REEL CRITIC:

Adam Sandler is usually not thought of as a social commentator or one who weighs in on the pressing issues of our time. However, this exemplar of lowbrow humor actually wrestles with such weighty issues as the Israeli/Palestinian conflict, career angst, homophobia, and the sexual yearnings of older women in his new film “You Don’t Mess with the Zohan.”

Of course Sandler and co-writers Robert Smigel (“Saturday Night Live”) and Judd Apatow (“Knocked Up,” “The 40 Year Old Virgin”) haven’t suddenly become politically correct. Their new project is rife with stereotypes, gross-out humor, and insensitive bits. Nonetheless, fans of the three writers and past Sandler projects won’t be surprised.

Sandler stars as Zohan Dvir, a superhuman Israeli counterintelligence agent. Zohan is continually called upon by the Mossad to single-handedly infiltrate terrorist strongholds. Frustrated that the terrorists he captures are later traded for Israeli hostages and then set free, Zohan fakes his own death to pursue his long unfulfilled dream of becoming a hair stylist for the Paul Mitchell salon in New York City which he only knows from a 1980s hair style reference book.

Stowing away in an air cargo container with two dogs, Zohan assumes their names and becomes Scrappy Coco. Shortly after arriving in New York, he intervenes in a traffic altercation on behalf of Michael (Nick Swardson) a bicyclist nearly run over by a reckless driver. Befriended by the grateful Michael, he moves in with him and his mother (Lainie Kazan) with whom he soon begins a torrid affair.

After several hilarious and unsuccessful attempts to get hired by a legitimate salon, Zohan has to resort to working at a rundown beauty parlor catering mostly to old women owned by a beautiful Palestinian woman named Dalia (Emmanuelle Chriqui). Not allowed to cut hair at first, Zohan is eventually given the chance when one of the regular stylists quits. Although his sense of a good haircut is hopelessly out of date, Zohan’s enthusiasm and sexual interest in the old ladies soon makes him a favorite.

This idyllic situation doesn’t last long as an unscrupulous land developer (Michael Buffer) is trying to price both the Israeli and Palestinian merchants out of business so he can bulldoze the neighborhood to build a mall. On top of that, Zohan has been recognized and his nemesis, a terrorist leader known as The Phantom, is in New York hunting for him.

This certainly seems like a lot of plot just to put Sandler in situations where he can perform his trademark shtick. Perhaps unexpectedly, the film delivers a not so subtle message that sworn enemies such as Israelis and Palestinians can peacefully coexist in a new environment. In America they come to find the average person cannot even tell them apart. There is also a fairly strong message delivered regarding the detrimental effects of rampant development on simple but close-knit communities.

As in any Adam Sandler movie, there is silly juvenile humor galore. Sandler seems to be one of those polarizing actors as he evokes strong support or derision with very little neutrality. Sandler’s fans will enjoy “Zohan” as it is one of his strongest efforts of late and is filled with enough laughs to fill its nearly two hour running time.

For those who mostly enjoy his projects, Sandler displays an inherent charm that softens his hard-edged humor. Although usually savaged by the critics, even Sandler’s detractors have to admit he is one of the most successful actors in the business. Starring, writing, and producing relatively low budget offerings that almost always open big, Sandler can afford to shrug off the scorn of the intelligentsia who are not his intended audience anyway.

VAN NOVACK is the assistant vice president of institutional research and assessment at Cal State Long Beach and lives in Huntington Beach with his wife, Elizabeth.