You’re asking why people don’t like You Don’t Mess with the Zohan. Here’s a concise take, based on common critical and audience responses. Overview

• The film’s humor can feel coarse or tasteless to many viewers, relying heavily on broad stereotypes and scatological and sexual jokes rather than clever satire. This can make it off-putting or exhausting for a sizable portion of audiences.

• Some critics and viewers view the movie as mishandling its political premise. It aims to address Israeli-Palestinian tensions and peace messages, but many feel it treads into problematic territory by leaning on stereotypes instead of nuanced commentary. This clash between intent and execution can generate backlash.

• The pacing and structure can undercut the premise. At nearly two hours, the film sometimes drags, with jokes recurring too long or not landing consistently, leading to uneven reception among audiences.

• Reception is polarized: some viewers find it hysterically funny or charming in its absurdity, while others see it as shallow, offensive, or simply not funny. This split is reflected across review aggregations and fan discussions.

Common criticisms in detail

• Stereotypes and offensiveness: Critics point to the reliance on stereotypes about Israelis and Palestinians, which can feel reductive or harmful, even if the performers and writers intend a peaceable or conciliatory message. This tension can turn audiences away who expect sharper multicultural satire rather than broad caricature.

• Tone vs. message: The film tries to blend action-adventure humor with a hopeful message about coexistence, but the tonal mismatch leaves some viewers feeling the message is undermined by the humor. When heavy topics are treated flippantly, it can be jarring and off-putting.

• Humor quality and consistency: A common refrain is that the jokes either land sporadically or become repetitive, causing the weaker stretches to overshadow the stronger moments. As a result, the overall comedic payoff can feel middling to poor for many.

• Controversy timing and sensitivity: Since the film engages with real-world conflicts, it invites scrutiny about the appropriateness of jokes in such a context. Even when intended as pro-peace, some audiences feel it trivializes real suffering or inflames certain audiences.

Context for different audiences

• Fans of Adam Sandler’s brand of humor may enjoy the film for its outrageous premises, zany gags, and the novelty of a “greatest Israeli soldier goes to America” setup. This group tends to rate it as lighthearted fun.

• Critics and viewers seeking sharper political or social satire are more likely to view it unfavorably due to its reliance on stereotypes and uneven handling of the subject matter.

Bottom line

• You Don’t Mess with the Zohan tends to be polarizing because it mixes broad, sometimes edgy humor with a sensitive geopolitical premise. For many, the jokes feel gratuitous or lazy, and the attempt at a peace message lands awkwardly, which explains the widespread mix of praise and criticism.

If you’d like, I can tailor this to a specific crowd (e.g., casual moviegoers, critics, or fans of Sandler) or pull more precise quotes from notable reviews to illustrate the points.