10 Times Adam Sandler Proved He Can Act

10. You Don't Mess With The Zohan

You Don’t Mess With The Zohan is Sandler at his absolute silliest. As the titular soldier turned hairdresser, Sandler plays a cartoon in a cartoon world, a veritable superman who sacks his national duties in favour of servicing (in more ways than one) the eager old women of New York.

Sandler takes this role remarkably seriously. He is in terrific shape, and accordingly grabs the opportunity to spend much of the film topless. He also trained as a hairdresser for several weeks, which he really needn’t have done. It pays off, though: Zohan is his best comic creation since the mid-‘90s.

A relic of 2008, 12 scant years down the line you probably wouldn’t be able to make this irreverent flick about Israeli-Palestinian relations (Rob Schneider as a Middle Eastern cab driver – problematic!), but the sweetness Sandler brings to the role does much to quash any uneasiness.

It’s hardly the most nuanced role of Sandler’s career, but there’s no way you can accuse him of resting on his laurels in this underrated spoof. It’s crass and daft, but in Sandler’s hands it is seriously funny.