israeli commando who yearns for a life as a hairdresser, so ends up following his dream to New York, only to find that the only chance of employment is in a Palestinian salon. Perhaps the Jewish-Israeli gags are lost on a Scottish reviewer, but something tells me I'm not alone in wondering how the devil he gets away with this stuff. Turns out that Zohan has the answer to world peace, and not just a fine line in Eighties-style hairdos, so he wins over his new neighbours. New audiences for Sandler, however, are harder to bank on.

THE INCREDIBLE HULK (12) 19.99

Director: Louis Leterrier

Running time: 108 minutes

***

It was a summer crammed full of action heroes, and comic book legends being revived for the big screen. From Robert Downey Jnr giving Iron Man a modern comedic twist, to the late Heath Ledger scaring audiences witless with his performance as the Joker in Dark Knight. All intelligent actors were lending their brains and their brawn to the summer blockbuster season.

Unfortunately, one of the efforts which didn't replicate the general success was Edward Norton's turn in the role of the green giant.

Norton, who notoriously likes a project to be run his way or the high way, attempted to give Stan Lee's munster a more cerebral exploration, rather than the brute force of previous attempts, such as Ang Lee directing Eric Bana. However, not even the aid of Tim Roth as the Hulk's nemesis, The Abomination, or Liv Tyler and William Hurt in supporting roles, help this disappointing effort.