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You Don't Mess with the Zohan poster

Movies that feel likeYou Don't Mess with the Zohan (2008)

An Israeli counterterrorism soldier with a secretly fabulous ambition to become a Manhattan hairstylist. Zohan's desire runs so deep that he'll do anything -- including faking his own death and going head-to-head with an Arab cab driver -- to make his dreams come true.

If you loved You Don't Mess with the Zohan, the closest films we have are Tower Heist (2011), Happy Gilmore (1996) and Shaolin Soccer (2001). All three share You Don't Mess with the Zohan's witty and playful feel, which is what we rank on before quality.

Seen the big three already? The under-the-radar pick below is The Prodigal Son (1981).

🍅 37% Rotten Tomatoes★ 5.6 IMDb ↗TMDB ↗dir. Dennis Duganwittyplayfulkinetic
8 of 12 streaming nowNetflix · HBO Max · Paramount Plus Premium

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If You Don't Mess with the Zohan hit the spot, these will too

Tower Heist poster
Tower Heist
2011 · dir. Brett Ratner
🍅 67%★ 6.2action · comedy

New York City shapes both of them

The difference: Critics rated this one higher still

A luxury condo manager leads a staff of workers to seek payback on the Wall Street swindler who defrauded them. With only days until the billionaire gets away with the perfect crime, the unlikely crew of amateur thieves enlists the help of petty crook Slide to steal the $20 million they’re sure is hidden in the penthouse.

Happy Gilmore poster
Happy Gilmore
1996 · dir. Dennis Dugan
🍅 66%★ 7comedyStarz

Both are Dennis Dugan's work, and they rhyme

The difference: Goes its own way on the momentum

Failed hockey player-turned-golf whiz Happy Gilmore — whose unconventional approach and antics on the green courts the ire of rival Shooter McGavin — is determined to win a PGA tournament so he can save his granny's house with the prize money. Meanwhile, an attractive tour publicist tries to soften Happy's image.

Shaolin Soccer poster
Shaolin Soccer
2001 · dir. Stephen Chow
🍅 89%★ 7.3action · comedy

Witty and playful in the same breath

A young Shaolin follower reunites with his discouraged brothers to form a soccer team using their martial art skills to their advantage.

Central Intelligence poster
Central Intelligence
2016 · dir. Rawson Marshall Thurber
🍅 71%★ 6.3action · comedy

Comedy with a pulse of momentum, in both cases

Calvin Joyner, a mild-mannered accountant whose high school glory days are long behind him, reconnects with an awkward pal from high school through Facebook. After meeting up, Calvin’s mundane life takes an unexpectedly thrilling turn when he's thrust into the world of international espionage.

Project A - Part II poster
Project A - Part II
1987 · dir. Jackie Chan
🍅 73%★ 7action · comedy

Both lean on wit more than on action

The difference: Made in the 1980s, in a different era of the craft

Dragon is now transferred to be the police head of Sai Wan district, and has to contend with a gangster kingpin, anti-Manchu revolutionaries, some runaway pirates, Manchu Loyalists and a corrupt police superintendent.

The Prodigal Son poster
The Prodigal Son
1981 · dir. Sammo Hung
🍅 100%★ 7.3action · comedy

Playful comedy in both cases

A rich man's son believes himself to be the best kung fu fighter in Canton. Unfortunately, his father, anxious for his son's safety, bribes all his opponents to lose. After a humiliating defeat at the hands of an actor in a traveling theatre company, the son resolves to find a better teacher.

Ride Along poster
Ride Along
2014 · dir. Tim Story
🍅 17%★ 6.1action · comedyNetflixStarz

Action built on momentum, twice over

For the past two years, high-school security guard Ben has been trying to show decorated APD detective James that he's more than just a video-game junkie who's unworthy of James' sister, Angela. When Ben finally gets accepted into the academy, he thinks he's earned the seasoned policeman's respect and asks for his blessing to marry Angela. Knowing that a ride along will demonstrate if Ben has what it takes to take care of his sister, James invites him on a shift designed to scare the hell out of the trainee. But when the wild night leads them to the most notorious criminal in the city, James will find that his new partner's rapid-fire mouth is just as dangerous as the bullets speeding at it.

Knight and Day poster
Knight and Day
2010 · dir. James Mangold
🍅 51%★ 6.3action · comedyParamount+

Witty comedy, and it commits to that

A fugitive couple goes on a glamorous and sometimes deadly adventure where nothing and no one – even themselves – are what they seem. Amid shifting alliances and unexpected betrayals, they race across the globe, with their survival ultimately hinging on the battle of truth vs. trust.

Grimsby poster
Grimsby
2016 · dir. Louis Leterrier
🍅 37%★ 6.2action · comedy

Playful action, and it commits to that

Wrongfully accused and on the run, a top MI6 assassin joins forces with his long-lost, football hooligan brother to save the world from a sinister plot.

Tag poster
Tag
2018 · dir. Jeff Tomsic
🍅 55%★ 6.5comedy · actionMax

The shared currency is momentum

For one month every year, five highly competitive friends hit the ground running in a no-holds-barred game of tag they’ve been playing since the first grade. This year, the game coincides with the wedding of their only undefeated player, which should finally make him an easy target. But he knows they’re coming...and he’s ready.

The Interview poster
The Interview
2014 · dir. Seth Rogen
🍅 51%★ 6.5action · comedyRent or buy

Both are comedy through and through

Dave Skylark and his producer Aaron Rapaport run the celebrity tabloid show "Skylark Tonight". When they land an interview with a surprise fan, North Korean dictator Kim Jong-un, they are recruited by the CIA to turn their trip to Pyongyang into an assassination mission.

Runner poster
Runner
2026 · dir. Scott Waugh
★ 6.6action · comedyRent or buy

The same action instincts

A former soldier is thrown into a brutal race against time when a critical medical delivery makes him and his unlikely partner the targets of a ruthless cartel. As the mission spirals into a deadly manhunt, every detour, delay, and bullet pushes them closer to failure. With betrayal closing in from every side, they must survive the chase and deliver their cargo to save the life of a little girl.

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The best-reviewed films that share You Don't Mess with the Zohan’s defining feeling.